Essential Phone
Essential PH–1. © Essential Products.
Last January, Andy Rubin, the creator of the Android operating system, founded a startup focused on consumer electronic devices, called Essential Products. At the Code Conference, Rubin unveiled the first Essential phone, which runs on Android (unsurprisingly) and a Snapdragon 835 processor. With a 5.7-inch LCD screen that covers almost the entire front of the device, the phone would be typical of today’s industry offering, except for the U-shaped notch cut out of the top of the screen to accommodate the camera. Like the iPhone, the Essential has no mini audio jack. But the Essential innovates with the accessories which, like the 360° camera, connect to the phone with magnets, communicate with it via 802.11ad Wi-Fi and power up through pogo pins on the back of the phone. The system is reminiscent of Motorola’s Moto Mods. Available by preorder for US$690, the Essential PH–1 will ship in about one month.
⇨ Ars Technica, “The father of Android builds a smartphone: The ‘Essential Phone’ is official.”
