The new smartphone — called the Essential phone — from Google veteran and Android co-founder Andy Rubin has everyone a-buzz.
The Essential Phone is a high-end smartphone that runs Android software and already has tech blogs gushing about its “gorgeous design and top-of-line specs.” The phone comes from the company Android co-founder Andy Rubin started when he left Google in 2014, called Essential Products Inc.
Here’s what makes it so exciting. To start, it has a 5.7-inch edge-to-edge display — think like that of the Galaxy S8. Then, there are the back magnets that let you attach accessories. It has titanium edges and a ceramic back, both unique and sleek. Inside, according to engagdet, it’s running with “latest Snapdragon 835 processor, 128GB of built-in storage, 4GB RAM and near-vanilla version of Android Nougat. It’s basically everything you’d want in an Android handset in 2017.”
So you’re looking at a sleek and powerful phone, one that’s relatively sturdy and offers slightly unique features too. (The dimensions of the screen — a 19:10 ratio — mean that on vertically oriented apps, you’re seeing a lot more content at once.)
The fact the Essential Phone self-identifies as “high-end” creates something of an inherent obstacle for the company. The phone is priced at $699 or $749, depending on whether you choose to include a 360-degree video camera. Consumers shopping for smartphones at that price range are usually interested in flagship models from established brands, like the iPhone 7 or the Galaxy S8.
First adopters and Silicon Valley devotees may jump at the new shiny thing, especially if they’re feeling Apple fatigue, but that’s not quite enough to support a business. Multiple analysts suggest that the key to success could be a carrier partnership to help promote and distribute the phone.
It’s sure to be a notable development and certainly something enviable to see. Just how much you actually see of it in the wild remains to be, well, seen.
