The cult brand Pebble may return with a compact Android smartphone.

It is being developed by a team of enthusiasts who never received the desired gadget from major companies.

Last year, Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky reached out to gadget manufacturers, urging them to create a small Android phone that could compete with the iPhone Mini. Since nothing has materialized, Eric decided to take matters into his own hands.

Thus, Migicovsky's petition transformed into a "community-driven project," where the device's development will be handled by community members who have long desired a cool and compact smartphone on Android.

The team, named Small Android Phone, is not yet a company but could become one. For now, it is a group of enthusiasts discussing the device's development at all stages—from selecting the display and processor to designing the casing.

The team includes not only the founder of Pebble but also his former colleagues Ben Bryant and Alex De Stasio, who has also worked on industrial design at GoPro.

De Stasio noted that the phone will feature a recognizable camera. Many sketches focus on the protrusion of the module, which significantly impacts the overall look of the device. Below are a few examples of potential designs.

"But don't expect options with a modular design, as the team will likely avoid it due to complexity and high costs," added De Stasio.

Regarding camera specifications, Bryant states that 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 leads" in software for the modules that may allow them to reach a competitive level.

So far, the team has not decided on the device's casing. They are considering a metal frame covered with fiberglass or aluminum with a ceramic coating or something similar. In this regard, engineers will not experiment much, as all attention should be focused on the details rather than the materials.

They have not yet settled on a name for the phone, although its internal code name is Marvin. However, Bryant shared a list of potential options. Names like Pico or Pip could emphasize the phone's small size, while others aim to sound friendly or powerful, such as Howdy or Atlas. There is also another option that seems quite plausible—Pebble.

Pebble (from English - "pebble") is the iconic smartwatch from Pebble Technology. It began its journey through crowdfunding on Kickstarter, where it became the largest completed project, raising over $10 million. The first version of the gadget started shipping in early 2013. This was followed by Pebble Steel, Pebble Time, Pebble Time Round, and Pebble 2. At the end of 2016, the company was acquired by Fitbit, which in 2019 came under Google's wing.