The man behind one of the greatest inventions of modern times is here to impress you again. Andy Rubin, the co-creator of world's largest mobile operating system - Android, is here to innovate yet another field of technology by launching his own Essential Phone.
The Essential Phone is the latest entry in the busy smartphone industry where names other than iPhone and Galaxy are observed with suspicion. Brands like Xiaomi and OnePlus have proven that it is not impossible to break the barrier, but can this new phone do the same - is the question we ask Rubin today.
"I know people are going to ask me a lot of questions about why I started this company. Why didn't I just travel the world, ride my motorcycle, tinker with my robots, hang out at my bakery with friends and family" – you're right about that Andy!
But here we are. The curtain's off the suspense smartphone that has been in the leaks for weeks now. And in all fairness, it's a breath of fresh air in the smog.
There are a lot of lovable features about the Essential phone, but we have our favourite. In the history of smartphones or even electronics, the Essential Phone is the first to come without any visible branding in the form of logos or even the company's name on it. This is something we really loved about the phone, which stands true to being "your phone."
As thoughtful as this small feature is in the Essential Phone, there are some incredibly powerful features that will put some of the industry's best to shame. And yes, we are talking the big guns like Apple, Samsung, LG and Sony for that matter.
Let's start with the basics.
Essential is the company's flagship Android smartphone with a 5.71-inch display with an odd screen resolution of 2560 x 1312 pixels equivalent to a 2K display, 19:10 aspect ratio and 500 nits of brightness. The handset is made of titanium body, has a ceramic back, and a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 to cover the bezel-less screen. In short, it can withstand a drop on a solid concrete floor.
With that covered, let's move to the camera - yet another interesting feature, which demonstrates modular phone technology in the seamless fashion. There's a dual camera setup at the back with 13MP RGB +13MP Monochrome lenses, f/1.85 aperture, PDAR, IR laser assist focus and 4K video shooting at 30fps. For your selfies, there's an 8MP camera, which hangs like an odd-looking chandelier on the front display (a bit odd to be frank). The front camera has an aperture of f/2.2 with fixed focus and 4K video recording at 30fps.
If you look closely, there are two pin like holes right next to the camera. Before you start to wonder, it is to attach the world's smallest 360-degree camera (as shown in the image below) or wireless charge the phone. The only thing remaining at the back of the phone is the evident fingerprint scanner, which the company claims is the fastest available technology.
There's a 3,040mAh battery to power the phone and has a USB Type-C port for fast wired charging. Speaking of connectivity ports, your hunt for the 3.5mm headphone jack will leave your disappointed. As for the sensors, there is an environmental pressure sensor (barometer), magnetometer, accelerometer and gyro.
The Essential Phone wears the flagship crown with pride and performs at its best. Thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, which also powers the Galaxy S8, paired with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage.
Shut up and take my money!!!
Well, you'll need $699 before you cry it out loud. There's an introductory offer where you can include the 360 camera with the Essential phone and just pay $749. The standalone camera otherwise costs $199, so you're getting yourself a good deal there.
To sooth your eyes, the Essential Phone comes in four shades. There is iPhone7's Jet Black like Black Moon and then there's Pure White. Two colours, Stellar Grey and Ocean Depths (emerald green) are soon to be available.
You can reserve your Essential Phone (only in the U.S.) right away, but there's no release date for the handset right now.
