Official Android 8.1 Oreo hits Essential PH-1

 By Vaibhav Jain on March 13, 2018       

Announced back in May 2017, Essential PH-1 is now getting the Official Android 8.1 Oreo through OTA (Over the Air) Software Update.

Android 8.1 comes with new dark and light themes which changes according to wallpaper, Pixel 2 Launcher, Redesigned Power Menu, new Shutdown and Reboot Animation, Round Statusbar Icons, and Settings.

The Essential smartphone features a 5.7-inch QHD edge-to-edge display, not the one seen on Galaxy S8. It is powered by the Snapdragon 835 SoC, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. The phone comes with ceramic back and includes USB Type-C port, Bluetooth 5.0, and NFC. The phone runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat. (Now upgradable to Android 8.1 Oreo)

The attraction for the phone is at the back where the magnetic connectors lie. With the help of these magnetic pins, you can connect additional devices. For now, there's a 360-degree camera that has two 12MP lenses. At the back, there are two cameras of 13MP along with an 8MP front-facing camera. The so-called modular 360-degree camera costs $199.

Essential sold out only 5,000 phones since launch

 By Vaibhav Jain on September 27, 2017       

A new report shows that Essential managed to sell nearly 5,000 PH-1 units since launch. To recall, Andy Rubin announced the Essential PH-1 phone back in May with top-notch specs and mouth-watering design.

The entire package is offered at a price of just $699, way less than the Samsung Galaxy S8 and is available only through Sprint. Essential also plans to launch its Essential Home smart-home hub later this year.

The Essential smartphone features a 5.7-inch QHD edge-to-edge display, not the one seen on Galaxy S8. It is powered by the Snapdragon 835 SoC, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. The phone comes with ceramic back and includes USB Type-C port, Bluetooth 5.0, and NFC. The phone runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat.

The attraction for the phone is at the back where the magnetic connectors lie. With the help of these magnetic pins, you can connect additional devices. For now, there's a 360-degree camera that has two 12MP lenses. At the back, there are two cameras of 13MP along with an 8MP front-facing camera. The so-called modular 360-degree camera costs $199.

New Fake Essential Phone Email Scam Is Incredibly Easy to Fall For

 By Vaibhav Jain on August 30, 2017       

Hackers are targeting Andy Rubin's Essential Phone shoppers with authentic-looking phishing emails that attempt to obtain personal information. Here's how it works:

A user who Pre-ordered the Essential Phone receives an email that says a recently-placed order wasn't processed. The message may say something like this:

Hi,
Our order review team requires additional verifying information to complete the processing of your recent order. 
This verification is performed to protect against unauthorized use of your payment information and similar to what is conducted for in-person purchases. 
Please provide an alternative email and phone number to confirm this purchase..
We would like to request a picture of a photo ID (e.g. driver’s license, state ID, passport) clearly showing your photo, signature and address. NOTE: the address on the ID should match the billing address listed on your recent order.
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your cooperation.  Once verified, we look forward to shipping your order.
Thanks!
Essential Products Customer Care

If you received correspondence regarding an order of Essential Phone, it likely wasn't from Official Essential Team. You can report and block that phishing email through Gmail's Inbuilt feature.

//Reddit

Essential Phone screenshot reveals thick Status Bar and Pixel-like home button

 By Vaibhav Jain on July 31, 2017       

A few months ago, Essential revealed its PH-1 Smartphone with top-notch specs and mouth-watering design. The entire package is offered at a price of just $699, way less than the Samsung Galaxy S8. 

The company announced earlier this month that Sprint would be the exclusive carrier in the United States, TELUS in Canada. The phone is expected to start shipping sometime in August to the public.

Thanks to Jason Mackenzie (Head of sales at Essential), we now have our first look at the Essential smartphone's Screenshots. It's not just an ordinary image, the screenshot also reveals how big the Status Bar on the Essential Phone is. Additionally, the Screenshot also confirms that the Essential Phone will be coming with Pixel-like home button with small white outline.

The Essential smartphone features a 5.7-inch QHD edge-to-edge display, not the one seen on Galaxy S8. It is powered by the Snapdragon 835 SoC, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. The phone comes with ceramic back and includes USB Type-C port, Bluetooth 5.0, and NFC. The phone runs Android Nougat.

Videos shows man using Essential PH-1 Smartphone

 By Vaibhav Jain on June 16, 2017       

Late last month, Essential revealed its PH-1 Smartphone with top-notch specs and mouth-watering design. The entire package is offered at a price of just $699, way less than the Samsung Galaxy S8. 

The company announced earlier this week that Sprint would be the exclusive carrier in the United States, TELUS in Canada. The phone is expected to start shipping sometime in June to the public, but it looks like that few users have got their hands on the smartphone early.


The below clip shows the Essential PH-1 Smartphone in action, have a look:-

Check out the Short clips taken by Essential's 360-degree camera

 By Vaibhav Jain on June 06, 2017       

Andy Rubin’s Essential smartphone is not completely Bezel-less, but it do looks stunning and with top-notch specs the devices matches the standards of the 2017 flagships.

The attraction for the Essential PH-1 Phone is at the back where the magnetic connectors lie. With the help of these magnetic pins, you can connect additional devices. For now, there's a 360-degree camera that has two 12MP lenses. The so-called modular 360-degree camera costs $199. 


Here are some Short clips taken with the Essential 360-degree camera module- 

Concept shows what Essential Smartphone would look like without camera hole

 By Vaibhav Jain on June 04, 2017       

Andy Rubin’s Essential smartphone is not completely Bezel-less, but it do looks stunning in press images and with top-notch specs the devices matches the standards of the 2017 flagships. But there's one issue that I just can't stop staring at...... The large-ish cutout for the front-facing camera!

The Essential device features cut out for a selfie camera in its full-screen display, which not only looks bad, but could also potentially affect how you use your phone. 

Just like every other Android Smartphone, a lot of information tends to be displayed at the top. Time, Battery life, Network, Notifications and many other icons and information can be seen at top of the screen. We don't know whether or not Essential Phone comes with a pre-designed software that makes words curve around that strange black hole.

A reddit user _7down imagined what the Essential Smartphone would look like with the "bottom bezel placed to the top" of the display instead of a camera hole.

Thoughts?

Next Essential Smartphone will be Completely Bezel-Less

 By Vaibhav Jain on June 02, 2017       

The father of Android-Andy Rubin recently announced the Essential PH-1 Phone with top-notch specs and mouth-watering design. The device is not completely Bezel-less, but it matches the standard of the 2017 flagships.

In an interview by Bloomberg, Niccolo De Masi, president and COO of Andy Rubin's new company Essential revealed that the next Essential Smartphone will be completely bezel-free. 

"Our Next device will actually swirl all the edges up" - Niccolo De Masi

It seems that the company has already started working on the Next Essential Smartphone with a complete bezel-free design. The device will be likely called Essential PH-2. 

The Essential PH-1 smartphone features a 5.7-inch QHD edge-to-edge display, not the one seen on Galaxy S8. It is powered by the Snapdragon 835 SoC, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. The phone comes with ceramic back and includes USB Type-C port, Bluetooth 5.0, and NFC. The phone runs Android Nougat. 

Via: Bloomberg | Image: Sharp Mobile Concept

The Essential Phone is Now Official With Bezel-Less Display, Snapdragon 835, and Dual Cameras

 By Unknown on May 30, 2017       

The father of Android-Andy Rubin has been teasing a smartphone from the past few days with the name- Essential. And the smartphone has now gone official with top-notch specs and mouth-watering design. The entire package is offered at a price of just $699, way less than the Samsung Galaxy S8. 

The Essential smartphone features a 5.7-inch QHD edge-to-edge display, not the one seen on Galaxy S8. It is powered by the Snapdragon 835 SoC, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. The phone comes with ceramic back and includes USB Type-C port, Bluetooth 5.0, and NFC. The phone runs an unspecified version of Android. 



The attraction for the phone is at the back where the magnetic connectors lie. With the help of these magnetic pins, you can connect additional devices. For now, there's a 360-degree camera that has two 12MP lenses. At the back, there are two cameras of 13MP along with an 8MP front-facing camera. The so-called modular 360-degree camera costs $199. 

The Essential phone is available in Black Moon and Pure White Colour options. As said earlier, the device will ship for $699, and you can now reserve your phone. For customers whoever books the phone will get additional $150 discount for the 360-degree camera accessory, making the price to just $50.

Essential PH-1 Phone Official Specs

 By Vaibhav Jain on May 30, 2017       

Essential PH-1 Specification
OS And Hardware
OS	Android Nougat
Processor	Kryo 280 Octa-core (2.45GHz Quad + 1.9GHz Quad)
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
GPU	Adreno 540
Body
Dimensions	141.5 x 71.1 x 7.8 mm
Weight	185 g
Colors	Black Moon, Stellar Grey, Pure White, Ocean Depths
Display
Type	-
Screen Size	5.71” with radiused corners
Resolution	2560 x 1312 QHD
Multitouch	Yes
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Sensors	Accelerometer, Proximity, Compass
Memory
Card slot	-
Internal	128 GB
RAM	4 GB
Camera
Primary	13MP Dual RGB + Mono camera
Features	Hybrid Auto Focus, Phase Detect, IR Laser Assist Focus
Video	Video at 4K 30fps, 1080p 60fps or 720p 120fps
Secondary	8 MP
Multimedia
3.5mm jack	-
Battery and Power
Type	3040 mAh battery
Releasing Date
Announced	2017, May 30
Price
US Dollar	$699

Source: Essential