Nearly a decade after Pebble's nascent smartwatch empire collapsed, the brand return with new wearable devices. The Pebble Core Duo 2 and Core Time 2 are a natural evolution of the company's low-power smartwatches, but its next wearable device is something else. Index 01 is a ring, but it probably shouldn’t be called a smart ring. Index only does one thing—record voice notes—but the firm says it does that task very well.
Most modern smart rings offer users the ability to track health statistics, as well as various minor integrations with smartphones. With all the sensors and data collection, these devices can cost as much as a smartwatch and require frequent charging. Index 01 does no such thing. It contains a Bluetooth radio, a microphone, a hearing aid battery, and a physical button. You press a button, write down a note and that’s it. The company says the Index 01 will last for years on a charge and will cost just $75 during the pre-order period. After that it will increase to $99.
Core Devices, the new home of Pebble, says the Index is designed to be worn on your index finger (get it?), where you can easily press the device's button with your thumb. Unlike taking notes with your phone or smartwatch, you don't need both hands to take voice notes with Index.
The ring's only physical control is tactile, which lets you know when it's activated and begins recording. When you finish speaking, simply release the button. If this button is not pressed, the ring will not record audio for some reason. The company has obviously worked to make sure this process is 100 percent reliable—it only does one thing, so it really needs to do it well.
The ring is designed to be worn on the index finger so that the button can be pressed with the thumb.
Credit: Basic Devices
The smart ring usually needs to be recharged every few days, but you will never recharge the Index. The idea is that since you never have to take it off to charge, using the Index 01 “becomes muscle memory.” The built-in battery will power the device for 12–14 hours of recording. The designers estimate that it will take approximately two years of use if you record 10 to 20 short voice notes per day. What happens when the battery runs out? You simply send the ring back for recycling.
