Category: Essential Phone

Essential’s Next Phone To Have Camera Under The Display

The Essential PH-1 was launched back in 2017. The phone was met with a lot of hype, particularly because the device promised Android the way it was meant to be. The device lacked any bloatware and was promised constant security updates. But due to the high asking price and underwhelming camera performance, the device was a major flop. It didn’t help that the phone got a bad critic rating at launch. But it seems that the next smartphone the brand will make would be revolutionary. Drawings from Essential show what could be the front camera and the fingerprint sensor under the display.

Andy Rubin, the founder of Essential and Android, confirmed that the company will release a second smartphone soon. The smartphone may be called the Essential PH-2 as a mention of that was leaked on Reddit a few days ago. The device will be the second smartphone Essential will launch since its inception.

Essential PH-2 Details

Not much is known about the Essential’s next smartphone, which could be called the PH-2. The drawings suggest that the camera will be placed just like it was in the original Essential PH-1. The difference this time will be that it would be present under the display. Plans in drawings suggest the Essential Phone PH-2 concept with a camera and light sensor is hidden behind the display which can become semitransparent on command. In the drawings, a fingerprint sensor is mentioned in the home button of the on-screen navigation buttons.

Also read: Motorola Launches The Moto G7 Play and G7 Power

The PH-1 was one of the world’s first phones with a notch, and Essential managed to minimize that in its first attempt. There is no saying when the next version of the Essential Phone will hit the markets, but the company is expected to make a big announcement soon. Maybe Essential is planning something for the MWC 2019 that will be held later this month in Barcelona.

February 8, 2019
Essential Phone Discontinued But Not Quite

Essential phone was one of the fist mainstream phones to come with a notch. Essential phones had gone out of stock everywhere in the last few months. And this had led to speculation that Essential Phone 2 was on it’s way into the market. But now, we have received news that Essential phone is no more. The company has now confirmed that they will not add any more stock to the inventory. While the Essential Phone was launched way back in 2017 it was receiving updates regularly and customers were waiting for a new version of the phone. However, all hope is not lost yet!

While the discontinuation of the Essential phone does not come as a shock, since they had only sold 88,000 units in 2017, it does disappoint the cult following that the phone had. The company has however revealed that they are working on another phone. Just last month, it was reported that Essential was working on an AI based phone. The company recently acquired the company behind Newton Mail. Only time will tell if that means they are going into software designing and internet space or not. Essential did have a rocky start with data breaches, sexual scandals and layoffs, but they struggled against all odds and survived.

Essential PH-1 Features

The Essential phone had a strong built with front glass, titanium frame and a ceramic back and had an Octa- core Snapdragon 835 SoC with an Adreno 540 GPU. While the cameras were not upto industry standards, the phone was one of the fastest to receive Android updates, right after Google themselves. Many Nexus users who loved to have a stock Android experience were known to have shifted to the Essential Phone.

The company however has assured that they will continue to sell accessories and provide speedy software updates. Customer support will also be available to the existing community of Essential Phone users. It will be interesting to see what mobile device they work on and how the market accepts it in future.

December 29, 2018
Essential Phone 2 Production Cancelled

Popularly known as the ‘The Father Of Android’, Any Rubin created quite a stir when he announced his own venture, Essential. The new smartphone brand was supposed to be the new Google Nexus with stock Android and a premium design. There was a lot of anticipation around the Essential Ph-1, leading up to its launch in August 2017. However, the smartphone did not deliver on its promises and the company has now canned its successor, the Essential Phone 2.

There are reports of Essential actively looking for a buyer. However, the talks of a sale have not moved very far along. But, if a sale does happen, Essential wants to sell everything, its patents, hardware, and upcoming projects. In fact, the company would even want to shift its employees to whatever new company picks it up.

Andy Rubin

Essential intends to make products but, for the time being, not produce any smartphones. Bloomberg reports that Essential’s second phone, destined to be called the Essential Phone 2 won’t come to fruition as engineers have shifted their focus to a smart home product.

Must Read: Xiaomi Mi 8 To Cost Around Rs 30000

This smart home product could be a smart speaker. Essential announced an Amazon Echo competitor about a year ago and with the plans of a smartphone out of the window, a smart speaker appears to be the next most plausible Essential product to launch. Apparently, Essential plans on staying in the phone business, just not by designing devices itself. The company would reportedly contract Foxconn to handle most of the smartphone’s development.

Essentail Ph-1

In a statement, Essential seemingly confirmed the news as well:

We always have multiple products in development at the same time and we embrace canceling some in favor of the ones we think will be bigger hits. We are putting all of our efforts towards our future, game-changing products, which include mobile and home products.

The company’s first stint with a smartphone didn’t go down well with the consumers. Despite rave reviews for its build quality, the Essential Ph-1 had a disappointing camera and a buggy interface. The smartphone only managed to sell about 150,000 units since it went on sale last-August. The company had a lot of promises to deliver on but, failed on key aspects of a smartphone. It’ll be interesting to see what turn Essential takes in its quest to be a success in this highly competitive tech industry.

May 25, 2018
Essential Ph-1 Could Launch In India At A Price Of Rs.30,000

Essential Ph-1, the first Android smartphone with a notch is coming to India. A report claims that the smartphone will be available exclusively via Amazon for less than Rs. 30,000. At this price tag, the Essential Ph-1 will be a great offering for Indian consumers.

The smartphone was officially launched in the US for US$699, and the price has been brought down to US$450 due to unimpressive sales numbers. The phone does offer one of a kind design language, with a sturdy build quality. Though it has flagship specifications, the camera performance was highly criticised, which explains the global shipping number of 88,000 units.

Specifications:

On the front, the Essential Ph-1 packs in a 5.71-inch IPS LCD QHD+ touch panel with 19:10 aspect ratio, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core processor, coupled with 4 GB RAM and 128 GB storage.

Like most of the modern flagship smartphones, the phone offers dual camera setup (13 MP + 13 MP) RGB + monochrome setup. In this case, the monochrome sensor helps to capture the depth details to give bokeh effect. The front-notch on the display houses an 8 MP selfie camera with 4K video recording capability.

The smartphone packs in a 3040 mAh sealed battery with Quickcharge 4.0+ capability. The smartphone runs on stock Android 7.1 Nougat and expected to receive Oreo update soon via OTA.

Conclusion:

The affordable flagship segment in India is getting more competitive with the recent offerings like Moto Z2 Force and Honor View10. The addition of the Essential Ph-1 makes it more exciting for the consumers. But, with devices like the Mi Mix 2S and OnePlus 6 expected to be launched soon, is it too little too late for Essential Ph-1?

February 19, 2018
Essential PH-1 Halo Gray Colour Available To Buy On Amazon

The Essential Phone had a lot of hype to live up to. It was, after all, created by Andy Rubin, popularly known as the “father of Android.” However, the smartphone was met with heavy criticism for its camera performance, especially at that price point. Over the months, the company reduced the price of the device from US$ 699 to now US$449. It recently launched three new colour variants of the device as well. Now, Essential has announced an Amazon-exclusive Halo Gray colour variant of the device.

Essentail Ph-1

The Halo Gray version of the Essential PH-1 now gets support for Alexa (Amazon’s AI). The pre-orders have already begun for the limited edition variant and the phone will go on sale from the 21st of February. Essentail hopes that these new colour variants will help competing with the likes of the OnePlus 5T and Xiaomi Mi Mix 2.

Design:

The Essential PH-1 looks like no other phone on the market. In fact, this is the first smartphone to embrace the notch, which houses the selfie camera. The material of choice for the smartphone is also quite unique. This is the first smartphone to use premium and sturdy materials like Titanium and ceramic. The smartphone does support additional modules like 360-camera. docking station etc.

In case three new Essential Phone colors weren't enough, today we're unveiling Halo Gray, the first Essential Phone to come with Alexa built-in. Halo Gray is available for pre-order exclusively from Amazon starting today. https://t.co/hkwkBKGypr pic.twitter.com/lDad2xngBq

— Essential (@essential) February 16, 2018

Specifications:

The smartphone uses a one of a kind IPS LCD QHD panel with a notch on the top. Under the hood, the smartphone runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core SoC, paired with 4 GB RAM and 128 GB storage. The smartphone runs on latest and stock Android UI with promised timely software updates up to 2 years.

The dual main camera setup on the smartphone houses dual 13 MP cameras (RGB + Monochrome) with support for 4K video recording and portrait mode. There is an 8 MP selfie camera with similar video recording capabilities.

Conclusion:

At the price of US$ 449, the Essential PH-1 is a very impressive device. However, it is not available in India and the company hasn’t revealed any plans on changing that either.

February 17, 2018
Essential Ph-1

The first from Essential, the Ph-1 was announced in early 2017 and starting shipping in August. The phone received a price drop ion October making it available at a price of US $499.

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Latest News

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October 29, 2017
The Essential Ph-1 Now Available For US $499 After US$200 Price Cut

The Ph-1 by Essential was announced in May 2017 and after months of anticipation, the smartphone went on sale in September. Priced at US$699, the smartphone was expected to compete with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note8 and the iPhone 8. The founder of Essential, Mr Andy Rubin is popularly known as the father of Android. With such a big name attached to the company, the Essential Ph-1 entered the market with heavy anticipation. However, popular opinion on the below average camera performance and a hefty price tag meant that the first ever Essential phone failed to have any sort of impact on the smartphone market. Now, the Essential Ph-one has received a US $200 price cut, bring the price down to US $499.

Essential has cited the desire to make its first phone more accessible as the primary reason for the price slash. In a blog post, the company stated:

We think making it easier for people to get their hands on our first products is a better way to get to know us.

At a price of US$499, the Essential phone becomes an interesting prospect, considering it is now competing with the OnePlus 5. Both the phones run pure Android OS with the OnePlus 5 running a bit more customisable skin on top. The 64GB storage and 6GB RAM variant of the OnePlus 5 is priced at US $479 while the higher end variant will cost you US $539. The Essential Phone on the other hand has 4GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.

The Essential Ph-1 has a 5.71 inch IPS LCD display with a 2560 x 1312 px resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top for protection. Under the hood, the smartphone has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, 2.4GHz octa-core processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage which can not be expanded. The smartphone runs Android 7.1 Nougat and is powered by a 3040 mAh battery. The fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the device.

The Ph-one has a dual 19MP camera setup at the back. One of the cameras has TBG (colour) sensor while the other one is equipped with a monochrome (black and white) sensor, with an f/1.9 aperture. On the front is an 8MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture.

Now US$200 cheaper, the Essential Ph-one might make a few people’s holiday shopping list. Would you be interested in the phone after the price cut? Let us know in the comments below.

October 23, 2017
Essential Phone PH-1 To Start Shipping In A Week

The Essential Phone PH-1, the brain child of Andy Rubin, was all set to launch in in May 2017. Emails went out from Andy Rubin to those who ordered the Essential Phone, confirming that the shipping of devices. The ambitious deadline set by Rubin seemed like a far fetched dream and soon enough, Essential missed its first shipping target.

The father of Android has yet again promised that the Essential phones will go sale in August. Recent announcements via email have confirmed the shipping of devices within a week for customers who preordered the Essential Phone.

Earlier the company claimed to ship the Essential PH-1 within 30 days after May 30, but, by July, there was still no phone in sight. After official missing the original shipping target, Essential promised its customers later in July that the device would arrive “in a few weeks.”

Essential seems to have been going through a rough patch lately. The company lost the VP of Marketing, Brian Wallace and Head of Communications Andy Fouché in the beginning of July. Shortly after, Essential’s Head of UX, Liron Damir decided to quit the company and move to Google Inc.

Though the company has delayed the PH-1’s release, the Essential PH-1 is said to be worth the wait. The smartphone is the brainchild of Andy Rubin, former Google exec and father of the Android OS. The $700 phone will surely make an impact on the smartphone market. The Essential PH-1 stands out for its slim bezels, 5.7-inch display and magnetic modules, like the world’s smallest 360-degree camera and host of accessories, that will snap on to the phone using the magnetic mounts. The PH-1 is powered by 3040mAh battery and supports fast charging using USB C.

The Essential PH-1 features 13 MP dual cameras with a combo of RGB sensor and Monochrome sensor and f/1.85 aperture lenses. The front facing camera is an 8 MP sensor based unit. And both the rear and the front cameras are capable of shooting 4k video at 30fps.

With another release just round the corner, it wont be long before the Essential PH-1 is stacked up against its competitors. Priced at $700, the Smartphone is presented as a premium handset and certainly has the high-end looks to match its price tag.

August 17, 2017
Essential Phone Raises $300 Million In Funding, PH-1 Release Date Will Be Announced Next Week
Essential Products, a smartphone start-up by Andy Rubin has raised USD 300 million in new funding. It was also announced that the Essential Phone’s release date will e revealed next week.

Essential Products has also signed up retailers for the distribution of the smartphone which includes amazon.com, BestBuy, Sprint in the US and Telus in Canada. This new development comes a few days after it was reported that all may not be well at Essential Products after losing three top-ranking officials within a month.

The founder of Essential Products, Andy Rubin took to Twitter that the manufacturing process of the $699 smartphone is in full swing and will be available to the consumers soon. The funding round concluded with the funds raised up to $300 million, and the investors included Tencent Holdings, electronics contract manufacturer Foxconn and Amazon.com, which participated via its Alexa Fund. Previous investors Redpoint Ventures and Playground Global also participated.

The Essential phone is one of the most anticipated devices of 2017 as it is the brainchild of the ‘father of Android,’ Andy Rubin. The device;s potential launch will clash with some of the heavyweights of the smartphone industry such as the iPhone 8 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, both of the devices will have top-of-the-line features. The Essential phone will be displayed only in BestBuy stores and retail online through Amazon against the widepread distribution of the likes of Samsung, Apple, LG etc. R. “Ray” Wang of Constellation Research said, “It’s not just about US distribution. This is going to be a global phone. The biggest phone markets are China, India and the US” referring to Essential’s two principal investors from Asia.

Essential PH-1 next to the iPhone

What we know about the Essential Phone PH-1 so far-
- Display – 5.71-inch 2560 x 1312 px with an aspect ratio of 19:10
- Battery – 3,040mAh support for fast charging, Wireless charging
- Chipset – Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
- RAM- 4GB
- Storage – 128GB
- Rear Camera- 13 MP dual cameras with one RGB sensor and one Monochrome sensor and f/1.85 aperture lenses
- Front Camera- 8MP
- Video Recording- 4K at 30 FPS
August 10, 2017
All May Not Be Well At Andy Rubin’s Essential Smartphone Project

In the tech industry, running a startup is no easy job. Considering the pace at which the balance shifts and the industry moves forward, it becomes a hellish job at times to keep it all together and work for the common goal of the startup.

When the father of Android, Andy Rubin announced that the Essential phone will release in May, it felt like an ambitious deadline to set and evidently, the timeline set was not achieved. In fact, only late last month did the phone get certification from FCC (Federal Communications Commission).

Andy Rubin has since announced that the Essential phone will go sale in August and it is to be seen whether the startup will hold true to its words this time around. It was reported in the beginning of July that Essential had reportedly lost two of its highest ranking officers- VP of Marketing Brian Wallace and Head of Communications Andy Fouché. Both Wallace and Fouché are industry veterans having held senior positions in Samsung and Microsoft respectively. Wallace even worked on Samsung’s famous “Next Big Thing” campaign.

It is now being reported that Essential has lost its Head of UX Liron Damir to Google Inc. Reports also suggest that Damir has joined Google Inc. as the head of UX for Google Home. Interestingly that is not an upgrade on the position he held at Essential.

Andy Rubin’s dream project seems to be going through a rough patch after much-discussed launch delays and now losing three of the best talents in a matter of one month. Whatever may be happening at Essential, we hope to get our hands on the Essential phone as soon as possible.

July 29, 2017
Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone PH-1 Is Almost Ready For Sales

The Essential phone which was announced last month by Andy Rubin is almost ready to hit buyers. Emails went out from Andy Rubin to those who ordered the Essential phone, confirming that the devices will be shipping in a few weeks.

Hi Bharat,

I personally wanted to thank you for putting your name down for our first phone. We’ve been hard at work getting everything ready and the good news is that we’re now going through certification and testing with multiple US and international carriers.

You might be getting impatient to get your hands on your new Essential Phone (and I’m also impatient to get it to you!) but rest assured that you will have a device in your hands in a few weeks.

Andy

The essential phone has a full front 5.71 inch display with radiused corners, a 19:10 aspect ratio, 2560 x 1312 QHD resolution and a brightness of 500 nits. The back has 13 MP dual cameras with one RGB sensor and one Monochrome sensor and f/1.85 aperture lenses. The front has an 8 MP camera and both cameras are capable of shooting 4k video at 30fps. The Essential phone also has a 3040mAh battery and supports fast charging using USB, but also has a cordless dock that allows you to lay flat the phone while it charges.

The Essential phone costs $699 and has flagship specifications like a Qualcomm 835 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage.

July 22, 2017
Essential Phone PH-1 is Official

Andy Rubin may have been teasing a smartphone for a while, but now the device known as the Essential Phone PH-1 is official. The Essential phone costs $699 and has flagship specifications like a Qualcomm 835 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage.

The phone will be launched in the US to start and will be unlocked to all carriers. Essential is making the design of the phone simple, but with two prong connection, and working on a host of accessories that click into place, starting with the worlds smallest 360 degree camera.

The essential phone has a full front 5.71 inch display with radiused corners with a 19:10 aspect ratio and a 2560 x 1312 QHD resolution and a brightness of 500 nits. The back has 13 MP dual cameras with one RGB sensor and one Monochrome sensor and f/1.85 aperture lens. The front has an 8 MP camera and both cameras are capable of shooting 4k video at 30fps.

The Essential phone also has a 3040mAh battery and supports fast charging using USB, but it does have a cordless dock that allows you to lay flat the phone.

The design and specifics of the brand mention the basics and essentials as the focus of the company, the design is built around a solid titanium frame, which is completely scratch and ding resistant, with a ceramic back and gorilla glass front.The company drop tested the titanium frame phone, and found it to do better than the “Aluminum competitor” the Essential Phone Ph-1 is only 7.8 mm thick.

The phone has been launched in black and white and will launch in two additional colors at a later date. Those in the US can book the Essential phone on the company’s website.

May 30, 2017