Iconic brand Pebble may return with a compact Android smartphone

Last year, Pebble founder Eric Migikowski addressed to gadget makers with a call to make a small Android phone that could compete with the iPhone Mini. Because things are still there, Eric decided take matters into your own hands.

That Migikovsky petition turned into a "community-based project" where device development will be engage members of this community who also long wanted to get a cool and compact smartphone on Android.

The team called Small Android Phone is not yet a company, but it could become one. So far, this is a group of enthusiasts who discuss the development of the device at all its stages - from the choice of display and processor to the design of the case.

The team includes not only the founder of Pebble, but also his former associates Ben Bryant and Alex De Stasio, who also worked as an industrial designer at GoPro.

De Stasio noted that the phone will have a recognizable camera. Many of the sketches focus specifically on the module's protrusion, which has a big impact on the overall look of the device. Below are some examples of possible designs.

"But don't count on modular designs, as the team will probably avoid it because of the complexity and high cost," De Stasio added.

In terms of camera performance, Bryant says the goal is "to take good photos, which means it's not a 100-megapixel sensor." Instead, the main sensor is likely to be closer to 50 MP. The team also has a "couple of hooks" in the module software that could allow them to compete.

While the team has not decided what the body of the device will be. They consider a metal frame coated with glass composite or ceramic-coated aluminum or similar. In this regard, engineers will not experiment much, since all attention should be focused on details, not materials.

The name of the phone has not yet been decided either, although its internal code name is Marvin. Nevertheless, Bryant shared a list of potential options. So, Pico or Pip can emphasize the small size of the phone, while others try to sound friendly or powerful, like Howdy ("Hi") or Atlas. And there is another option that seems quite likely - Pebble.

Pebble (from English. - "pebble") - a cult smart watch from Pebble Technology. They started their journey through crowdfunding through the Kickstarter website, where they became the largest completed project, raising over $10 million. The first version of the gadget began shipping in early 2013. After there were Pebble Steel, Pebble Time, Pebble Time Round and Pebble 2. At the end of 2016, the company was bought out by Fitbit, which in 2019 came under the wing of Google.