Andy Rubin, the founder of Android, has unveiled his first phone — and it’s set to make a real impact at the very top of the industry.
The stunning Essential Phone PH-1, first reported by The Verge, is made of a combination of titanium and ceramic for extra durability. Any Rubin says the Essential Phone is “better able to withstand a drop test.” It will include an amazing edge-to-edge display with an even smaller bezel than what you’d find on the Galaxy S8. While there’s still a bit of a lip at the bottom, the 5.71-inch, 2,560-by-1,312 display (19:10 aspect ratio) goes all the way up the front panel, with just a notch for the 8MP front-facing camera.
Credit: Essential
Underneath the hood you’ll find all the latest flagship Android features like a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB RAM, 128GB of storage, and the courageous lack of a headphone jack, which is obviously the best feature of all because Apple said so. Around back is a dual-sensor 13MP camera, the second sensor letting in more light for improved low-light shots. Both the front- and rear-facing can record 4K video. The phone radios are reported to support all major carriers, though so far (at least this morning) no carrier deal has been announced.
Credit: Essential
There are little to no details about the bundled software, but I’d expect a clean Android O build with no bloatware (either vendor or carrier). Along with the phone, Essential is planning a charging dock and a 360-degree camera you can click onto the top of the phone; call it a semi-modular design, at least for now.
Essential only has about 40 employees, and “uphill battle” doesn’t begin to describe what a tiny smartphone manufacturer is up against with industry juggernauts Samsung and Apple. Aside from a compelling design, Essential has one major thing going for it, and that’s the creator of Android putting forth what we assume is his vision of a high-end phone all along.
We’ll learn more tonight, as Andy Rubin is speaking at the Code Conference; watch it live here beginning at 9pm ET. The phone will cost $699; there’s no word yet on a release date.
(Note: This post has been updated to include more specs)
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