The fate of the once-beloved Pebble smartwatch ecosystem has been uncertain since Fitbit bought the company in 2016 for around $40 million. Today, Fitbit announced a more definitive timeline for support of Pebble devices and software: Fitbit will extend its support of the Pebble ecosystem, including devices, software, and forums, until June 30, 2018.

"During this time, we invite the Pebble community to explore how familiar highlights from the Pebble ecosystem are evolving on the Fitbit platform, from apps and clock faces to features and experiences," the company's blog post states.

Fitbit's invitation is a hopeful one for the company itself. After the buyout, members of the Pebble team helped Fitbit develop its own smartwatch OS that debuted on the $300 Fitbit Ionic last year. Fitbit is likely hoping that diehard members of the Pebble community, many of which developed apps and programs for the smartwatch platform, will try making similar programs for Fitbit's new wearable operating system.

The Fitbit SDK is already quite accessible, allowing developers to sign up and start building programs using all-online tools. But in addition to the accessibility of the SDK, Fitbit wants to entice Pebble users with a discount: users with a valid Pebble device serial number can get $50 off a Fitbit Ionic smartwatch. It's currently the only device that runs Fitbit OS, and it's useful to have if you want to test out any apps made with the SDK.

But for those who want nothing to do with Fitbit OS development and only care about how long their Pebbles will last, this news is bittersweet. According to Fitbit's announcement, Pebble devices will continue to work after June 30, but these features will stop working: the Pebble app store, the Pebble forum, voice recognition features, SMS and email replies, timeline pins from third-party apps (although calendar pins will still function), and the CloudPebble development tool.

There will also be no more updates to the Android and iOS Pebble apps. While the app remains compatible with current smartphone OS versions (Android 8.1 and iOS 11), Fitbit notes that "it’s possible for future iOS or Android updates to break Pebble compatibility."

While it's not spelled out explicitly, Fitbit's timeline spells the end of what remains of Pebble. Without the Pebble app store, the only way users can manage third-party apps and watch faces is through other programs like Rebble. CloudPebble let developers write Pebble apps using all-online tools (similar to how Fitbit Studio works now), so after June 30, it will be significantly harder for anyone to write new Pebble apps. While Pebble users may be comforted to know that their devices will continue to work after Fitbit's designated date, the fate of those devices ultimately lies with their compatibility with updated smartphone platforms.