Andy Rubin, the guy who created Android finally has brought the Essential phone to us. After multiple teasers and speculations, this high-end modular smartphone is here with the edge-to-edge bezel-less design.
First Titanium and Ceramic Designed Phone?
In terms of design, the phone itself shines out with its Titanium and Ceramic body that should make the phone durable. Unlike aluminum, which most phones are made of, Titanium doesn’t scratch, dent, or bend. Titanium is harder, stronger and more resilient than aluminum and with that, there’s no need for any phone case or cover accessory to apply. A fairly clean design, no logos or labels found anywhere on the phone.
If you have seen the Samsung’s Galaxy S8 curved edge display, you’re likely to witness the similar on the Essential PH-1. It features an edge-to-edge display wrapping around the front selfie camera. The Essential phone is sized 5.71-inch with Quad HD display (2560 x 1312 pixels resolution and 500 nits brightness) covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
Capture And Experience 360-Degree Videos
Ever heard a phone that captures 360-degree 4K videos? What’s special thing about this phone is the modularity. The company has introduced the World’s smallest 360-degree personal camera that can be aligned magnetically at the back of the phone. To fit the accessory, the phone has provided 2 pins on the backside.
The 360 camera is an impressive accessory that records footage of the entire scene around you giving an immersive experience as if you are in the middle of the whole game. Being the World’s smallest 360-degree camera, it weighs just about 35 grams and doesn’t put on much weight to the 185 grams phone.
The Essential ships with a 360-degree camera having dual 12 MP f/1.8 sensors with FOV 210 degrees each. The camera captures Ultra HD videos i.e. 4K videos in 360 degrees. Furthermore, it has 4 microphones with noise cancellation and beam forming to capture sound in 3D.
Two Cameras: RGB + Monochrome
Other than the 360-degree camera accessory, the camera on the phone is a dual 13 MP f/1.85 (RGB + Monochrome) camera on the back, a similar setup we already observed on the HUAWEI P9. The front 8 MP f/2.2 selfie camera sitting right in the middle on the top of the screen is quite unique. We are curious to see how they have placed the front camera on the screen. The front and the rear cameras are capable of recording 4K videos as well as slow motion videos at 120fps.
Rest things apart, the specs of the phone are yet the top tech and competes with the flagships like Galaxy S8 and iPhone 7. It features the fastest SoC currently in the market. It is powered by a 2.45 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 CPU paired with Adreno 540 GPU clocked at 710 MHz, a 4 GB LPDDR4X RAM module, and a fast 128 GB UFS 2.1 internal storage. Backed up with 3,040 mAh non-removable battery, it can be charged wirelessly via charging dock.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer a 3.5 mm port for headphones while there is a USB Type-C at the bottom. And lastly, it runs on the latest Android 7.1.1 Nougat which is expected since the phone is coming from the creator of Android.
Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone Specifications
- Model: Essential PH-1
- Build: Titanium body and Ceramic back
- Display: 5.71-inch Quad HD CGS/LTPS Display with radiused corner (2560 x 1312 pixels resolution | 1:1000 contrast ratio | 500 nits brightness | 19:10 aspect ratio), Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, at the back
- Software: Google Android
- CPU: Up to 2.45 GHz octa-core Kyro 280 processor, 10nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, 64-bit
- DSP Processor: Qualcomm Hexagon 682 DSP
- GPU: Adreno 540, 710 MHz, 64-bit
- Memory: 4 GB LPDDR4X RAM
- Storage: 128 GB UFS 2.1 internal storage
- Main Camera: Dual Camera (13 MP + 13 MP), RGB + Monochrome camera, f/1.85, Hybrid Auto Focus, Image Fusion Technology, 4K video @30fps, 1080p video @60fps, slow motion 720p video @120fps
- Front Camera: 8 MP f/2.2, fixed hyperfocal lens, 4K video @30fps, 1080p video @60fps, slow motion 720p video @120fps
- Connectivity and Ports: USB Type-C, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO Bluetooth 5.0 LE, NFC, GPS and GLONASS, 60 GHz (6 Gbps) Wireless Accessory Connector, 2x accessory power pins
- Sensors: Proximity, Ambient light sensor, Barometer, Accelerometer, Magnetometer and Gyroscope
- Cellular: 4G LTE, single nano SIM, VoLTE-enabled
- Battery: 3,040 mAh (non-removable)
- Dimensions: 141.5 mm x 71.1 mm x 7.8 mm
- Weight: ~185 grams
- Colors: Black Moon, Stellar Grey, Pure White, Ocean Depths
- Price: $749 (Essential Phone + 360 Camera) – Offer
$699 (Essential Phone 128 GB)
Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone Pricing, Variants, and Availability
There are mainly four color variants – Black Moon, Stellar Grey, Pure White and Ocean Depths, however, currently, only black and white variants are up for pre-order.
As for the price it holds, the price has been confirmed at $699 and you can pre-order it now. There is a limited-time offer going on, you can get the Essential phone + 360 Camera for $749 which sounds a good deal.
The availability of the phone is yet to be discovered. We still don’t know when exactly the Essential phone is going to be released. The phone will be released in the US initially, but we hope the handset goes global and available in the international market.
