Essential Phone

Last updated

Essential Phone
Essential logo.svg
Essential Phone in ocean depths.jpg
Developer Essential Products
Manufacturer Essential Products
Slogan Free Yourself
Compatible networks UMTS/HSPA+: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8
GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
CDMA EV-DO Rev. A: 0, 1, 10
LTE-FDD: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66
LTE-TDD: 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43
TD-SCDMA: 34, 39
Availability by region
August 25, 2017
Late 2017
April 27, 2018
SuccessorEssential PH-2 (Cancelled)
Type Smartphone
Form factor Slate
Dimensions141.5 mm (5.57 in) H
71.1 mm (2.80 in) W
7.8 mm (0.31 in) D
Mass185 g (6.5 oz)
Operating system Original: Android 7.1.1 "Nougat" [3]
Current: Android 10 [4]
System-on-chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
CPU Octa-core (4x2.32 GHz & 4x1.9 GHz) Kryo 280
GPU Adreno 540
Memory4 GB RAM
Storage128 GB UFS 2.1
Battery3,040  mAh, not user-replaceable
Display5.71 inches (14.5 cm) 2560 x 1312 QHD, 500 cd/m² brightness, 19.5:10 aspect ratio
Rear camera13 MP dual RGB + monochrome cameras each with f/1.85 lens, hybrid autofocus combining contrast, phase detect and IR laser, video at 4K 30fps, 1080p 60fps or 720p 120fps
Front camera 8 MP resolution with 16:9 aspect ratio, f/2.2 fixed hyperfocal lens, video at 4K 30fps, 1080p 60fps or 720p 120fps
Connectivity Bluetooth 5 LE
Wi-Fi: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO
NFC, GPS and GLONASS
USB-C
OtherTitanium body
Ceramic back
Corning Gorilla Glass 5 cover glass
Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner
Modular pogo pins that transmit power for accessories connected over Wireless USB
Website essential.com
References [5] [6]

The Essential Phone (officially Phone or PH-1) [7] is a discontinued Android smartphone designed by Android co-founder Andy Rubin, and manufactured, developed and marketed by Essential Products. The phone was announced on May 30, 2017 and released on August 17, 2017.

Contents

The Essential Phone has a titanium and ceramic body, an edge-to-edge display protected by Gorilla Glass 5, and two rear cameras, one of which is dedicated to black-and-white photography. Accompanying the phone is a 360-degree camera that can be attached to the top of the device. It was notably also the first mainstream smartphone to feature a "notch" (the cut-out at the top of the display to accommodate a front-facing camera), which would eventually become a trend in the industry. [8] On December 28, 2018, Essential announced to media outlets that they would discontinue the Essential PH-1. [9]

On February 12, 2020, the company announced they will be winding down with no further updates to the PH-1. [10]

History

Pre-release

Eric Schmidt and Andy Rubin Eric Schmidt and Andy Rubin Nexus 7 2012 Seoul.jpg
Eric Schmidt and Andy Rubin

Bloomberg reported in January 2017 that Andy Rubin, co-founder of the Android operating system acquired by Google in 2005, was preparing to announce a new hardware company called Essential, whose first hardware product would be the "Essential" Phone. [11] [12]

The phone first appeared in a tweet by Rubin, posted on March 27, 2017. [13] [14] In a quote of the tweet, Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt confirmed the phone would run Android. [15] A few days prior to the official announcement, Essential tweeted an image of what appeared to be a 360-degree camera attached to the smartphone. [16] [17] The Verge exclusively announced the device on May 30, 2017, hours ahead of Rubin's onstage announcement at a technology conference. [18]

Specifications

Hardware

The Essential Phone has a titanium and ceramic chassis, [18] [19] an edge-to-edge display with an unusual 19.5:10 aspect ratio protected with Gorilla Glass 5, [20] a Snapdragon 835 processor, 4  GB of RAM, and 128 GB of storage. [18]

Colors

At launch, four color options were announced: "Black Moon" (black ceramic and black titanium trim), "Stellar Grey" (gray ceramic and black trim), "Pure White" (white ceramic and natural titanium trim), and "Ocean Depths" (teal ceramic and copper-colored titanium). [21] [22] "Black Moon" was the first color available, followed by "Pure White" in October 2017. [23] [24]

"Stellar Grey" and "Ocean Depths" were released as limited editions in February 2018, alongside a "Copper Black" variant. [25] "Ocean Depths" sold out within two weeks. [26] An Amazon-exclusive version of the Essential Phone was also launched that month with a "Halo Grey" color and Alexa built-in. [27]

Essential Phone PH-1 color combinations
NameCeramic [lower-alpha 1] Trim [lower-alpha 2] AvailabilityReleased
Black MoonGloss BlackBlackRegularAug 2017 [lower-alpha 3]
Pure WhiteGloss WhiteNaturalRegularOct 2017
Stellar GreyMatte grayBlackLimitedFeb 2018
Ocean DepthsGloss tealCopper
Copper BlackGloss blackCopper
Halo GreyMatte grayNaturalRegular [lower-alpha 4]
Notes
  1. ↑ Color of ceramic back
  2. ↑ Color of titanium band/frame
  3. ↑ Only color available at launch
  4. ↑ Sold exclusively through Amazon

Cameras

Schematic view of screen, including notch for front-facing camera Essential PH-1 schematic.svg
Schematic view of screen, including notch for front-facing camera

The primary rear-facing camera uses two 13 MP (4224×3136px) Sony IMX258 Exmor  RS sensors, each equipped with f=3.4mm [28] f/1.85 lenses. One sensor is monochrome which omits the Bayer filter to provide luminance data for black-and-white photography. [21] Testing shows the monochrome sensor also improves detail reproduction in low light. [29] The IMX258 is a 1/3.06" 4:3 aspect ratio backside illumination stacked image sensor, [30] which provides an 82° angle of view on the diagonal.

Its front-facing camera has an 8 MP (16:9 aspect ratio, 3840×2160px) sensor with a f=3.1mm [31] f/2.2 lens. [21]

Connectors

It has a USB-C connector but no 3.5 mm headphone jack. [6] [18] Several Essential-branded accessories were planned for release. [32]

The phone is also equipped with the Click Connector, which uses magnets to secure a modular accessory to the top rear surface of the phone; two gold-plated pogo pins provide power to the accessory, and the phone communicates with the accessory via wireless USB. [33] The Verge compared the Click Connector to the Moto Mods system used on the Moto Z line of smartphones. [34] The first modular accessory designed and launched with the phone is a 360° camera. [33] Also at launch, a charging dock accessory was announced for the same connector. [18] [23] Keyssa announced a lawsuit over the technology used in the Click Connector in October 2017. Essential had discussed wireless data connectivity with Keyssa for several months under a non-disclosure agreement, but Essential opted instead to use hardware from a competitor, SiBEAM. [35] For more discussion on the Keyssa lawsuit, see § Trade secret lawsuit.

In January 2018, Essential announced the development of the Audio Adapter HD, a third Click Connector accessory providing a headphone jack, [36] external DAC, and amplifier. It was scheduled to ship in the summer of 2018. [37] After it went on sale on November 13, 2018, as a limited edition, Essential sold out of the Audio Adapter HD within a day. [38]

Network compatibility

The Essential Phone is compatible with the four largest wireless carriers in the United States, [39] [40] but the exclusive carrier partner is Sprint. [41] [42] [43] In Canada, Telus is the exclusive carrier partner. [44] [45] [46]

In July 2017, it was reported Essential was planning to sell the Essential Phone in other markets, including the United Kingdom, with a possible partnership with EE, [47] [48] Japan, and Europe. [49] [50]

Bands
CDMA EV-DO Rev. A
(CDMA band number)		 GSM
(MHz)		 UMTS
(UTRA band number)		 LTE-FDD
(E-UTRA band number)		 LTE-TDD
(E-UTRA band number)		TD-SCDMA
(E-UTRA band number)
0, 1, 10850/900/1800/19001, 2, 4–6, 81–8, 11–13, 17, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28–39, 6638–4334, 39

Software

Essential Phone runs Android, without modifications. [6] It has an unlocked bootloader, potentially allowing for a significant developer community wanting to further customize its software. [51] Rubin published a blog post on August 16, 2017, promising two years of Android updates and three years of monthly security patches. [52] On August 6, 2018, the device was upgraded to Android 9.0 "Pie", day-and-date with its official launch on the first-party Google Pixel devices. [53] An update to Android 10 was also released upon its public availability in September 2019. [54]

Issues

Meltdown and Spectre

In January 2018, the phone quickly received a patch to fix the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities after they were revealed. Until this time, only phones by Google had these vulnerabilities patched. [55]

Availability delay

Rubin announced on May 30, 2017, that the Essential Phone would ship in approximately 30 days, [56] [57] i.e. June 2017. [58] This estimated timetable was not met, however, without Essential responding to media queries. [59] [60] [61] In mid-July, Rubin sent an email to potential customers saying carrier certification and testing were underway, and that he expected the device to be shipped "in a few weeks". [62] After a series of delays and the lack of an exact release date, Best Buy put up listings for the Essential Phone, [63] which went live on August 17. [64] On August 9, 2017, Rubin announced the phone was in mass production, and that a release date would be announced in the next week. [65] [66] [67] The Essential Phone was then confirmed to start shipping by the fourth week of August, according to an email sent by Rubin to customers. [68] It began shipping in batches by August 25. [1]

Customer data leak

On August 29, 2017, reports emerged that hundreds of customers who ordered the Essential Phone started receiving e-mails from an @essential address. The e-mail contained an official-looking request for a "photo ID" of the customer to "verify information to complete the processing of the recent order". Essential later tweeted that they were aware of the recent e-mails received by some customers and that they were investigating them and had taken steps to mitigate problems. [69] [70] [71] Rubin personally apologized and one year of LifeLock was offered to affected customers; around 70 people were affected. [72] Some customers' drivers' licenses were leaked over e-mail as well. [73] Customers affected by the data leak got the phone for free. [74] [75]

Touch issues

In October 2017, some handsets had a display touch scrolling "jitteriness" issue. Essential said they were working on the problem and a software patch would be released. [76]

Trade secret lawsuit

Keyssa (now owned by Molex) filed a lawsuit against Essential in October 2017 Keyssa-r-rgb.png
Keyssa (now owned by Molex) filed a lawsuit against Essential in October 2017

Keyssa, a startup company founded by Dr. Frank Chang, Ira Deyhimy and Gary McCormack [77] and specializing in wireless data transmission, filed a lawsuit accusing Essential of trade secret theft in October 2017. Keyssa said it was in talks with Essential for roughly 10 months to help provide the technology behind connecting Essential's new Android phone and their planned future products. Essential wanted to incorporate a Keyssa-developed microchip in the Essential Phone to provide functionality to their modular accessories, but turned to a similar company, SiBeam, to produce the microchip. Keyssa says Essential stole its proprietary technology because the non-disclosure agreements it signed protected the two companies' meetings and prevented Essential from using those trade secrets to make commercial products. [78] [79]

Keyssa has not been compensated for Essential's use of this guidance and know-how. We are pursuing this action because our attempts to resolve this matter through discussions with Essential have not been successful.

— Keyssa [80]

According to Essential, the Click Connector is not based on technology from Keyssa and the firm vowed to "defend ourselves vigorously". [81]

Reception

Critical reception

The Essential Phone received generally positive reviews. Much of the criticism was directed towards the camera performance, and the omission of a headphone jack. [23]

Sales

In its first month of release, shipments of the Essential Phone were very low, with sales of around 5,000 units estimated being sold through Sprint. [88] Due to low demand, Essential reduced the price of the phone from an initial US$699 to US$499. Customers who purchased the phone at the original price could claim a US$200 "friends and family" code that could be used to purchase the 360-degree camera module or another Essential Phone. [89] [90]

Essential claim six figure sales numbers, [91] estimated to be about 150,000 phones. [92]

Successor

The PH-2, a successor that was in the works according to designers [93] has been cancelled. [92] According to sources at Essential in October 2018, the company was working on another phone that operates primarily under voice control to automate certain tasks, such as responding to emails and text messages or making appointments. [94]

On October 9, 2019, Essential founder Andy Rubin shared Project Gem which was planned to be the company's upcoming smartphone. The images shared by Rubin showed an abnormally tall smartphone running on Android. [95] On February 12, 2020, as part of their announcement regarding ceasing operations, Essential showcased videos of the phone and stated they had, "taken Gem as far as we can and regrettably have no clear path to deliver it to customers." [96]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smartphone</span> Handheld mobile device

A smartphone is a mobile device that combines the functionality of a traditional mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multimedia playback and streaming. Smartphones have built-in cameras, GPS navigation, and support for various communication methods, including voice calls, text messaging, and internet-based messaging apps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motorola Mobility</span> American consumer electronics company

Motorola Mobility LLC, marketed as Motorola, is an American consumer electronics manufacturer primarily producing smartphones and other mobile devices running Android. Headquartered at Merchandise Mart in Chicago, Illinois, it is a subsidiary of the Chinese technology company Lenovo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Rubin</span> American businessman

Andrew E. Rubin is an American computer programmer, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist. Rubin founded Android Inc. in 2003, which was acquired by Google in 2005; Rubin served as a Google vice president for nine years and led Google's efforts in creating and promoting the Android operating system for mobile phones and other devices during most of his tenure. Rubin left Google in 2014 after allegations of sexual misconduct, although it was presented as a voluntary departure rather than a dismissal at first. Rubin then served as co-founder and CEO of venture capital firm Playground Global from 2015 to 2019. Rubin also helped found Essential Products in 2015, a mobile phone start-up that closed in 2020 without finding a buyer. In 2019, Rubin was inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galaxy Nexus</span> Smartphone designed by Google and Samsung

The Galaxy Nexus (GT-I9250) is a touchscreen Android smartphone co-developed by Google and Samsung Electronics. It is the third smartphone in the Google Nexus series, a family of Android consumer devices built by an original equipment manufacturer partner. The phone is the successor to Google's previous flagship phones, the Nexus One and Nexus S.

OnePlus Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., doing business as OnePlus, is a Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. It is a subsidiary of Oppo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nexus 5X</span> Android smartphone manufactured by LG Electronics

The Nexus 5X is an Android smartphone manufactured by LG Electronics, co-developed with and marketed by Google as part of its Nexus line of flagship devices. Unveiled on September 29, 2015, it was a successor to the Nexus 5. The phone, along with the Nexus 6P, served as launch devices for Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which introduced a refreshed interface, performance improvements, increased Google Now integration, and other new features.

Playground Global is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in deep tech and assists startups with software, hardware, machine learning, marketing, talent and design. The company was founded in 2015 by Andy Rubin, Peter Barrett, Matt Hershenson and Bruce Leak. Playground offers startups support with engineering, distribution, manufacturing and financing in exchange for equity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HMD Global</span> Finnish manufacturer of Nokia mobile phones, smartphones and tablets

Human Mobile Devices (HMD), formally HMD Global, is a Finnish mobile phone manufacturer. The company is made up of the mobile phone business that the Nokia Corporation sold to Microsoft in 2014, then bought back in 2016. HMD began marketing Nokia-branded smartphones and feature phones on 1 December 2016. The company has exclusive rights to the Nokia brand for mobile phones through a licensing agreement. The HMD brand was initially only used for corporate purposes and does not appear in advertising, whereas the name "Nokia Mobile" is used on social media. As it was launched, the acronym HMD stood for Hon Hai Mobile Devices. This was in reference to the main shareholder at the time of its creation: the Taiwanese group Foxconn. In January 2024, HMD rebranded to 'Human Mobile Devices', and will use their own branding on future devices alongside that of Nokia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OnePlus 3</span> Smartphone made by the Chinese manufacturer OnePlus

The OnePlus 3 is a smartphone produced by OnePlus. It was revealed on 14 June 2016. The phone was unveiled in a virtual reality event and OnePlus offered its customers Loop VR headsets to experience the event using their phones, giving away 30,000 free headsets in lieu of a traditional press conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moto Z</span> Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility

Moto Z is an Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility. Unveiled on June 9, 2016, as its flagship model for the year, the Moto Z is distinguished by the "Moto Mods" technosystem which allows case accessories to be magnetically attached to the device to provide additional functionality. The Moto Z was later joined by the more rugged Moto Z Force of which shares most of the same internals as the former, and the mid-range Moto Z Play with downgraded specifications, all three devices being compatible with the modular system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OnePlus 5</span> Smartphone by OnePlus

The OnePlus 5 is a smartphone made by OnePlus. It is the successor to the OnePlus 3T, which was released in 2016. The OnePlus 5 was officially unveiled during a keynote on 20 June 2017 and first released on June 20, 2017. It was succeeded by the OnePlus 5T five months later on November 21, 2017.

Essential Products was an American technology company and manufacturer founded on November 9, 2015, by Andy Rubin and based in Palo Alto. The company developed, manufactured, and sold Essential Phone and accessories for it, including 360 Camera for Essential Phone. The company closed on February 12, 2020, stating that it was developing a new handset, but that there was "no clear path to deliver it to customers".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samsung Galaxy Note 8</span> Android phablet developed by Samsung Electronics

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is an Android-based smartphone phablet designed, developed, produced and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The successor to the discontinued Samsung Galaxy Note 7, Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition and Samsung Galaxy Note 5, it was unveiled on 23 August 2017 and became available on 15 September 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LG V30</span> Android-based smartphone

The LG V30 is an Android phablet manufactured by LG Electronics as part of the LG V series. Unveiled on 31 August 2017 as the successor to the LG V20, the V30 forgoes the V20's secondary display for a "floating bar" which has nearly the same functions as the second display. It still features quad DACs for improved audio.

The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are a pair of Android smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line. They collectively serve as the successors to the Pixel and Pixel XL. They were officially announced on October 4, 2017 at the Made by Google event and released in the United States on October 19. On October 9, 2018, they were succeeded by the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.

/e/ is a fork of LineageOS, an Android-based mobile operating system, and associated online services. /e/ is presented as privacy software that does not contain proprietary Google apps or services, and challenges the public to "find any parts of the system or default applications that are still leaking data to Google."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asus ZenFone 6</span> 2019 Asus flagship smartphone with flip camera

The ZenFone 6 is a 2019 Android-based smartphone that was manufactured, released, and marketed by Asus. It is the only release in Asus' sixth-generation ZenFone lineup and directly succeeds the ZenFone 5Z. Asus chairman Jonney Shih unveiled the ZenFone 6 on 16 May 2019 in Valencia, Spain, and was released in Spain the following day.

The Motorola Edge (2020) and Edge+ (2020) are Android smartphones developed by Motorola Mobility, a subsidiary of Lenovo.

The OnePlus Nord is an Android-based smartphone manufactured by OnePlus, unveiled on 21 July 2020. It is the first device in the Nord series. It is the first mid-range smartphone from OnePlus since the 2015 OnePlus X. It is available in Europe, India, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. Android Police has suggested that the OnePlus Nord is only launching in countries where cheap smartphones that can be bought outright are more popular than expensive ones that consumers can only afford via monthly payments and carrier subsidies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pixel 5</span> Android smartphone model developed by Google

The Pixel 5 is an Android smartphone designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line. It serves as the successor to the Pixel 4. It was officially announced on September 30, 2020 at the "Launch Night In" event alongside the Pixel 4a (5G) and released in the United States on October 29. It is the first flagship smartphone in the Pixel lineup not to feature an XL version. On October 19, 2021, it was succeeded by the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Essential Phone begins shipping today, only 57 days late". CNET. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  2. ↑ Locklear, Mallory (April 27, 2018). "Essential Phone is available in more countries, including UK and Japan". Engadget . Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  3. ↑ Maring, Joe (July 17, 2017). "Andy Rubin's Essential Phone is Confirmed to Run Android 7.1.1 Nougat". XDA Developers . Archived from the original on July 23, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Android 10 is already rolling out to the Essential Phone". September 3, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Specifications". Essential Products . Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 Bohn, Dieter (May 30, 2017). "The Essential Phone: A first look at the hardware". The Verge . Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Andy Rubin, creator of Android, debuts his new Essential Phone" (YouTube Video). Recode . Hosted by Walt Mossberg. May 30, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. ↑ Rayner, Tristan (March 15, 2018). "Who owns the notch?". Android Authority. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  9. ↑ Hollister, Sean (December 28, 2018). "Essential all but confirms it's making another phone". The Verge. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  10. ↑ "An Update from Essential". Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  11. ↑ Gurman, Mark; Bergen, Mark (January 13, 2017). "Andy Rubin Nears His Comeback, Complete With an 'Essential' Phone". Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  12. ↑ Welch, Chris (January 13, 2017). "Android's co-founder is building a new company and a new kind of smartphone". The Verge . Archived from the original on June 12, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  13. ↑ Gartenberg, Chaim (March 27, 2017). "Andy Rubin teases a first look at Essential's bezel-less smartphone". The Verge. Archived from the original on June 12, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  14. ↑ Conditt, Jessica (March 27, 2017). "Android creator Andy Rubin teases his new smartphone". Engadget . AOL. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  15. ↑ Gartenberg, Chaim (March 29, 2017). "Google's Eric Schmidt confirms the Essential smartphone runs Android". The Verge . Archived from the original on May 30, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  16. ↑ Thomson, Iain (May 26, 2017). "Andy Rubin teases next week's launch of Essential phone". The Register. Archived from the original on May 30, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  17. ↑ Kovach, Steve (May 25, 2017). "The creator of Android just teased a weird new accessory for his top-secret phone". Business Insider . Axel Springer SE. Archived from the original on May 30, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 Bohn, Dieter (May 30, 2017). "Exclusive: this is the Essential Phone". The Verge . Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  19. ↑ Balakrishnan, Anita (May 30, 2017). "There's room for more than one 'love brand' in phones, says the COO of Andy Rubin's new company". CNBC. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  20. ↑ Smith, Chris (May 30, 2017). "The Essential phone that's going after the iPhone 8 and Galaxy S8 is finally here". BGR . Archived from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  21. 1 2 3 Zhang, Michael (May 30, 2017). "The Essential Phone Has Dual Cameras, 4K, and a Dedicated B&W Sensor". PetaPixel. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  22. ↑ Weber, Harrison (February 16, 2018). "I Can't Tell What Color This Phone Is and Honestly It's Driving Me Nuts". Gizmodo. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  23. 1 2 3 Lynch, Doug (September 15, 2017). "Summary of Essential's Reddit AMA: Android Oreo Coming Soon, White Model, Verizon Support, and More". xda-developers. Archived from the original on September 16, 2017. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
  24. ↑ Maring, Joe (October 12, 2017). "You can now buy the Pure White Essential Phone". Android Central. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  25. ↑ Brown, Scott (February 16, 2018). "Essential Phone to come in three new, limited edition colors". Android Authority. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  26. ↑ Kastrenakes, Jacob (March 1, 2018). "Essential's limited-edition phone colors look spectacular". The Verge. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  27. ↑ Gartenberg, Chaim (February 16, 2018). "Essential made an Amazon-exclusive version of its phone with Alexa preinstalled". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  28. ↑ Crollini, Armando (August 28, 2018). "untitled". flickr. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  29. ↑ Funnekotter, Wout (October 24, 2017). "Essential Phone PH-1 Review: Een frisse wind door smartphoneland — Camera" [Essential Phone PH-1 Review: A fresh wind through smartphoneland]. tweakers. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  30. ↑ "Overview: Image Sensor for Mobile IMX258". Sony Semiconductor Solutions. Archived from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  31. ↑ Lovén, Carl Nenzén (October 30, 2017). "Self-portrait". flickr. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  32. ↑ Scrivens, Scott (January 11, 2018). "Essential has some new accessories available, including USB-C earbuds and a fast charger". Android Police. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  33. 1 2 Nystedt, Brendan (August 18, 2017). "Essential's snap-on 360 Camera has some growing up to do". Wired. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  34. ↑ Savov, Vlad (May 30, 2017). "The Essential Phone has its own version of the magnetic Moto Mods system". The Verge. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  35. ↑ Davenport, Corbin (October 16, 2017). "Essential is being sued over its modular accessory technology". Android Police. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  36. ↑ Maggio, Edoardo. "The flagship phone from the creator of Android is getting a headphone jack – but as a paid accessory". Business Insider. Archived from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  37. ↑ Gartenberg, Chaim (June 7, 2018). "The Essential Phone's first new module since launch is a magnetic headphone jack". The Verge. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  38. ↑ Hager, Ryne (November 13, 2018). "[Update: Already sold out] Essential reveals its Audio Adapter HD, a $150 machined titanium external DAC for the PH-1". Android Police. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  39. ↑ Welch, Chris (May 30, 2017). "US carriers confirm they'll support the Essential Phone". The Verge . Archived from the original on May 31, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
  40. ↑ "Essential Phone now approved to work on Verizon". The Verge. September 16, 2017. Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  41. ↑ Baig, Edward C. (June 12, 2017). "Sprint to be exclusive carrier of 'Essential' phone". USA Today . Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  42. ↑ Bohn, Dieter (June 12, 2017). "The Essential Phone is launching as a Sprint exclusive, but will still work on other carriers". The Verge . Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  43. ↑ Dunn, Jeff (June 12, 2017). "Andy Rubin's Essential phone will be a Sprint 'exclusive' – but you can use it on other carriers if you want". Business Insider . Axel Springer SE. Archived from the original on June 12, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  44. ↑ Westall, Jake (June 15, 2017). "Telus Announces Essential Phone Availability for Canada". XDA Developers . Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  45. ↑ Bonifacic, Igor (June 15, 2017). "Andy Rubin's Essential Phone is coming exclusively to Telus this summer". MobileSyrup. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  46. ↑ "Essential Phone is now available to purchase in US and Canada". GSMArena.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  47. ↑ Summers, Nick (July 17, 2017). "Essential's first smartphone is coming to the UK". Engadget . AOL. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  48. ↑ Ghosh, Shona (July 17, 2017). "A new smartphone from the man who created Android is reportedly coming to the UK". Business Insider . Axel Springer SE. Archived from the original on July 18, 2017. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  49. ↑ Gartenberg, Chaim (July 17, 2017). "The Essential Phone is reportedly coming to Japan, the UK, and other European countries". The Verge . Archived from the original on July 17, 2017. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  50. ↑ Dobie, Alex (July 17, 2017). "Essential Phone reportedly coming to the UK, Europe and Japan". Android Central. Mobile Nations. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  51. ↑ Kondrat, Tomek (June 3, 2017). "Essential Phone Will have an Unlockable Bootloader". XDA Developers . Archived from the original on July 9, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  52. ↑ "Essential Phone, available now". Essential. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  53. ↑ Welch, Chris (August 6, 2018). "The Essential Phone is being upgraded to Android 9 Pie on the same day as Google's Pixels". The Verge. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  54. ↑ Kastrenakes, Jacob (September 3, 2019). "The Essential Phone is already being updated to Android 10". The Verge. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  55. ↑ Patel, Idrees (January 6, 2018). "Essential Phone Starts Receiving January 2018 Security Patch Update". xda-developers. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  56. ↑ Lawler, Richard (May 30, 2017). "Andy Rubin's Essential phone should ship next month". Engadget . AOL. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  57. ↑ Statt, Nick (May 30, 2017). "The first Essential Phones will begin shipping in June". The Verge . Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  58. ↑ "Andy Rubin's Essential is now valued at over a billion dollars without shipping a single phone". The Verge. August 14, 2017. Archived from the original on August 14, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  59. ↑ Statt, Nick (July 10, 2017). "Andy Rubin's Essential is staying quiet on the Essential Phone delay". The Verge . Archived from the original on July 23, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  60. ↑ Kovach, Steve (July 6, 2017). "The new phone from the creator of Android didn't ship when he said it would". Business Insider . Axel Springer SE. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  61. ↑ Davenport, Corbin (July 8, 2017). "Essential misses its promised 30-day shipping period for the Essential phone". Android Police. Illogical Robot LLC. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  62. ↑ Kastrenakes, Jacob (July 21, 2017). "Andy Rubin says Essential Phone coming 'in a few weeks'". The Verge. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  63. ↑ Gartenberg, Chaim (August 4, 2017). "Essential Phone moves closer to availability with Best Buy listing". The Verge . Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  64. ↑ "Essential Phone Available For Pre-Order From Sprint, Best Buy, And Essential". Ubergizmo. Archived from the original on August 17, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  65. ↑ "Android creator Andy Rubin has a new backer for his startup – Amazon". Business Insider. Archived from the original on August 10, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  66. ↑ "Essential Phone's actual release date will be revealed in a week". TechRadar. Archived from the original on August 10, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  67. ↑ Rutherford, Sam (August 9, 2017). "Creator of Android Swears His New Phone Actually Exists". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  68. ↑ "Confirmed: Andy Rubin's Essential Phone will ship within 7 days". Android Authority. August 16, 2017. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  69. ↑ "Essential customers hit with deceptive phishing emails". Engadget. August 30, 2017. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  70. ↑ Mix (August 30, 2017). "Essential Phone customers are being blasted with phishing emails". The Next Web. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  71. ↑ "PSA: Don't respond to any Essential emails asking for a photo of personal identification". Phandroid - Android News and Reviews. August 30, 2017. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  72. ↑ "PSA: Essential Support Email Chain Source of Potential Identity Fraud". xda-developers. August 30, 2017. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  73. ↑ Bohn, Dieter (August 30, 2017). "In colossal screw up, Essential shared customers' driver's licenses over email". The Verge. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  74. ↑ "Update: Customers affected by personal data leak will get Essential Phone for free". Android Authority. August 31, 2017. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  75. ↑ Lynch, Doug (August 31, 2017). "Essential Apologizes, Offering Affected Customers LifeLock and a Phone". xda-developers. Archived from the original on September 1, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  76. ↑ "The Essential team talks jittery touch issues, new colors, and Android Oreo in AMA". Android Authority. October 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  77. ↑ "Keyssa unveils 'kiss' connector technology for transferring 'huge amounts' of data between devices" Fierce Wireless. November 15, 2014.
  78. ↑ "Tony Fadell-backed company sues Andy Rubin's Essential over wireless connector tech". The Verge. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  79. ↑ "Andy Rubin's Essential sued over modular connector tech". CNET. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  80. ↑ "Android co-creator's startup sued over connector technology". Reuters. October 16, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  81. ↑ Lee, Seung (October 16, 2017). "Updated: Andy Rubin's Essential sued by company backed by iPod creator Tony Fadell". siliconbeat. San Jose Mercury News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  82. ↑ Pierce, David. "The Essential Phone Is Almost Essential". WIRED. Archived from the original on August 29, 2017. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  83. ↑ "Essential PH-1 review: A beautiful blank slate". Engadget. Archived from the original on August 29, 2017. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  84. ↑ "Essential Phone Teardown". iFixit. September 5, 2017. Archived from the original on September 6, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  85. ↑ "Did the Essential Phone survive our drop test?". CNET. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  86. ↑ "Essential Phone PH-1 Review". TWiT Netcast Network. YouTube. September 9, 2017. Archived from the original on September 16, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  87. ↑ Smartphone Awards 2017! , retrieved July 28, 2021
  88. ↑ "Essential Phone has reportedly only sold 5,000 units through Sprint - but why?". Android Authority. September 27, 2017. Archived from the original on September 29, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  89. ↑ "Essential Phone now priced at $499, previous buyers get a $200 'friends and family' code". Android Authority. October 22, 2017. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  90. ↑ "The Essential Phone now costs $499, $200 less than the original price". The Verge. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  91. ↑ Conway, Adam (February 16, 2018). "[Update: Essential Claims 6 Figure Sales] Google Pixel Shipments Doubled to 3.9 Million in 2017 While the Essential Phone Stalled Out". xda-developers. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  92. 1 2 Gurman, Mark; Barinka, Alex (May 24, 2018). "Android Creator Puts Essential Up for Sale, Cancels Next Phone". Bloomberg. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  93. ↑ "A second Essential phone is already in the works". Alphr. November 3, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  94. ↑ Gurman, Mark (October 10, 2018). "Android Creator Is Building an AI Phone That Texts People for You". Bloomberg. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  95. ↑ "Essential teases a new weirdly tall smartphone". MSPoweruser. October 9, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  96. ↑ "An Update from Essential". Essential Products . February 12, 2020. Archived from the original on March 5, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.