The cheapest smart ring: No charging, no internet connection, no AI, only sells for 500 yuan.

Never need to charge

As a wearable smart device, the biggest drawback of the Apple Watch is the need for frequent charging.

It's okay if you can develop a habit, but if charging conflicts with your schedule, it will become an annoying part of your bedtime routine.

▲ Image | Apple Community

At this time, what if there was a wearable product that was lightweight, portable, waterproof, dustproof, and never needed to be charged - you could wear it on your hand and not have to worry about battery life even after continuous use for a whole year. Would you be interested?

Doesn't it sound like the kind of black technology you'd only find in Cyberpunk 2077? If you're an old user of smart wearables, upon hearing this "counter - intuitive" feature, you'd probably guess a name: Pebble.

That's right, the former pioneer of smartwatches and the white moonlight in the hearts of geeks has really returned with such a product. This wearable product that seems to have a built - in nuclear battery is the Pebble Index 01 ring:

▲ Image | Repebble

Long before the Apple Watch defined the so - called "smartwatch" category, Pebble was already one of the first players in the smart wearable device market.

In 2012, two years before Apple entered the smart wearable device market, Pebble created a "crowdfunding myth" on Kickstarter, raising $10.26 million against a target of $100,000, thanks to its e - ink screen, long battery life, and open ecosystem.

Although Pebble later struggled to compete with the entry of the two giants, Apple Watch and Android Wear, and was eventually acquired by Fitbit in 2016, the representative minimalist and pragmatic spirit has never disappeared in the hearts of many old users who experienced the Pebble Classic era.

▲ Image | Wikipedia

This time, Pebble's founder, Eric Migicovsky, is back, but his focus is no longer on the mature smartwatch market. Instead, he has created a ring.

More importantly, in this era of rampant AI, what Pebble wants to create is not an AI companion.

The Pebble Index 01 looks almost the same as an ordinary ring. At first glance, it's hard to tell that it's an electronic product. Instead, it looks like a delicate, slightly industrial - style decorative ring.

▲ Image | Repebble

The Pebble Index 01 currently comes in three color options: Polished Silver, Polished Gold, and Matte Black. There are eight sizes from No. 6 to No. 13. Just from its appearance, it's already worth the price.

There have been precedents for "ring - type" smart products that combine decoration and smart features, but don't confuse the Pebble Index 01 with smart rings like the Oura Ring or the Samsung Galaxy Ring that mainly focus on personal health monitoring -

The Pebble Index 01 has no health monitoring functions. It can't measure your heart rate, track your sleep, or even count your steps. According to Migicovski, its only purpose is to serve as an "external memory" for your brain.

▲ Image | Gizmodo

Therefore, the design logic of the Pebble Index 01 can be described as "simple and straightforward": there is no screen or vibration motor, only a button, a small LED light, and a microphone. It's as simple as the first - generation iPhone.

Correspondingly, there is only one way to use the Pebble Index 01:

When an inspiration suddenly flashes in your mind, you remember an urgent matter, or you just want to record a random and absurd joke, you don't need to take out your phone or call out to a smart assistant. Just raise your hand, press the button on the ring, say what you want to record, and you're done.

▲ Youtube | Eric Migicovski

However, the minimalist usage doesn't mean it's a shoddy product. Regarding the privacy issue of voice interaction, Pebble points out:

The microphone on the Pebble Index 01 is only powered when the button is pressed and cannot be activated in the background. All recordings are encrypted and transmitted to the phone via Bluetooth, where the local AI model of the Pebble app converts them into text and categorizes them. There is no need for an internet connection or subscription fees throughout the process.

Of course, it can do more than just record. You can also give it commands to set an alarm, add an event to your calendar, or create a to - do list. These commands will be distributed to your phone through the Pebble app.

▲ The app used is the same one that connects to Pebble watches

In addition, the Pebble Index 01 also has a built - in limited storage function. It can save up to 5 minutes of recordings when the connection is lost and transfer them to the Pebble app after reconnecting to the phone.

Since the Pebble Index 01 is an open - source product, you don't have to use the Pebble app. It's also possible to use it to connect to and command Siri. The only drawback is that Apple Intelligence may not be that smart.

Moreover, different from all other smart wearable brands, Pebble has given the Index 01 an amazing feature: it doesn't need to be charged.

But this isn't some alien technology. The Pebble Index 01 has a non - replaceable silver oxide hearing aid battery. With 10 - 20 recordings per day, each lasting 5 - 10 seconds, this tiny battery can last for two years.

▲ Youtube | Eric Migicovski

This means you can wear the Pebble Index 01 like an ordinary ring, without taking it off when washing, exercising, or even taking a bath. When the battery of the Pebble Index 01 runs out, it will send a notification in the app, reminding you to place a new order and send the old ring back to Pebble for recycling -

Yes, from this usage method, the Pebble Index 01 is actually a "disposable product".

But if you've ever been in the embarrassing situation of your Apple Watch running out of power, Pebble's "deliberately designed" disposability could be a solution.

More importantly, the Pebble Index 01 is priced at only $75 (about 530 RMB), which means you can get a physical version of a "Flash Thought Capsule" or "Xiaobu Memory" that can last for two years for less than the price of a 648 - yuan in - app purchase. There will definitely be people interested in it.

However, we must also recognize the challenges the Pebble Index 01 faces - it's a very niche product. The pain points it solves are very specific and trivial. In fact, it was developed as a solution to the problems Eric Migicovsky personally encountered.

For most people who are used to smartwatches, spending a few hundred dollars on a "recording button" and having to develop a new muscle memory of "pressing the ring to talk" is quite a high threshold.

In today's world where voice assistants are everywhere, whether the Pebble Index 01 can attract enough people with its unique "off - line feel" and "physical button feel" remains to be tested by the market.

But it's still a pleasant thing to see the name Pebble appear in the market news again.

▲ Image | Repebble

Currently, the Pebble Index 01 is still in the pre - sale stage at $75. The price will be raised to $99 after the official release. You can place an order on the Pebble official website, and the product will be shipped around March 2026.

Overall, the Pebble Index 01 is a very interesting and distinctive product. It not only continues Pebble's consistent geeky romance but also truly dares to simplify functions and enhance the user experience.

We haven't seen such a bold and fun design concept in products from tech brands for a long time.

This article is from the WeChat official account "ifanr" (ID: ifanr). The author is Ma Fuyao. It is published by 36Kr with authorization.