One of this year’s most exciting stories — at least for us wearable nerds — was the return of Pebble. With an open-sourced OS courtesy of Google and new hardware that picks up right where the brand left off pre-acquisition, it feels like a full circle moment for smartwatches. Now, Pebble is ready to launch a brand-new wearable, and it’s a pretty big left turn from it’s previous releases.
Pebble’s first-ever smart ring is set to launch in 2026, but it’s not exactly a competitor to Oura or Samsung. The Index 01 is, instead, a much more simplified gadget, probably to its benefit: it’s a stainless steel ring with a single button meant to be worn on your index finger (get it?). Pressing and holding the button activates the on-board microphone, after which you can speak anything from reminders or to-do lists to stray thoughts passing through your mind. That’s it: no health tracking, no sleep tracking, and no notification alerts.
Clearly, this is a product designed for one specific audience. I won’t lie, though — this thing feels purpose-built for someone like myself, who often lands in situations where I think of an editorial idea or I remember an upcoming due date without an easy way to quickly create a reminder or task. Pebble’s ring strikes me as the 21st century version of tying a string around your finger, except with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a modern piece of tech.
That does include a local LLM for speech-to-text processing, but I wouldn’t call this an “AI-powered” device. Instead, the encrypted recording is sent from your ring to the Pebble app on your phone, where everything is converted to text on-device. You can also listen to the raw recording if you’d rather skip out on any potential mistakes. This LLM also supports basic actions, like creating a reminder or a new notes, in order to sort your data. Pebble says the app works offline and doesn’t require a cloud service, though an “optional” cloud storage system for backups will be available.
On the technical side, the Index 01 is water-resistant up to 1 meter, in order to allow you to continue wearing it in the shower or while doing the dishes (swimming is not recommended). The battery — the same type used in hearing aids — is a non-rechargeable battery that can record around 12 to 14 hours of audio in total. Pebble says using the ring 10-20 times a day for 3-6 second thoughts should net you around two years of usage before it needs replacing, and the company will offer a recycling program for dead rings.
Pebble’s Index 01 comes in polished silver, polished gold, and matte black colorways, with US ring sizes ranging from 6 to 13. It also supports over 99 languages and syncs with Android, iOS, and associated smartwatches, including Pebble. You’ll be able to pre-order it starting today for $75, with global shipping in March. Following pre-orders, the Index 01’s price will rise to $99.
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