The Essential Phone, Essential PH-1, or whatever you want to call it, was undoubtedly an extremely memorable phone that quickly amassed quite a fan following. Its in-hand feel and purist approach to software are still something that many swear by. However, the device never really tasted success, selling only 5000 units in total, which eventually led to an untimely demise of the company itself.

Jason Keats, former head of R&D of Essential feels that the major bummer can mostly be owed to the fact that the company lacked direction and was never really sure of the point of the Essential PH-1 itself (via Android Authority).

“One of the things that hurt Essential was, it wasn’t entirely clear what the point of Essential was, what we were building for, and that hurt us,” he says.

However, mistakes can be addressed, and a part of the extremely talented team behind the Essential Phone is now working on another smartphone offering dubbed OSOM OV1, this time with a key focus on security and privacy.

A strategy of bringing control back to the consumers is being followed with three key pillars across software, hardware, and marketing: privacy, simplicity (ease of use), and choice. Everyone has got stuff that they’d rather store locally than on the web to keep it more shielded against prying eyes, and everything being done by OSOM revolves around this – or in other words, “to help the user control what’s shared and what’s not shared.”

Accordingly, the OSOM company name very aptly stands for “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” – a subtle way to promote the firm’s belief in privacy and security. The name of the handset too follows a similar theme with OV-1 being short for OSOM Vault 1.

But even with all of the extra focus on security, the OSOM OV-1 isn’t going loose on simplicity and will feature a simple yet premium design, reminiscent of the original Essential Phone.

There’s a triangular camera island on the upper left corner of the rear which carries a dual-camera system and a flash. A rear capacitive fingerprint scanner will serve as a bouncer and a Qualcomm chipset will be powering the phone.

Apart from this, the phone will be running near-stock Android, of course, which again would feel just as slick as the software the Essential Phone ran. Full specs of the OSOM OV1 will be revealed at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February and a release is expected sometime this summer. Currently, the device is at the Engineering Validation and Testing (EVT1) stage and Keats says that the device was the best EVT1 experience of his career.

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It’s a pleasure for some users to try the new Android Q Beta before the official launch. Several Android Q Beta versions are released by Google so that the developers can make their apps compatible with the latest Android distribution. To make the new version compatible with devices, the search giant has even partnered with some OEMs, including the Essential, Samsung, OnePlus and others. Surprisingly, the final Android Q Beta was recently rolled out for the Google Pixel Phones, and later Essential Phone also joined the league last week.

Essential quickly rolled out the Android Q Beta 6 for the Essential phone with refined Gesture Navigation, APIs and SDKs. Surprisingly, the Essential Phones are getting bricked after the installation of the latest Beta update. Users are reporting the device getting stuck into the non-functional state aka QDL state after installing the update.

According to a user on Reddit, the Essential phone is not booting after performing the update. The Essential support is asking to send the device to the support center for a closer inspection to rectify the issue.

The thread is full of many other users having the same issue. But thankfully, the company is returning the devices soon after successfully downgrading them to the previous Android build, within a couple of weeks.

The issue appears to be affecting all the units which are getting upgraded to the Android Q Build 6. We suggest users to remain on the Android Q Beta 5 until Essential rectifies the bug. We await an official response from the Essential on the QDL state issue.

Android Q beta 5 update also caused some devices to stuck into the QDL state. The issue was gradually resolved with significant updates.

Up Next: Essential Phone could have a Successor after all

(source)

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The Essential phone from the Android co-founder Andy Rubin was launched last year with a lot of expectations. Those expectations were largely not met as the phone struggled for space in the market, but the company was able to deliver new Android OS updates on time. However, in the face of a stuttering sales, the company has now announced that it has sold out all units in stock and is discontinuing production of the Essential Phone 1.

The announcement is, however, laced with some cheering news as the company equally confirmed something that has been in the rumour mills for a while.  That is, that it has got a second phone in the works. The statement actually labelled it “mobile product”. This second device might possibly be the leaked tiny phone that employs AI (artificial intelligence) to answer text messages and e-mails.

Here is the statement released by an Essential representative – “We are sold out of Essential Phone” on essential.com and won’t be adding any new inventory. We are now hard at work on our next mobile product and will continue to sell accessories and provide speedy software updates and customer support to our existing community.” So it looks like another Essential phone will soon be on sales despite the company putting itself up for sale. The company has promised to deliver fast software updates for the Essential phones and this may be one reason the company still has some loyal fans awaiting the release of the supposed “mobile product”.

(source)

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Essential, a smartphone manufacturing brand from Android creator Andy Rubin, has so far launched only one device — Essential Phone PH-1. After launching its first phone last year, the company has not yet announced its plan for the next device.

Previously there were reports about the company working on its second smartphone as well as a smart home speaker. However, both were reportedly slashed because of the poor sales performance of the Essential PH-1.

Now, a report from Bloomberg suggests that the company is putting most of its projects aside and is instead focusing on developing a new kind of phone based on the artificial intelligence technology. The report adds that the phone will be able to mimic the user and will automatically respond to messages on behalf of the user.

According to the report, the design of the upcoming smartphone is not like the standard phone that we’ve seen seeing. Instead, there will be a small screen and the users will be required to interact mainly using voice commands, which will work on the company’s own AI-powered software.

It appears that the major aim for the said upcoming device from Essential is to offer work-related features like book appointments and respond to emails and text messages. However, the report adds that the users would also be able to make phone calls using this device.

While the idea may sound unique and interesting, it remains to be seen how practical this upcoming devcie from Essential is, based on the current limitations of the AI-backed voice assistants. This could also be the company’s last attempt to break into the consumer electronics market.

Essential is aiming to have the prototype of the phone finished by the end of the year so that it can be showcased to industry partners as soon as January at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The news about the development of this AI-backed phone by Essential comes at a time when there’s no certainty about the company’s future. It has been clouded by workplace misconduct allegations involving Rubin’s time at Google. He also took a brief leave of absence from Essential last November. Earlier this year, the company was also up for sale.

Read More: Essential Phone update brings October security patch and notch settings

Essential is backed by around $300 million, which makes it Silicon Valley’s most ambitious consumer-electronics startup in years. Essentials’s first phone — PH-1 pioneered an edge-to-edge design before the Apple iPhone X. However, the phone’s sales were disappointing due to its relatively high price and buggy software.

(Source)

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Essential Phone, which received the Android 9.0 Pie update the same day it was released, has now received a new update with the October security patch. Interestingly, the new for the phone started rolling out minutes after Google released the same for its own devices.

Apart from the October security patch, the new update also brings back the notch settings, which enables users to hide the notch on top of the display. The notch settings, which enables customisation of app uses the notch area disappeared after the update from Android 8.1 Oreo to Android 9.0 Pie, when Google introduced new notch logic.

The reintroduced notch settings allows users to set their default notch preference for all applications from three options —  “Controlled by application,” “Always use notch area,” or “Never use notch area.” The October patches fixes a “critical vulnerability” that could allow a remote attacker some pretty high-level access.

Essential is doing something that no one other phone manufacturer has been able to do — providing Android updates on the same day it gets released. Recently, the company confirmed that it’ll also provide the next major Android update as well, i.e. Android Q, for the Essential Phone PH-1.

Read More: What’s new in Android 9 Pie update for the Essential PH-1?

It’s noteworthy that the company has stopped the development processor of its Essential Phone successor due to the poor sales of the company’s first smartphone. While it has promised Android Q update, the company’s future is still uncertain.

(Source)

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Amid the cancellation rumors of Essential Phone 2, Essential has confirmed Android Q update for PH-1. Due to poor sales of the Essential Phone, the company has decided to put a hold on the development of its successor. After the early rollout of the Android 9.0 Pie on the Essential Phone, now, the company is getting ready for the Android Q update, release slated for the next year.

Today, from Essential’s latest AMA on Reddit we have assembled some of the crucial details. Essential Phone is the only smartphone of the company that is available in the market. Essential was scheduled to launch the Essential Phone 2 this year, but as per the rumors, it has canceled for unknown reasons. Now, Essential is focusing on the development and support for its first smartphone, Essential Phone (PH-01).

After the Android 9.0 Pie update last month, it has lost custom notch settings. Now, on the users’ demand, Essential is all set to bring back the notch custom settings via the upcoming October security patch update. Here’s what they said:

We sure are! It’s in for our October security patch release and we’ll be working to get it out to you as quickly as possible. P.S. So much fun for PUBG (and I guess Fortnite, if they ever let me in the beta lol)

Similarly, on asking about the Android Q update, Essential replied to the user saying, “We’ll provide platform updates for 2 years (until August 2019) and security updates for 3 years (until August 2020).

Read More: Essential Phone Gets Another Camera Update, Brings Portrait Mode

Essential denied the availability of Panorama view feature in the camera app of the device. Further, it answered all the queries related to the upcoming features, bugs, and fixes. It’s a good going from the Essential to bring the latest software update for the Essential phone.

(Source, Via)

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Android 9 Pie was officially announced on Monday, 6th of August, two weeks earlier than the August 20 date it was expected to launch. The new version of Android started rolling out to Pixel devices immediately after the announcement, and in what can be termed a pleasant surprise, to the Essential Phone too.

I own the Essential Phone and have already updated my device to Android 9.0 Pie. So I’m going to share the new features the update brings to the phone.

First, if you own an Essential Phone and haven’t received the update, you should head to the settings menu and manually check for the update. I didn’t get a notification for the update myself but the update was available immediately I checked.

The update is about 1GB and you may want to switch to a Wi-Fi network if you are on cellular data. Once the update is done, you should restart your phone for the changes to take effect. Just before we dive into the new features, do note that the update comes bundled with August’s security patch even though it still shows as July. Essential has provided an explanation for that. It turns out they failed to update the patch string.

Our Android Pie release DOES include August security patches. In our enthusiasm to get it to you as soon as humanly possible, we forgot to update the security patch string. It will be corrected in our next release. In the meantime, enjoy a slice of pie served up by Elyse. pic.twitter.com/7Rpprzeeb4

— Essential (@essential) August 6, 2018

New Navigation and Recent Apps Menu

The biggest change you will notice after restarting your device is the new navigation mode. Gone are the back, home, and recent apps buttons and in their place is a new pill-shaped button and a small “back” arrow. Thankfully, Google has provided the option for users to switch to the previous navigation system. However, the icons are now like the ones on the Pixels.

If you want to go check your recent apps or switch between apps, all you have to do is swipe the pill icon upwards. Doing that brings you to the second visual change.

In Android Pie, Google has switched from vertical arrangement to a horizontal layout. You can scroll between open apps by dragging the pill button but I find scrolling through the apps itself faster and better. Apps can be closed by swiping them upwards.

Getting into split-screen mode has changed too since there is no more recent apps button. Entering into split-screen mode now is still pretty simple as well.

Can you see the icons above each app when you open the recent apps menu? Tap on it and a menu will show up. The menu includes app info, split screen, and pin. Apps that don’t support split screen won’t have the option listed. Select the split screen option and the selected app goes to the top half of the screen. You can select the second app from the rest of the open apps.

To quickly switch between apps, just drag the pill button to the far right and it’ll take you to the previous app.

Adaptive Battery and Adaptive Brightness

These are two of the main features that come with Android Pie. Adaptive battery uses AI to improve your battery life. What it does is study your usage pattern and limits the resources allocated to infrequently used apps. This is supposed to improve battery life.

Adaptive Brightness also uses AI to automatically adjust brightness. The phone studies your environment and usage pattern to adjust display brightness. The system also studies the manual adjustments you make to the brightness slider.

Notification Shade and Quick Settings Menu

The Quick Settings menu wears a new look now. On Android 9.0 Pie, the quick settings icons now sit in a circle. When a setting is activated, the icon takes on a green color or teal if the device theme is set to dark.

One complaint about the redesigned quick settings menu is that you have to completely drag it down to access the gear icon that takes you straight to the phone’s settings.

There is also an edit button along with the notification when you take a screenshot. So you can jump right into editing the screenshot.

Settings

The main phone settings looks better as Android 9.0 Pie brings much-needed colors to the icons. Also, the icons are now in a circle like those of the quick settings menu.

Volume Controls and Bluetooth Audio Controls

Volume control has also been redesigned. The control slider is no longer at the top of the screen but now on the right where the volume buttons are. We don’t know if the position will be standard irrespective of where your volume buttons are since there are some phones with their volume buttons on the left.

There is a gear icon below the slider that takes you to sound settings where you can adjust volume for calls, alarms, media etc.

There is also an icon above the slider that you can tap to mute all sounds or put the phone in a vibration-only mode.

A neat feature Android 9.0 Pie brings is the ability to remember the volume level of each individual Bluetooth audio device. So you can set your speaker to the maximum level and your earbuds to 50% and the phone will remember the volume level for each individual device.

Dedicated Screenshot button

Android Pie brings a dedicated screenshot button to pure Android. Rather than the usual volume down + power button combo to take a screenshot, you can hold down the power button for a few seconds and select the screenshot button that has been added to the power menu.

Easter Egg

The Android Pie Easter egg is fun and colorful and changes everytime you check it. To access it, go to Settings > System > About Phone > Android Version. Tap the Android Version (9) multiple times and it will open the easter egg. Be careful, this easter egg has the ability to hypnotize you.

What is missing?

Some features are missing in the update. Some are available on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL and others are scheduled for release later.

• Overview Selection – this allows you to copy text from one app to another while in the recent apps menu without you having to enter into any of the apps. It also allows you to share images too.
• App Actions – App actions use machine learning and AI to predict the apps you need and at certain times of the day using the Pixel launcher. For example, you can have recommendations for playing a song when you connect your earphones
• Slices – this brings features in an app to the surface (read search). So if you search for Uber or Lyft in search, part of the search results you get is the distance and duration to your home or if a driver is close by. This is already available on the Pixel and will be available for other phones by fall.
• Digital Wellbeing – this is supposed to help you use your phone less than you currently do by allowing you set timers for app usage or switching to grayscale when it is near a preset bedtime. There is also a chart that shows you the duration spent per app and the number of times you unlocked your phone. Digital Wellbeing is available as a beta for Pixel devices running Android Pie. A stable version will launch this fall to Pixel, Android One, and other phones.

READ MORE: Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S Android 9 Pie beta update now rolling out; More Xiaomi phones to receive soon

Conclusion

Android Pie is a great update that brings a lot of new and interesting features. It is sad that some cool features are being reserved for Pixel phones but Android being what it is, there will definitely be a port in the near future to other devices.

So far, I have not encountered any issue since I updated. Essential still has its own issues that have not been fixed such as the occasional ghost touches but it doesn’t happen frequently to make usage unbearable.

Releasing the Android Pie update the same day as it was announced is commendable and if you are someone who cherishes having a phone running the latest version of Android or having the latest security patch, the Essential Phone is the device for you.

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After months of beta testing, Android P is official. And no it is not called Android Pistachio Ice Cream as revealed by this Huawei employee but Android Pie! That’s not all. If you are a proud owner of the Essential Phone, the update should hit your device today.

Android 9.0 Pie comes with a ton of new features. One of the biggest changes is the navigation system. With Android Pie, navigation is now gesture-based. There is also a new feature called Adaptive Battery which uses machine learning to improve power management.

There are tons of other features which we will cover in a separate article or we just might update this one.

Android 9.0 Pie is already rolling out to the Essential Phone making it the first non-Pixel phone to receive the update. It is 1047.2MB in size. Below is the full changelog for the Essential Phone:

• Gesture-based navigation
• Adaptive Battery
• Adaptive brightness
• Refreshed Notifications
• Rotation suggestion

We’re proud to bring Android 9 Pie to Essential Phone the same day it’s released! Check your phone now for the update. pic.twitter.com/pniUDl9yr8

— Essential (@essential) August 6, 2018

READ MORE: Android P coming to OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T, no Android 8.1 Oreo

There is no news yet on when other devices will begin to receive the update but we believe it should arrive on the Pixel phones and other devices that were part of the beta testing program before launching on others. So if you own the OnePlus 6, Nokia 7 Plus, and Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S, expect the update to arrive soon.

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In March, Google had released the first developer preview of Android 9.0 P. Through the Google I/O 2018 event that began yesterday, Google confirmed the arrival of beta edition of Android P for smartphones from various brands like OnePlus, Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, Nokia (HMD Global, Essential and Sony.

In the previous years, Google used to release the beta builds of new Android version first to its Pixel/Nexus devices. However, starting with this year, the latest Android P beta build will be not only available for the existing Pixel phones, but also for devices from popular smartphone OEMs. Well, all these phones are Project Treble compatible devices because of which they are entitled to receive the Android P beta along with the Pixel phones.

Here is the list of smartphones for which the Android P beta is now available for download:

• Google Pixel
• Google Pixel XL
• Google Pixel 2
• Google Pixel 2 XL
• OnePlus 6
• Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S
• OPPO R15 Pro
• Vivo X21
• Vivo X21 UD
• Essential Phone
• Sony Xperia XZ2

In order to download the Android P beta, owners of the above phones are required to enroll in the respective beta program first. This can be done by visiting the following link. Yes, the above list contains the unreleased OnePlus 6. More details on Android P for OP6 is expected to surface on its launch date.

Android P is packed with plenty of new features such as Adaptive Battery that prioritizes battery consumption for frequently used apps and services; Adaptive Brightness that can remember the manually set brightness setting for specific lighting environment; Digital wellbeing features that shows how the device is being used by the user by providing a Dashboard to see the time spent in apps, unlocking of phone, checking notifications and so on. Some of the other features of the Android 9.0 P include manual screen rotation, gesture-based navigation, predicted actions and more.

As of this writing, there is no information on the release date of the final build of Android P. Also, the official name of Android 9.0 is yet to be disclosed. Like last year, the Android P may debut in August this year.

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Essential Phone PH-1 is one of the unique releases of 2017. It’s a flagship device launched by the founder of Android and it managed to get the attention of customers pretty quickly, even though the sales haven’t been that impressive. Many people may not know it, but this phone was announced with a notch even before the iPhone X. And this isn’t its only innovation, given that this is the first device to sport a frame made of titanium and a ceramic back.

But this phone had a major flaw: we are talking about its camera performance, which is a bit disappointing. Many users complained about the bad camera performance of the Essential Phone PH-1, and the company did listen to them and released an update to improve the camera. But it was not enough to let it rock like the cameras of Samsung Galaxy S8, Mate 10 Pro, and other 2017 flagships. Well, according to the company, the next Essential Phone will change things in this department. In an interview released to Business Insider, Essential declared that its next device will feature a better camera. Here’s an excerpt from the interview with Linda Jiang, head of industrial design at Essential:

In general, one thing that we got hit hard with was the quality of our camera, and we’re really looking forward to improving that with our next-gen, making sure that we’re listening to our customers and their pain points… We’re going to make it better for you.

RELATED: April Security Update Brings Bluetooth 5.0 To The Essential Phone

However, we don’t know when the next Essential Phone will be announced. Given that the company has released just one phone until now, and that there are no official declarations about the launch date of its next device, we cannot tell you if the company plans to release new flagships annually. Recently, a patent regarding this device was filed, and it was revealed that it may come with a pop-up camera like the Vivo APEX.

(Source)

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The Vivo APEX has been getting lots of attention following its surprise MWC reveal. The phone’s unique feature is its over 90% screen-to-body ratio. To achieve that, Vivo decided to remove the camera from its usual position and make it pop up from the top, thereby providing more space for the display. It turns out that Essential already owns a patent with the same pop-up camera design.

https://twitter.com/RitterRav/status/969419186417016834

Yes Rafael, I saw it. Check this: https://t.co/v5DuJxP0qI https://t.co/HvbWEmwjYm

— Andy Rubin (@Arubin) March 3, 2018

The public reveal of the patent was done in an unusual way. A fan had called Andy Rubin’s attention to an article of the Vivo APEX and the CEO of Essential replied with a link to their patent with the same design.

The patent reveals it was filed back in May 2016 before we knew about the company’s existence, and it was granted in August of 2017.

One version shows the camera will pop-up from the right hand side of the top of the phone. It will protrude when the camera needs to be used and retract when inactive. In the image above, we can see the phone doesn’t have a notch and the screen reaches to the top. We can also see the outline for two rear cameras. The patent also says the retractable camera can be a front facing camera, a back facing camera, or even a 360° camera.

READ MORE: Essential Phone Could Soon Launch In India As Amazon-Exclusive For Rs. 24,999

In another version, the patent says the camera is integrated into the display as a camera icon at the top left corner. The camera serves two functions in this case – as a camera icon which when selected activates the camera, and also as the camera for taking pictures and recording videos.

While there is no confirmation, there is a chance we may see any of the two designs surface in the next Essential Phone.

Which of the two designs you prefer? Pop-up camera or integrated camera?

(Sources: 1, 2 |Via)

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Essential Phone has received several updates improving the camera performance and functionality and now, the company has released yet another update pertaining camera features. The new camera update for the Essential PH-1 brings selfie flash, stability fixes, and a beta version of a ‘Tiny Planet’ mode.

The Tiny Planet is one of the most exciting features coming to the phone. If you have the Essential 360 Camera accessory, Tiny Planet allows you to capture 360-degree photos and videos, which it displays as if on its own planet.

The Tiny Planet creations can be edited directly within the Essential Camera application and everything making the changes, users can share it on the social media platform of their choice.

The other feature that comes with this update is selfie flash. It works by turning the screen bright white as the selfie is taken in order to illuminate the faces of the people in the picture. While it’s not as powerful as a dedicated hardware flash, it can still be useful for lighting up a dark environment.

The camera updates for the Essential Phone have become a regular thing. It’s good to see that the company is focusing on improving the camera performance after it was heavily criticized upon the phone’s release, with several issues, including poor processing and slow speeds.

Read More: Essential Reportedly Shipped Phones With Refurbished Parts

Previous camera update from the company, which was released a few weeks ago, introduced features such as Auto-HDR, along with stability fixes, and boosted capture speeds.

Recently, reports emerged suggesting that the company could soon launch its Essential Phone Halo Gray variant in India, which is one of the largest smartphone markets in the world, for a price of about Rs. 24,999 (approximately $388). This has led many to believe that the company is looking to clear stocks before it starts working on the successor of Essential PH-1.

(Source)

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Last year, Andy Rubin — the father of Android, launched a smartphone company named Essential. Ever since the company launched its first device — Essential PH-1, popularly known as Essential Phone, it has been facing troubles.

In latest development, a new report suggests that Essential has notified Sprint that a small number of units of the Essential Phone are shipped with refurbished parts. According to the source, the affected users will receive notification which will redirect them to the Sprint website for resolution. However, it is not yet clear what the resolution will be.

The report comes from a Reddit user who claims to be working at Sprint. Neither Sprint nor Essential has given any official statement regarding this. At this moment, we couldn’t verify the authenticity of this report.

As the reports says that the affected users will get notifications, it seems that the company is aware which units are affected. The possible solution for this problem could be offering replacement, but there is no such confirmation from the company yet.

According to a report from International Data Corporation (IDC), Essential sold less than 90,000 units units of its PH-1 last year. However, the company seems to be hoping to have better numbers this year and has recently announced three new color variants.

Recent report also suggests that the company could launch the Essential Phone Halo Grey variant in India in April for about Rs. 24,999 ($386), exclusively through Amazon India. The suggested Indian pricing is considerably low given that the phone is currently available in the United States at $449.

The Essential PH-1 features a 5.71-inch IPS LCD display with 1312 x 2560 pixels resolution and comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top. It is powered by a Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 835 processor and 4GB RAM, coupled with 128GB of internal storage.

The phone comes with a 13-megapixel dual rear camera with f/1.9 aperture lens, an LED flash, PDAF (phase detection autofocus) and LDAF. There’s an 8-megapixel front facing camera sensor with f/2.20 fixed hyperfocal lens.

Read More: Essential PH-1 Gets New Halo Gray Variant With Alexa Built-in, Amazon Lowers Prices to $449

It is running on Android 7.1 Nougat with a planned upgrade to Android 8.1 Oreo operating system. The device, which is IP54 rated for water and dust resistance, packs a fingerprint sensor mounted on the back panel and is powered by a 3,040mAh battery with fast charging support.

(Source)

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Essential Phone, the first smartphone from Andy Rubin’s new brand was launched last year. The phone, which falls under affordable premium category, is now reportedly launching in India soon.

The Essential PH-1, which is popular called Essential Phone, is expected to launch in India later this year — in late March or in early April. As per the report, the phone could be an Amazon-exclusive device.

It seems that the phone will be launched in India to clear out the stock before the company starts working on its successor. Because of this, the phone is expected to come with a very competitive price tag. As per the report, it could be priced at around Rs. 24,999 (approximately $388) in India.

The company is expected to list the recently announced “Halo Gray” variant of the phone in India, which comes pre-installed with the Alexa application. However, the company has not yet officially commented regarding the phone’s launch in the Indian market. In the United States, the Halo Gray variant currently costs $499.

The Essential Phone features features a 5.71-inch IPS LCD display with 1312 x 2560 pixels resolution and comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top for protection from minor scratches. There’s a notch on top of display which houses the front-facing camera.

Under the hood, the device is powered by a Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 835 processor and 4GB RAM, coupled with 128GB of internal storage. It features a 13-megapixel dual rear camera with f/1.9 aperture lens, an LED flash and PDAF (phase detection autofocus) and LDAF. There’s an 8-megapixel front facing camera sensor with f/2.20 fixed hyperfocal lens.

Read More: Essential Rolls Out Android Oreo Beta 8.1, Includes February’s Security Patch, Bug Fix, and New Features

The phone runs on Android 7.1 Nougat with a planned upgrade to Android 8.1 Oreo operating system. The device, which is IP54 rated for water and dust resistance, packs a fingerprint sensor mounted on the back panel. Along with USB Type-C port, other connectivity options on the device include Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS and LTE. The Essential Phone is powered by a 3,040mAh battery with fast charging support.

(Source)

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Yesterday, Essential took to Twitter to announce that it now sells accessories for its phone. Prior to the announcement, if you wanted to purchase a replacement accessory for your phone, you had to settle for those made by third parties.

The inventory on the online shop not only includes standard accessories like the $39 27W fast charger with braided USB cable and the $15 USB-C to 3.5mm audio jack connector, but also some new accessories.

There are two USB-C earphones – the Earphones|HD with high-res audio for $99 and the Earphones|Mini for $49. Both earphones support USB Audio Class 2, work with a Mac or PC, and have a multi-function button for controlling music playback, answering calls, and activating Google Assistant. They are also tangle free and come with a custom-built hard shell case.

READ MORE: Essential Phone Gets New update: No Oreo, But Brings January Security Patch & Spectre and Meltdown Fixes

Essential also lists a few other accessories as coming soon such as a carrying case for the 360° camera which comes in black and red, and a fast charge phone dock.

(Sources: 1, 2)

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We can’t help but agree that the cut in the price of the Essential Phone from $700 to $500 has made it one of the most affordable flagships. While the phone isn’t perfect – it sure has gotten a lot better since its launch.

If you are on the lookout for a new phone to begin the new year, you can purchase the Essential Phone for $449 on Amazon. Or better still, throw in an extra $50 and get the world’s smallest 360° camera too. The price cut applies to both the Black Moon and Pure White variants.

Essential has continued to push out more updates  to improve the performance of the cameras which is the issue people had with it when it launched. While it is still far from the Pixel 2 or iPhone X‘ camera level, the Essential PH-1’s cameras have drastically improved. If you still are not satisfied, you can side-load modified versions of the Pixel’s camera app too.

READ MORE: Essential Phone Users Receive Second Android 8.0 Oreo Beta, Final Stable Version Arriving Soon

Apart from the camera (and its lack of  an audio jack), the Essential Phone is one the best built phones in the market right now. You get a phone with a titanium frame and a ceramic back which is stronger and more scratch resistant than most if not all of the flagships released this year.

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In the previous month, Essential had released the first beta build of the Android 8.0 Oreo for Essential Phone users. Today, the company has rolled out the second beta build of Oreo with new features and enhancements.

The first Oreo beta build came with badge notifications for individual apps, a revamped Settings menu and plenty of background enhancements that increased the overall speed and performance of the device. The second Oreo beta includes features like smart text selection and picture-in-picture. It also equipped with numerous bug fixes as well as performance improvements.

One should be aware of the fact that since it is a beta build, it will contain some bugs. The second Android Oreo beta built is available as OTA (over-the-air) update to all the users of the Essential Phone who have installed the first Oreo beta build.

Read More:50,000 Essential Phone Units Sold Since Launch, Reveals Camera App Download Numbers

In order to install the first build, Essential Phone owners need to register for the Essential Oreo Beta Program on a PC through this link by entering their email address. The page will redirect the users to download page that will contain the ZIP file for the beta update. It can be saved to any desired location on the PC. The downloaded file needs to be manually sideloaded on the phone to install the Oreo beta.

The company has confirmed that installing the beta build of Android Oreo will not void the Essential Limited Warranty rights. For customers who did not purchase the phone through Essential, it advises them to check whether installing or downloading the update would affect the warranty.

In September, Essential had confirmed that the Android 8.0 Oreo update will be arriving to Essential Phone users in the next month or two. Now that the company has released two beta versions of the Android 8.0 Oreo update, it appears that the arrival of the stable version is close at hand.

The Essential Phone was introduced with a price tag of $699 earlier this year. However, the smartphone is now available with a reduced price tag of $449 on Best Buy.

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Essential Phone was launched in May 2017 with a price tag of $699. Even though the company had promised that the shipping of the phone would begin at June end, but it could manage to begin the shipments in mid-August. In September, it was reported that only 5,000 units of the Essential Phone were sold in the U.S. Since then the smartphone has been available with a significantly low price of $499 along with a $200 friends and family code that can be used by Essential Phone owners to avail discount on 360-degree camera module or another Essential Phone. Fresh information suggests that according to camera app download numbers from the Google Play Store, the company may have sold 50,000 units of Essential Phone.

The sales number of the Essential Phone calculated on the basis of camera app downloads may not be 100 percent accurate. However, it suggests that Essential Phone has met with increased sales in the past six weeks. Compared to the sales report of September, the company has managed to achieve impressive sales with the recent price cut on the Essential Phone.

 
Read More: Essential To Focus On Reparability For Its Next-Generation Smartphone

Apart from $399 pricing and friends and family code, the Essential Phone and the 360 Camera were available with a bundled pricing of $399 during the recent Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. These offers may have certainly boosted the sales of Essential Phone to achieve a mild success.

The company has previously claimed that it wants to compete with the likes of Apple and Samsung in the U.S. The bezel-less Essential Phone may not be a major rival for the Apple iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy Note 8, but the company seems to be determined to rival the top tier smartphone brands. In the previous month, the company had confirmed that it has already started working on Essential Phone PH-2. It had also said that it is working on improving display/glass durability on the PH-2 phone.

(source)

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Essential Products, the newest entrant in the premium flagship smartphones category, has confirmed in a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) that the company is working on its next-generation smartphone.

It’s good to see that the company has not been affected by the absence of Andy Rubin, the company’s founder and CEO, who is also the face of the company.

In the Reddit AMA, while the company said that it’s working on its next-generation smartphone, it has not revealed anything related to the phone. However, the company said that they are “focusing on reparability” of the smartphone. The Essential Phone (PH-1) is very hard to repair, as concluded by the iFixit team.

The company said, “We will make sure that your phone can be repaired at a reasonable and competitive price if the consumables, like batteries need to be replaced.”

Currently, there is no information available related to the upcoming smartphone’s features and specification. It is not known when the company is planning to launch the device, but we expect the phone to get launched in the first half of next year.

Essential PH-1 was launched in May this year, with an aim to make its mark in the premium flagship smartphone category. However, it seems that the company is struggling to sell the smartphone.

Recently, the smartphone received a price cut of $200, bringing down the phone’s price to just $499 from $699. The smartphone features a 5.7-inch bezel-less display that comes with a screen resolution of 2560 x 1312 pixels and an unusual aspect ratio of 19:10.

Under the hood, the device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, along with 4GB of RAM 128GB of internal storage. It has dual camera system at the back, which includes a pair of f/1.85 aperture 13-megapixel sensors — one is monochrome lens while the other one is RGB lens. It also has a f/2.2 aperture 8-megapixel front-facing camera.

The smartphone is fueled by a 3,040mAh battery. On the back of the phone, there is a set of magnetic pins that hold Essential modules just like Motorola’s Moto Mods. It recently received the latest Android Oreo update.

Read More: Essential Phone Gets Another Camera Update, Brings Portrait Mode

At the time of launch, Essential promised that the smartphone will receive guaranteed updates for two years. The smartphone is also slated get monthly security updates for the next 3 years.

(Source)

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This is certainly not good times for Essential phone and its founder Andy Rubin. The startup is already enmeshed in low patronage for its first flagship model which launched for $699 just 3 months back but is now sold for $449. As if that isn’t enough, Andy Rubins has now taken a leave of absence from the company he found. Wonder why? Here’s why.

Turns out that Andy Rubin may have been embroiled in a sexual misconduct case while at Google and this may have necessitated his exit from the tech giant. Recall that Andy Rubin was a co-founder at Android and also a Senior Vice-President of Mobile for Google, piloting the development of the Android operating system for years until he abruptly left in 2014. Details have now emerged that Rubin left Google after an investigation was carried out over complaints that he had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a female colleague. Not that he was accused of harassment but there is a policy against such relationships between supervisors and subordinates at Google. Now, the issue resurfaced recently and the bid to avoid a scandal may have resulted in the sudden leave of absence by Rubin from Essential Phone at this time.

Related: Essential Phone Gets Yet Another Price Cut, Available For $449.99

It has not been disclosed when Mr Rubin will return back from his sudden leave but that shouldn’t be too long. Perhaps, he’ll lie low until the dust being generated by an issue which should be dead by now, settles.

(source)

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When the Essential Phone was released, the camera was the one feature that people complained about. Essential promised to fix it via software updates and it did.

The camera app has received multiple updates since the phone launched which have greatly improved its performance. However, Essential is not done with it yet as it has released yet another update which brings a number of new features and fixes.

The key feature in the new camera update is Portrait Mode. Yes, the Essential PH-1 can now take images with the bokeh effect. The photo below is a sample taken with the phone after the update.

Other new features the update brings are exposure compensation for all regular camera modes and a reduction in JPEG compression to improve image quality.

If you own an Essential Phone, just head to the Play Store and update your camera app under the “My Apps” tab.

READ MORE: LG Patents Phone Design With Similar Display To Essential Phone

The Essential Phone packs dual 13MP rear cameras in the monochrome + RGB format. Essential says this allows it to capture up to 200% more light than regular smartphone cameras.

(Source)

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The Essential Phone is one of the uniquely designed phones we have seen this year. The circular cut-out at the upper part of its display has been well received seeing as it wasn’t the butt of jokes like the notch of the iPhone X. So well received that a recent LG patent has the same design.

Images of a new smartphone design patented by LG has surfaced online and the design is nearly identical to that of the essential phone. The phone has a tri-bezelless design with the upper part of the display featuring the same cut-out in the middle for the front facing camera. LG has however added its own flavor to the design.

While the Essential phone displays the usual icons for app notifications, network signal, battery level and clock on each side of the cut-out, the patent shows LG will use it as a sort of shortcuts for apps like messaging, dialer, music player, and also player controls. We presume it will function as a sort of secondary screen like that of the LG V20, rather than as a part of the whole display.

Other images from the patent shows that the phone will have a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C port and a single speaker grille at the bottom while the top will be bare.

READ MORE: Huawei, OPPO, Samsung, LG Are All Working On Dual Screen Foldable Phones

Some have speculated that this might end up being the design for the LG G7 or LG G40, though we think it will likely be the latter.

(Via)

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If you managed to snag the $199 PlayStation 4 Slim 1TB deal last week then good for you as that was one of the best discounts for Black Friday. Today is Cyber Monday and the Essential Phone might just be the best deal for today.

As part of its Cyber Monday deals, Amazon is selling the Essential Phone  bundled with the 4K 360° camera for $399. That is a huge discount considering the Essential Phone is $500 and the Camera is $200, so you are practically saving $300 on the deal.

The Essential Phone originally sold for $700 but got a permanent price cut to $500 last month though, it has once sold for $450. The phone packs the specs you would find in other flagships released this year and combines it with an impressive design and durable body.

It has a 5.7” 2560 x 1312 display with Gorilla Glass 5 on top. The back is made of ceramic and the frame is titanium. There is 4GB of RAM along with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor. Storage is 128GB but not expandable.

The 13MP dual rear cameras have gotten several updates since the phone launched that have greatly improved their performance. There is an 8MP camera up front for selfies. For connectivity you get Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, a USB-C port, and dual band Wi-Fi. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

READ MORE: Essential Phone Gets Android Oreo Beta Update

The Essential Phone comes with Android 7.1 Nougat and packs a 3040mAh battery with support for fast charging.

Do note that the deal ends today. As at the time of writing, there are still 18 hours left before the deal ends.

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The average prices of premium smartphones have increased a lot in the past one year. Popular brands have decided to launch their flagships with a higher price tag compared to the previous models from 2016: for example, look at the listing price of Apple iPhone X, or check Samsung’s prices for the Galaxy S8, and the Galaxy Note 8, and even the Chinese company Huawei, who is selling P10 and P10 Plus with a higher price than their predecessors. But we cannot say the same about OnePlus 5T and Essential Phone PH-1. The latest flagship by the Chinese startup launched by BBK, and the first phone launched by the creator of Android (Andy Rubin), are among the cheapest flagships ever. In this comparison, we want to help you understand which one is worth buying.

OnePlus 5T vs Essential Phone: Design and build quality

This comparison includes phones with very innovative aesthetics. Indeed, both are bezel-less phones and both have a very refined design.

OnePlus 5T has a full metal unibody design with antenna bands positioned along the borders. It measures 156.1 x 75 x 7.3 mm and its weight is 162 grams. Its screen-to-body ratio is superior to 80% (80.5 percent to be accurate), and thanks to it, this device is ergonomic even though it is a very big phablet. The bezels are almost absent on the sides and they are very narrow on the upper and lower parts.

Essential Phone has a size of 141.5 x 71.1 x 7.8 mm, while its weight is 185 grams. It has an even higher screen-to-body-ratio than its opponent (about 85 percent). This, together with the smaller display, makes the device much smaller than OP5T. Obviously, thanks to its smaller size, it is also more ergonomic.

Now, let’s talk about the build quality. OnePlus 5T is entirely made of metal just like most other phones, but it looks solid and well-built. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, the most efficient protection realized by Corning. So, even if it is a borderless display, it should provide a good resistance to shocks and drops.

Essential Phone is the first modern smartphone to sport a frame made of titanium, and it also has a back cover made of ceramic just like Xiaomi Mi Mix 2. They are unique materials and they also provide a better look and a better tactile feedback. At the same time, the phone is resistant to drops, as titanium is one of the most resistant materials.

So, if we talk about design alone, according to us, the Essential Phone wins the comparison.

OnePlus 5T vs Essential Phone: Display

Each phone has an innovative display with a wide 18:9 aspect ratio (19:10 for Essential Phone) which makes them suitable for multi-tasking and easy to hold with one hand.

OnePlus 5T has an Optic AMOLED screen with a size of 6.01 inches and a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels. It supports DCI-P3 technology and sRGB for very accurate colors, it has very high brightness, very deep blacks, and wide viewing angles. Even if the resolution is not the highest we can find in the market, it is still one of the best displays thanks to the other parameters described above.

Essential Phone has a 5.71-inch display with a notch on the upper part that was necessary to make space for the front camera. It offers LTPS IPS LCD technology with Quad HD resolution of 1312 x 2560 pixels. Even if it has higher details, we prefer the panel of the OnePlus 5T due to its better colors, usability, and bigger size.

OnePlus 5T vs Essential Phone: Hardware

There are no limits in terms of hardware, these phones sport incredible components.

The flagship by OnePlus has the best processor in the market: the octa-core Snapdragon 835 by Qualcomm with a max frequency of 2.45 GHz. The SoC is supported by 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage in the cheapest variant, while the costlier one sports 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The memory is not expandable but on the other hand, there is a UFS 2.1 storage, which delivers blazing speeds at data transfering. According to the company, this is the best performing phone ever. Seeing that its predecessor OP5 has the highest score in the Android market according to the benchmarking platform AnTuTu, we believe in what the company said. On the connectivity side, there is a dual SIM slot, a USB-C port, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual-band and even Bluetooth 5.0.

Essential Phone has an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC as well, paired with 128 GB of storage (UFS 2.1, so very fast). This phone does not have 6 GB RAM: it has a 4 GB RAM only, but it is still good for most activities. In both the cases, you would get a fast, stable and smooth phone, but OnePlus 5T feels better in terms of performances, at least on paper. We still have to test to confirm its super fast performance, but considering the performance of the OnePlus 5, we believe that Essential Phone will not be at the same level of its opponent (to be honest, many people noticed several lags on this phone, that we hope will be fixed after the next updates). Essential Phone’s connectivity includes a single SIM slot (without micro SD slot), a USB Type C port, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.0.

OnePlus 5T vs Essential Phone: Software

The user interfaces of these handsets are similar to stock Android: the companies chose simplicity and performance instead of implementing a lot of additional features.

OnePlus 5T has been launched with Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box and OxygenOS 4.5, a special fork with some customizations. Among the additional features, there is a special night mode which makes the display become similar an e-ink panel to read much without getting our eyes tired. There is also a very interesting feature for authentication called Face Unlock, which makes us unlock the phone with facial recognition in just 0.4 seconds. Android Oreo will not be available before 2018.

Essential Phone has Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box as well, but the first beta of Android Oreo has already been released and the phone is expected to update to the final firmware before the end of the year. There are no customizations in the software, which is identical to the stock Android experience, except for the management of the space near the notch on the upper part of the screen. Here, the user interface adapts in a particular way in order to avoid making the presence of the notch uncomfortable.

Overall, OnePlus 5T definitely has a better software.

OnePlus 5T vs Essential Phone: Camera

To describe the cameras of these phones, we can define them as good premium cameras, but not the best ones.

OnePlus 5T has a dual camera setup with resolutions of 16 and 20 MP. Both sensors have a f/1.7 aperture and they are able to capture a high detail even in low light conditions (they can do a 2x optical zoom, too). The main camera is equipped with electronic stabilization and it can record videos with a 4K resolution. The selfie camera is interesting too, thanks to its 16 MP resolution.

On the other hand, Essential Phone offers a dual camera with a 13 MP resolution and a monochromatic sensor that can capture more light. It does not have so many options in the software, but the colors are nice in every lighting condition. To be honest, we expected much better photo quality on a phone backed by Andy Rubin, I mean it does have a nice camera but it is still so far from the ones that we can find on the top camera phones. We can tell you exactly the same thing if we talk about videos. The camera from OnePlus 5T is way better and it wins the comparison.

OnePlus 5T vs Essential Phone: Battery

OnePlus 5T has a battery with a capacity of 3300 mAh. It has the same capacity as the battery from OP5, which can last until the end of the evening even with a stressed use. It is also possible to charge this phone very quickly thanks to the Dash Charge technology.

Essential Phone has a 3040 mAh battery which can last till the end of the day with moderate usage, but it may not easily last an entire day. If you want to stress this phone, you may be forced to use the battery saving mode to arrive until the end of the evening. There is a fast charging technology here as well.

OnePlus 5T has a longer battery life, so we choose it as the winner of the battery comparison.

OnePlus 5T vs Essential Phone: Price

The price is the most important advantage of these phones.

OnePlus 5T is going to be available in several nations with a price tag of 499 dollars/euros in the version with 6 GB of RAM and 569 dollars/euros in the most powerful variant with 8 GB RAM. For a flagship released in 2017, this is a very convenient price, especially if we consider that there is not an Android phone that can reach its performance, according to the company. The phone will be sold via the official website of the company and usually, it is rare to find a discount on OnePlus phones from the official site. Several months may pass before you will find this phone discounted in the market.

Essential Phone can be found at a price of just 449 dollars, but it is still not available to purchase in Europe (Andy Rubin has hinted that it will be launched soon in the Old Continent, but we still do not have an official date). Essential Phone is much cheaper to buy, as its price has dropped recently and if you like this phone we suggest you buy it immediately as this is the most important price drop since its release.

OnePlus 5T vs Essential Phone: Winner

OnePlus 5T wins the comparison: it has a better display, superior performance, a better camera and even a longer battery life. Essential Phone has a more refined design, but the design alone is not enough to make it compete with its opponent.

OnePlus 5T: PROS and CONS

PROS:

• Great price
• Very nice display
• Best hardware and performances
• Good camera

CONS:

• Unappealing design

Essential Phone

PROS:

• Innovative design and materials
• Powerful hardware
• Bloatware-free stock Android
• Unbeatable price

CONS:

• The camera is just decent

Which one would you pick?

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If you own the Essential Phone the there is good news for you. The new smartphone manufacturer has announced an Android Oreo beta update for the Essential Phone.

According to the instructions on the official update page, those interested in trying out the beta update are required to sign up with a valid email address. Afterwards, the download link is then made available.

The Beta 1 update (OPM1.170911.130) is 995MB in size. Currently known issues with the update include increased battery drain when Bluetooth is enabled and Android Auto compatibility issues with some vehicles. There is a chance there are more bugs and Essential says there is an online form where they can be reported.

READ MORE: Essential Phone Now Available in Pure White

If you do not wish to continue running the beta version, you can revert back to the latest stable version by visiting the Current Builds section and downloading the correct one for your device.

The Essential Phone is currently $499. For that price, you get a  5.7-inch tri-bezel-less phone with 4GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 835 processor and 128GB of storage. You also get dual 13MP rear cameras, an 8MP front facing camera and a 3040mAh battery. Essential says its phone will get 2 years of OS updates and 3 years of security updates, so expect to get updated to Android P when it launches next year.

(Source)

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Earlier this year, Android co-founder Andy Rubin launched smartphone brand Essential and its first smartphone — Essential Phone. The smartphone was launched in May this year, with a price tag of ₹699.

Recently, the phone received a price cut of $200, bringing the effective price of the smartphone to $499. Now, the US-based retailer BestBuy has cut down the price of Essential Phone by another $50 and it is now available for just $449.99.

Along with the Essential Phone PH-1, the 360-degree camera accessory also received a price cut, but it seems to have gone out of stock for now. However, it appears that the discount is not official as Essential is still selling the smartphone for $499.

While cutting down the pricing of the Essential Phone, the company had not revealed the reason. However, it is believed that the company could be struggling to make its mark given that there are many popular flagship smartphones in the market such as LG V30, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Apple iPhone 8, Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.

Essential Phone features a 5.7-inch bezel-less display that comes with a screen resolution of 2560 x 1312 pixels and an unusual aspect ratio of 19:10. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, along with 4GB of RAM 128GB of internal storage.

The smartphone features a dual camera system at the back, which includes a pair of f/1.85 aperture 13-megapixel sensors — one is monochrome lens while the other one is RGB lens. It also has a f/2.2 aperture 8-megapixel front-facing camera.

It is fueled by a 3,040mAh battery. On the back of the phone, there is a set of magnetic pins that hold Essential modules just like Motorola’s Moto Mods. The 360-degree camera is the only module available for now but the company says they will release new accessories every few months.

There is NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C and stereo speakers. The phone runs on Android 7.1 Nougat operating system out of the box with planned update to Android 8.0 Oreo.

Read More: Only 5000 Units of The Essential Phone Sold Through Sprint

At the time of announcing the launch, the company promised that Essential Phone will receive guaranteed updates for two years. It will also get monthly security updates for the next 3 years.

(Source)

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The Essential Phone was launched in May this year with a price tag of $699. However, its shipments could start in late August. Few days ago, some retailers had begun offering $100 discount on the Essential Phone. Now, the Essential Products has announced a permanent price cut of $200 for Essential Phone.

There is no confirmation on why the company is now selling the Essential Phone with such a huge price cut. The smartphone was supposed to ship to its customers at the end of June when there were not many major flagships. Currently, there are many popular flagships in the market such as the LG V30, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Apple iPhone 8, Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. The Essential Phone could be probably struggling to rival with these phones. Another reason why it may not be selling is that it is only available through Sprint in the U.S.

However, Essential Products has described the new discount as “a massive TV campaign to capture your attention” and “we think making it easier for people to get their hands on our first products is a better way to get to know us.”

Read More: Essential Phone Teardown Shows it is Extremely Hard to Repair

For existing customers of the Essential Phone who purchased it by paying the full price of $699, the company is providing a $200 “friends & family code” that can be used on the Essential Store to purchase an Essential 360 Camera or another Essential Phone. The existing customers are required to submit their details before Nov. 15 to get their $200 promotional code. s

The new discount is exclusively available in the U.S. and is applicable on both black and white color models of the Essential Phone. The company is expected to introduce a similar price cut in Canada in the near future.

Essential Phone features a bezel-less screen of 5.71 inches that produces an unusual aspect ratio of 19:10. It is fueled by Snapdragon 835 chipset, 4 GB of RAM and 3,040mAh battery. It has a native storage of 128 GB. Its backside features a dual camera system which includes a pair of f/1.85 aperture 13-megapixel sensors. It has a f/2.2 aperture 8-megapixel selfie camera. The rear side also houses modular pogo pins for attaching 360-degree camera or other modules that will be released in future. It has a titanium frame and a ceramic chassis that gives it a premium appeal.

Now that the Essential Phone’s price has been discounted to $449, will you be buying it? Share us your thoughts by adding your comments below.

(source)

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When the Essential Phone launched, it was revealed it will be available in Black Moon, Pure White, Ocean Depths and Stellar Gray. When it finally went on sale, only the black variant was available with a promise to release the white variant soon. Last night, Essential announced that buyers could now purchase the Pure White model.

The Pure White Essential Phone is now available on Essential.com. It is said to be available on Amazon, BestBuy, and Sprint too according to the tweet from the official account. However, Amazon still says shipping is within a month or two, and BestBuy says coming soon. Sprint, on the other hand says it is sold out. I guess they have probably not updated the stores yet. The price is still $699 if you want the unlocked version or $33/month if you are buying on contract.

Apart from the ceramic rear that is white and the titanium frame that is silver, both phones are identical when placed side by side face up. That’s because the front is also black. However, all the accessories are white.

The Essential Phone has a 5.71-inch tri bezel-less display with a cut-out at the top for the front camera. It has 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and is powered by the Snapdragon 835.

READ MORE: Essential Phone Android 8.0 Update and 3.5mm Port Accessory with High Quality DAC Officially Confirmed

It has dual rear cameras – both are 13MP sensors in the monochrome + RGB configuration and an 8MP front facing camera. Battery capacity is 3,040mAh and there is a USB Type-C port. The Essential Phone also has two magnetic pin connectors on the back for attaching modules such as a 4K 360° camera.

Essential failed to mention when the Stellar Gray and Ocean Depths color variants will be available.

(Source)

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Essential Phone that has recently released in the market comes preloaded with Android 7.1 Nougat. During a recent AMA (Ask Me Anything) session on Reddit, Essential Products Vice-President of Software, Rebecca Zavin, confirmed that the Android 8.0 Oreo update would coming soon to Essential Phone. Moreover, he has also confirmed on the 3.5mm audio jack accessory for Essential Phone users.

Essential Phone Android 8.0 Oreo Update and 3.5mm Audio Accessory

Zavin said that the company would be releasing their kernel and factory images of Android 8.0 Oreo update in the next few days. As far as official Android 8.0 Oreo OTA update is concerned, it has been confirmed to arrive within next month or two.

During the AMA session, the company gave out a statement on why it did not include a 3.5mm audio jack on the Essential Phone. The reason why the feature was axed is that it is a big component and does not go well with full screen design of the smartphone. Including it could have resulted in a bigger chin on the device and reduction of battery capacity by 10 percent. Moreover, the presence of a headphone jack would have created a big bump. Since the company was not ready for such tradeoffs, it decided to build the Essential Phone without a 3.5mm audio jack.

Read More: Essential Phone’s Strong Build Makes it Survive Scratch, Flame and Bend Tests

The company has confirmed that it will be soon releasing a high-end audio accessory that will feature a 3.5mm audio jack as well as a topnotch DAC. This accessory can be connected on the rear-facing magnetic pins of the Essential Phone. A charging dock is already in works and it will be rolling out as the second accessory for the phone. A 360-degree camera module was unveiled during the launch of the phone.

Camera Improvements and Ocean Depth, Stellar Grey Color Models.

Essential Products CEO Andy Rubin has said that the company is working on improving the performance of the camera as they are not satisfied with computational photography software for fusing monochrome and color sensors. Users can also expect camera improvements in the near future through software updates.

As far the white ceramic version of the Essential Phone is concerned, the company is working on its trail builds and retail units would begin shipping in the next few weeks.  As far as Ocean Depths and Stellar Grey color variants of the smartphone is concerned, the company claimed that it is less to produce non-white or non-black color variants. Hence, it won’t be releasing these color models soon.

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Essential Phone is now reaching all the customers who have ordered it. Its teardown has revealed that since it is very hard to open, repairing the device is quite difficult. This may dismay some buyers from purchasing the Essential Phone. However, JerryRigEverything has released a new video on his YouTube channel to show that the Essential Phone can easily pass various kinds of torture tests.

The video begins by showing the contents of the Essential Phone’s box package which contains items like USB-C to 3.5mm audio jack adapter, USB-C cable and a wall plug apart from the handset. The Essential Phone’s display is protected by Gorilla Glass 5 coating and comes with a ceramic rear. It has a very hard titanium frame.

The first test that is performed on the display is to check its durability on Mohs scale of hardness. As it can be seen in the video, the display remains till level 5 of scratching. However, the display scratches on level 6 and deeper grooves show up on level 7. According to Zack from JerryRigEverything, the scratch tolerance of Essential Phone’s display is on par with other flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Apple iPhone 7.

Placed under the same front glass at the top is the selfie camera of 8-megapixel. Hence, it is protected from scratches. The earpiece is not placed under the display but it is present as a very thin line just above the selfie camera. It seems to be covered under some kind of fabric.

The ceramic rear is not only very hard but also makes the phone appear brilliant. However, the downside is that it can easily attract fingerprint marks and scratches.

Scratching it with a razor blade does not leave any marks on it. The two holes present at the top of the ceramic panel is meant for connecting modular accessory. These holes contain very strong magnet. The dual 13-megapixel sensors are covered by glass that sits flush on the ceramic panel. On Mohs scale of hardness, the ceramic panel developed scratches on level 8. The fingerprint scanner too is well protected.

Read More: Essential Phone Teardown Shows it is Extremely Hard to Repair

The titanium frame is not of titanium carbide that is highly durable in nature. The frame of the Essential Phone scratches at level 6 which indicates that it is does not feature pure titanium. The handset features a little plastic rim around its edges can absorb the pressure if it falls.

In the flame test, the IPS Quad HD display of the Essential Phone was subjected to flame from a lighter for about 9 seconds which darkened the spot. However, when the heat disappeared, the affected area back normal. The phone is so hard that it could hardly bend in the bend test.

The build quality of the Essential Phone is indeed impressive. However, the lack of various features like 3.5mm jack, water resistance, microSD card slot and wireless charging makes it a device that many may not be interested to buy.

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Before the launch of Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone, the smartphone was expected to come with flagship specs to take on the leading smartphones from the likes of Apple and Samsung. The Essential Phone managed to impress the audience with its full-screen design and its modular capability. However, the company has failed to meet a couple deadlines in making the Essential Phone to the buyers. Customers are reluctant on whether to purchase it or not. iFixit has revealed that it is almost impossible to repair the Essential Phone. This can be another reason that may cause the customers to not to buy the Essential Phone.

iFixit is known for performing teardown on newly smartphones to reveal the internal components used by the phone makers and also to check how easy it is to repair. It provides a repairability score of 1 to 10 where the latter means easiest to repair. How much did Essential Phone score? It scored 1 which indicates it is almost impossible to repair. Here is what iFixit found after performing Essential Phone teardown on its titanium and ceramic build.

An attempt to repair the smartphone can damage it because of the seams and huge amount of adhesive in building it. Since it is very difficult to open the smartphone, trying to repair it can damage its chassis. In order to open the Essential Phone, iFixit had to freeze the device and then access the internals from the rear. This led to breaking of the display.

The Essential Phone does not feature a 3.5mm audio jack. The USB-C is the only port available for charging the handset as well as for connecting headphones. Hence, the USB-C port can wear out faster. Since it is soldered to the motherboard, it is difficult to repair or replace.

Read More: Essential Phone Goes On Sale Starts At $699, Promises Updates For 2 Years

The identification marks of the smartphone are placed on a small tag that resides under the SIM card tray. Few things that make it repair-friendly is the usage of standard screws and stretch-release adhesive for the battery. Still, reaching the battery of the smartphone is a difficult task.

It seems that if the users of the Essential Phone encounter come across a hardware issue on it, they may end up replacing it instead of repairing it. To checkout the entire teardown of the Essential Phone, users can visit the source link.

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When Android co-founder Andy Rubins hinted that his company- Essential will be launching its first smartphone, hopes were high that the device would be a spectacular one. Indeed, when the Essential Phone 1 was announced in May, the design and specs looked promising. But two months after the announcement, the phone is yet to go up on sale. Instead, the company seems to have been dogged by one controversy or the other.

One aspect of the design which has generated discussions is the cutout for the selfie camera which encroaches into the display at the top. We have now got the first screenshot of the Essential phone’s interface showing the status bar and the notification bar which will be by the side of the cutout. What catches our attention the most, is the tall status bar which is said to be 160 pixels long. The length is due to the selfie camera encroachment which has to be made up for since it cuts into the display. The aspect ratio of the device doesn’t make the length of the staus bar look so obvious on the display, anyway.

Related: Essential Phone’s 13 MP RGB + Mono Dual Camera System and its Camera Samples Explained

The screenshot doesn’t look too beautiful but the design, especially the home button looks similar to the Google Pixel design. The not-so-inspiring look of the user interface may not be unconnected with why the Head of UX at Essential threw in the towel recently. The last couple of weeks have seen a number of high profile departures from Essential as well, so it may not be connected. We really can’t make a sound judgement if the UI will be nice or awful until the device is officially launched and we get to see and navigate through the interface live. The device will likely be made available for sale very soon and we are certain it still has interesting potentials, like its own new virtual assistant.

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The Essential Phone was introduced with various attractive features at the end of May. However, there is something wrong in the company as three executives have left Andy Rubin’s company, Essential Products in just one month. The shipments of the Essential Phone was promised to begin at the end of June, but it has been delayed. Could the recent resigning of top employees of the company be the reason behind the delay of the Essential Phone’s release?

As mentioned above, the employees that left the company do not belong to mid-management but they are high ranking executives that Rubin had handpicked to build a powerful team for his company. Brian Wallace who served as the Vice-President of Marketing for the company left the company at the beginning of this month. He has now joined well-known musician will.i.am’s startup iam+ as the Chief Marketing Officer.

The next one to leave the company was Andy Fouche who was working as the Head of Communications. Today, the head of UX, Liron Damir made his exit from the company. He played a vital role in the designing of the webOS and Pebble and now that he has joined Google, he will be pioneering the Google Home division and use his expertise in designing the future smart products from Google.

Read More: Essential Phone’s 13 MP RGB + Mono Dual Camera System and its Camera Samples Explained

There is no confirmation on whether the exit of these top executives could be the reason behind the delay of the Essential Phone. The exit of these employees have been reported by numerous media sites, there is no official statement from the company on why they left the company.

Rubin confirmed in the previous week that the company will be begin the shipments of the Essential Phone in the coming weeks. Well again, the statement does not include an exact release date. Hence, it is not known how may weeks it will take for the Essential Phone to arrive in the market. Since the phone has already received certifications from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Wi-Fi Alliance, it seems that the Essential Phone’s release is close at hand.

Essential Products have confirmed that it is working on a device named Home. It will be a hub for connected appliances that can be controlled with voice. It will feature a touchscreen and a digital assistant. There is no information available on the release of Essential Products’ Home.

(source|via)

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The shipments of Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone were expected to begin at the end of the previous month. However, it’s arrival has been delayed. Since Essential Phone has recently received certifications from FCC and Wi-Fi Alliance, its arrival is close at hand. The 13-megapixel dual rear cameras of the Essential Phone are one of its best features apart from its modular capabilities for 360-degree video and full-screen design. Soon after the unveiling of the Essential Phone, the official camera samples that appeared noisy where released by Essential President Niccolo de Masi. The two photos shared by him on Twitter was deleted and replaced by a better panoramic video. The company has been working hard to improve the camera prowess of the Essential Phone. The company has now revealed how it developed the dual camera setup.

Ms. Yazhu Ling who is honored with MS in Color and Imagining along with PhD in Human Visual Perception is the person who is directing the camera department for Essential. The Essential Phone is equipped with a pair of 13-megapixel camera sensors that comprises of an RGB (color) senor and a monochrome sensor. Both the camera sensors work together to deliver composite shots.

According to Ling who has been working on the camera of the Essential Phone since October last year has said that when the Essential Phone is used to capture still images, both of its camera sensors are used simultaneously to crate a final image with rich and deep clarity. The dual camera of the Essential Phone is also capable of capturing impressive photos in low-light conditions. The following camera sample on the left is the raw unprocessed data shot using the color sensor and the one on the right is the processed image using Image Signal Processing (ISP).

When the dual rear cameras are launched for taking a snap, the surrounding are first examined by the camera sensors to check the available light. Then, the ISP springs into action to input the required light by calculating parameters like white balance, exposure and things of that nature. This process is called objective image tuning which is all about shooting an adequate image.

However, the optimization of the images while shooting does not work perfectly all the time. Hence, many photographers prefer to capture RAW images that may appear dull but are very suitable for editing. Since people want their smartphones to shoot better looking images, Essential Phone employs subjective image tuning for photography. So, what is subjective image tuning? Ling says that, “The key to subjective tuning is capturing all types of pictures in the wild, identifying systematic image quality problems, and adjusting the ISP setting to address them. It is a painstaking, iterative process—but also one I find incredibly rewarding.”

Ling and her team have been working hard to fine tune the subjective ISP technology that runs in background because users make use of the smartphone’s camera in different kinds of scenes, distances and lighting conditions. This will allow the dual rear cameras of the Essential Phone to snap good photos not only in the labs but also in real-life conditions.

Read More: Andy Rubin’s Essential Facing Problems As Top Executives Resign

The above camera samples show amazing results that a smartphone camera can shoot at ISO 1800. This value is quite high for the Essential Phone’s small sensors. Ling has further said that, “our subjective tuning process began in January 2017, and during that time, we have gone through 15 major tuning iterations, along with countless smaller tuning patches and bug fixes. We have captured and reviewed more than 20,000 pictures and videos, and are adding more of them to our database every day. We’re almost there, but I’m not going to stop tuning the camera on our phone until the last possible minute to provide the best photographic experience possible.”

Here is another camera sample:

The camera samples appear are only for preview purpose and they appear quite impressive compared to the grainy shots that was revealed earlier. More of official information can be found on the Essential blog link in the source.

(source|via)

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An Essential branded phone with model number A11 has received Wi-Fi certification. There are some tech sites that claim that the company could be working on a new Essential phone with model number A11. However, this phone that has surfaced on Wi-Fi Alliance site is the same Essential PH-1 smartphone that the company had announced recently. The Wi-Fi certification reveals that it will be arriving preinstalled with Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS.

The Wi-Fi certification reveals that the Essential PH-1 has a model number of A11 and it features 2.4GHz and 5GHz dual-band Wi-Fi. In the previous month, it received approval from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. The Essential Phone was launched on May 30 and it was expected to start shipping from June 30. However, the shipping of the smartphone has not started yet.

Now that the Essential Phone has received FCC and Wi-Fi Alliance certification, its shipping is pegged to begin soon. According to Essential COO Niccolo de Masi, the Essential Phone’s release is “imminent” in the U.S. However, he did not give out the exact date from when the customers that preordered the Essential Phone would be receiving it. The Essential Phone will be exclusively available through Sprint in the U.S. 

Read More: Essential Phone’s Noisy Camera Samples & 360 Video Shared

There is no reason provided by the company on why it has delayed the shipping of the Essential Phone to its customers. In the recent past, Essential’s vice-president of marketing, Brian Wallace made an exit from the company and few days before this happened, the Head of Communications, Andy Fouché left the Essential Products company. There is no real proof whether these things could have delayed the release of the Essential Phone.

Also, a recent report from Financial Times states that the Essential Phone would be launching in international markets like the Europe and Japan. Currently, Essential is rumored to be in talks with multiple carriers from the U.K including EE to decide on a launch date for the Essential Phone. In Canada, the smartphone would be exclusively launched through TELUS. In the U.S., the Essential Phone is priced at $699, but there is no information on the pricing of the phone for other markets. The U.S. pricing suggest that the Essential Phone won’t be carrying cheaper price tag in the western European markets.

Are you interested in the Essential Phone? Tell us your thoughts by adding comments below.

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The Essential Phone by Andy Rubin should already be available for purchase but it is already past 30 days since the shipping date deadline set by Mr.Rubin himself.

It appears the delay isn’t the only problem the new tech company is facing. Reports say it is also having issues with top executives, two of whom have resigned recently.

The company’s vice-president of marketing, Brian Wallace announced his resignation recently. He is now the Chief Marketing Officer of i.am+, a startup founded by musician will.i.am.

Mr Wallace is the second top executive to resign in recent times. Andy Fouché, who held the post of Head of Communications left in June according to His LinkedIn page.

These two positions are key ones in any company and it means a lot if a company loses its marketing and communications chiefs before it even launches its first product. The reason for their departure is unknown but some say Andy Rubin is a difficult person to work with.

The Essential Phone is a Snapdragon 835-powered phone with a bezel-less design. It also plays with modularity as it has support for additional hardware that can be attached to the back via 2 accessory power pins. A 360-degree camera is the first accessory made for the phone.

The Essential Phone has a display of 5.7-inches, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. Following the trend of modern smartphones, the Essential PH-1 has dual rear cameras (13MP RGB+ 13MP true monochrome sensors) and up in front is an 8MP sensor. Battery is 3040mAh and there is NFC, Bluetooth 5.0 and Gorilla Glass 5 on both sides.

READ MORE: Essential Phone’s Noisy Camera Samples & 360 Video Shared

The Essential Phone is a beautiful phone but a rugged one too. Instead of aluminium, it has a titanium body making it stronger and more rugged than your average phone.

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Following the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the LG G6, we have seen more manufacturers embrace the full-screen or bezel-less design this year. However, some manufacturers have been offering these designs long before now, prime example being Sharp. The Japanese manufacturer is said to be working on a new full-screen device and a live image has been leaked.

The image which was posted on Weibo by the general manager of Sharp’s mobile phone business unit in China looks very familiar. For those who do not know, the device not only looks exactly like Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone (PH-1) but the entire image is similar to the first leaked photo of the Essential phone.

READ MORE: The Sharp X1 is A Japan Exclusive Android One Smartphone

The display of the phone extends to the top and even has the exact same cut-out for the front facing camera. This could actually pass for the Essential Phone but we will have to wait to see if the specs are similar as well.

There is no mention of when Sharp will release its new phone but we believe a launch isn’t too far off.

(Source)

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Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone was the topic on the front burner last week when it was unveiled officially to the public. The Essential Phone-1 dazzled with the sleek design it came with as well as the powerful specs it features. The major highlight was no doubt the Snapdragon 835 chip it would launch packing. Another spectacular feature is the rear camera setup.

The Essential PH-1 packs two 13MP f/1.85 lenses on its rear panel arranged in a horizontal manner, one of which exclusively captures monochrome (black and white) images, while the other one records colours. The two work in conjunction to deliver high-quality photos that would hardly be achieved with conventional single-lens mobile camera setups.

Apart from the dual cameras, the device has a module from where a 360-degree camera can be clipped on the device to enable a whole different kind of phone-based photography. Essential President Niccolo de Masi has now given us a glimpse of what the 360-degree camera and the dual camera samples look like. Interestingly, the dual camera sample photos look quite grainy with lots of image noise all over. The two sample images don’t look like what have been captured by a flagship phone. We may even find much better samples from budget phones. The two sample photos have since been deleted from his Twitter account but the crisps clear panoramic video apparently captured by the Essential Ph-1 is still on his timeline.

Read Also: Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone Makes Its First Official Outing

We really can’t say why the Essential Phone’s camera samples came out bad bot we’re sure the company will reveal better samples soon. But then, if much better ones surface, it becomes difficult knowing what’s true and what’s not.

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The Essential Phone has been officially announced. It is an impressive flagship smartphone that can take on the likes of Galaxy S8 and Xiaomi Mi 6. Through a post-launch interview Andy Rubin, the founder of Essential firm has given out information on when the Essential Phone will be available in the U.S.

The Essential smartphone is already available for reservation in the U.S. However, the company has not disclosed the exact release of the Essential Phone. In the interview at Code Conference 2017, Rubin revealed that the Essential Phone would be available for purchase in the next 30 days which indicates that the company would start shipping the phone by the end of the next month

Apart from the official website, the Essential Phone would be available through channels such as carriers and retailers. As far as the international launch of the Essential Phone is concerned, the support page of the smartphone states that it be would announced later. Currently, the company is receiving registrations for the Essential Phone only in the U.S.

Read More:Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone Makes Its First Official Outing

Even though the Essential Phone would be available through the U.S. carriers later on, the company would will be trying its best to make the phone available free from bloatware that are added by the carrier. Rubin has also said that the company will also be not adding much customizations to the stock edition of Android. He added that the Essential would be introducing its very own digital assistant on the Essential Phone.

The Essential Phone is priced at $699 for its unlocked version. It comes with a 5.7-inch LTPS LCD edge-to-edge screen that offers a resolution of 1,312 x 2,560 pixels. Its specs include Snapdragon 835 SoC, 4 GB of RAM, 128 GB native storage, a pair of 13-megapixel RGB + monochrome sensors. 8-megapixel selfie snapper, fingerprint reader, USB-C port, and 3,040mAh battery

The Essential Phone carries support for modular accessories such as the 360-degree camera that can be attached to the magnetic connector at the rear side. By paying $50 more, the 360-degree camera will come bundled with the phone.

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Android co-founder Andy Rubin has officially taken the wraps off the Essential Phone which has been in development by his company for a while now. The Essential Phone obviously fits into the high-end market but it is left to be seen if the phone will be able to break through the ranks of Samsung and Apple who both have a stronghold on the high-end market. 

The Essential Phone is the first smartphone from Andy Rubin’s company, Essential and we had brought you news last week that it would be unveiled on May 30. Rightly, the phone was unveiled today alongside a new operating system called Ambient and a gadget that looks like Amazon Echo.

Design & Specifications

Design wise, the Essential Phone comes with an innovative design which gives it the potential to be able to compete with the likes of Apple and Samsung in the U.S. and elsewhere. The phone comes with an impressive edge-to-edge design with ultra-thin bezels at the edges. The design looks very minimalistic even lacking any logo but is beautiful. The phone sports a 5.6-inch display and has a high screen-to-body ratio with just the space meant for the selfie camera at the top. This screen isn’t made from glass but is made from a combination of Titanium and ceramic which the company claims make it stronger than those offered by Samsung and Apple.There is no physical button at the front but there is enough space to house a virtual button under the display.

The smartphone also looks beautiful when viewed from the back. The device has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and comes with a dual camera setup at the rear.  The device will come with a 360-degree camera that can be clipped on the device to enable a whole different kind of phone-based photography.

The Essential Phone comes with a high price tag of $699 and will be available in Pure White, Black Moon, Stellar Grey and Ocean Depth colors. There is no word yet on its availability but the phone is expected to become available in the U.S. first.

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