Andy Rubin Takes Big Step Into Mobile Market With Essential Smartphone

Andy Rubin is best known as the founder and creator of Android. But he’s hoping his latest venture, Essential, will redefine that legacy. Essential is a new hardware company that will offer both a high-end smartphone and smart home hub to start. The handset, called the Essential Phone, will serve as the premier entry in the hotly contested smartphone market, with a powerful processor, edge-to-edge display, and a $699 price tag. The Essential Phone promises best-in-class photographs and as you might expect a handset that runs a standard Android build. With the Essential Phone Andy Rubin’s is bidding to become an overnight contender in the smartphone market. This slide show will discuss why.

The Essential Phone has a 5.71-inch screen with a quad-HD resolution and a 19:10 aspect ratio. But more importantly, it nearly entirely covers the face of the handset, leaving exceedingly slim bezels on the side and top. It’s a feature that Samsung has bundled in its Galaxy S8 line, and one that Apple is rumored to be planning in the iPhone 8. It’s also quickly becoming a must-have for any high-end handset.

The Essential Phone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, matching the chip found in the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Essential has also opted for the Adreno 540 GPU, which has a 710MHz clock speed. Together, they should deliver the kind of power users expect.

Not surprisingly, Essential has decided to bundle Android with its handset. Moreover, the company has opted for the standard, stock Android operating system, rather than one that comes with a customized skin. That stands in stark contrast to most of Essential’s competitors, which have crafted customized skins to differentiate their devices from Google and others.

Essential was quick to note that it’s opted for titanium and ceramic in its upcoming smartphone. That’s important. Ceramic, which is used in the Essential Phones back plate, has quickly become a desirable material for smartphone design, thanks to its high gloss and good looks. Titanium, used in the frame, is harder than aluminum, which could help it survive the inevitable drops and falls. The screen is Corning Gorilla Glass.

The Essential Phone ships with dual rear-facing cameras that use both color and monochrome sensors to capture far more light than most competing handset cameras. This allows it to work better in low-light conditions than most, according to Essential.

Those looking for an unlocked smartphone will find it from Essential. The device has dual radios that allow it to connect to the carrier of the owner’s choosing, regardless of whether he or she wants to use GSM or CDMA carrier networks.

Memory and storage might not always get the attention they deserve, but they’re critical to the device’s operation. And on that front, the Essential Phone shines. In fact, the device ships with a standard 128GB of storage, and users will find 4GB of RAM. Both should be sufficient for the vast majority of users.

The Essential Phone comes with a USB-C port and a 3040mAh battery. Collectively, they deliver fast-charging and long-lasting battery life, though Essential didn’t say how long its handset will hold a charge. It can also be wirelessly charged on a proprietary connector that lets users work with handset while it’s being recharged.

Essential Phone comes with several other specs users should know about. For instance, the device is compatible with Bluetooth 5.0 LE and 802.11ac WiFi. Users will also find what Essential says is the world’s “fastest available” fingerprint reader. The Essential Phone even comes with four microphones for better audio calls.

Essential said that its new handset will be available to customers unlocked for $699. As of this writing, the device is available for pre-orders only on the Essential website. However Essential hasn’t announced a shipping day.