The father of Android, aka Andy Rubin, launched his own phone under the aegis of his own start-up he calls, Essential. Essential's brand new phone is called simply the Essential phone (model number PH-1). The Essential phone, from Essential, is essentially an Android-based phone that's near bezel-less and works on a principle that Google's Project Ara stood for, once upon a time.
Google may have given up on the idea of a future in which "one smartphone fits them all" concept would mean the end of having to buy a new phone every year, but Android creator Andy Rubin still hasn't lost all hope. So it seems. Take a look.
Specifications:
Processor: The Essential phone is powered by a 2.45 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor clubbed with Adreno 540 GPU.
RAM: 4GB
Internal storage: The Essential phone comes with 128GB of internal memory which is non-expandable.
Display: The Essential phone comes with a 5.7-inch LTPS display. It comes with an unusual 19:10 aspect ratio instead of the regular 16:9 and a 2560x1312 pixel resolution which is sort of border-line Quad-HD.
Camera: The Essential phone sports a dual camera system on the rear consisting of two 13-megapixel sensors wherein one is standard RGB while the other is monochrome. The dual camera system, because it has a monochrome sensor, is able to take in more light and should theoretically aid in better low light photos. A similar set-up is seen in phones like Huawei's P9 and the Honor 8.
The Essential phone's rear camera system can further assist in telephoto, bokeh and 'true monochrome' shots.
The system, in addition, comes with Laser and Phase Detection Autofocus, a dual-LED (dual-tone) flash and support for 4K video recording.On the front, the Essential phone comes with an 8-megapixel camera which is also capable of recording 4K videos.
Software and connectivity: The dual-SIM Essential phone runs an unspecified version of Android and will support Andy Rubin's home-grown version of a smart/virtual assistant. The assistant on-board will take on the likes of Apple's Siri, Google's Assistant, Microsoft's Cortana and Amazon's Alexa in the days to come. It supports 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0 and USB Type-C for charging and data syncing. The Essential phone doesn't come with a 3.5mm audio jack though.
Battery: The phone is backed by a 3,040mAh battery and supports fast-charging.
Special features:
-- Andy Rubin's Essential phone has an edge-to-edge near bezel-less screen like Samsung's new Galaxy S8/Galaxy S8+ and LG's new G6. It looks remarkably like Xiaomi's Mi Mix though, which is again another near bezel-less phone. At the same time, Rubin's Essential phone is also modular and supports secondary modules via a magnetic connector on the back so you don't have "to buy new dongles, chargers, and accessories every time your phone is upgraded." The way it incorporates its modules would remind you of Lenovo's Moto Z.
-- Rubin's Essential phone boasts of a very durable titanium and ceramic body with Corning's new Gorilla Glass 5 on the front. The combination of build material would ensure the Essential phone would be hard to crack/break even under extreme stress, according to Rubin. The phone isn't water-resistant though.
-- The Essential phone, like Xiaomi's Mi Mix, doesn't have a distinct forehead and only the chin. The selfie camera rests at the top though, unlike in the Mi Mix where it is tucked away at the bottom. The phone is a distinct square and is mostly flat as a pancake. It may have a near edge-to-edge screen and an unusual aspect ratio, but, it's closer in line to last year's Mi Mix and father away from this year's Galaxy S8 and LG G6.
-- Although Rubin's Essential phone is modular like Lenovo's Moto Z, his company -- for now -- has just the one module that is compatible with it. The module -- a 360 degree camera -- can snap on to its back much like how Moto Mods snap on to the Moto Z. Essential's 360 degree camera which is being marketed as the world's smallest 360 degree camera consists of two 12MP fisheye lenses and a total of four micro-phones.
-- There's also an Essential phone dock that connects to the phone in a similar way as the 360 degree camera on offer. The dock aids in wireless charging the phone in question.
Pricing and availability: Rubin's Essential phone has been launched in the US at a price of $699 which roughly translates to Rs 45,097. Essential's 360 degree camera, will meanwhile, cost buyers $199 which roughly translates to Rs 12,838. There's also an option to buy it along with the phone as well. The phone plus the camera module will be available for $749 (roughly Rs 48,323) for a limited period. The Essential phone will be available in as many as four colours: Black Moon, Stellar Grey, Pure White and Ocean Depths.
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