Pebble Index 01 Smart Ring Presents As A Voice Recording Tool At The Edge Of The Finger

Pebble Index 01 is designed as a fast sound recorder (photo; x @Gizmodo)

JAKARTA - Pebble is again trying its luck in the wearable market with a deliberately made as simple as possible. After launching a new smartwatch with a battery of 30 days but minimal modern features in early 2025, the company is now introducing the Pebble Index 01 smart ring even though the term smart here feels a little loose.

Launched Tuesday, December 9, Pebble Index 01 is designed as a fast sound recorder. The concept is similar to personal external memory: the user presses the button on the ring, speaks in the direction of the ring, then the recording will be stored or sent to the nearest smartphone. Its shape is like a stainless steel wedding ring, with gem-style buttons and small microphones.

If the iPhone or user's phone is not nearby, this ring can store up to five minutes of recording for later synchronization. Once the data goes to the phone, the recording is processed by an AI model and speech-to-text open source that runs directly on the device. Users can also determine where the notes or reminders will be stored.

In addition to recording sounds, this ring can run quick commands such as sending messages via Beeper to a partner, performing simple web queries, or even controlling music through a combination of key clicks. Pebble claims its voice recognition system supports more than 99 languages.

Compared to other smart rings such as Oura which is full of biometric sensors, Index 01 appears very minimalist. No screen, no speakers, no laptops, just a small LED RGB that is rarely used.

Pebble moved all AI processing to a paired device, so the ring only functions as a simple input. This power-efficient design makes it claimed to last for years in normal use without the charge option. When the battery runs out, users are asked to send the ring back to Pebble for recycling.

This ring may seem too simple to be called a 'smart', but on the other hand it offers a new way of leveraging AI on an iPhone without complicated devices. The main challenge is to convince people that talking to the finger is a reasonable activity, especially when the phone is only a few centimeters in the pocket.

Pebble opened pre-order Index 01 at a price of 75 US dollars, while the regular price when sent in March is 99 US dollars. The options consist of polyshed silver, polyshed gold, and shot black, with the size of the US ring 6 to 13.

In the midst of this hype, attention is again focused on the Apple Ring, a device that has been rumored for almost two decades but has never surfaced. Apple has many patents related to this category, but without any tangible signs of being released, Pebble seems to be able to breathe a sigh of relief for a while.