It was teased for some time, but finally the curtain has been pulled back and the smartphone from Android creator Andy Rubin has finally been announced. The new company called Essential will launch their very first smartphone, and it’s already set to compete with the big phone makers.
The new device will feature a stellar design by way of having a near bezel-less display. The unique look only make rooms for the front facing camera, which is basically embedded in the display. The device will be housed in Titanium and Ceramic material, with Gorilla Glass 5 on the front display. All of this is stated to provide some of the best durability on a device; compared to aluminium framed devices.
That display we mentioned features a unique resolution of 2,560 x 1,312 with an aspect ratio of 19:10. Essential have gone as far as to remove any sign of branding on the front of the device as an effort to get as much display as possible. Something Samsung have done well with their latest flagship.
The phone will also include a nifty pin connector for first-party accessories to be used with the device. The first of which is a 360-degree camera with 4K spherical resolution. More accessories including a dock will take advantage of the accessory connector in the future.
Inside we have the latest from Qualcomm with the Snapdragon 835 chipset with 4 x 2.45GHz and 4 x 1.9GHz cores and 4GB’s of RAM. The Adreno 540 will handle graphics and is clocked at 710Mhz. Internal store is 128GB’s with sadly no MicoSD slot to speak of.
Camera side of business includes a 13MP Dual RGB/Monochrome sensor with f/1.85 aperture and phase/contrast/laser auto focus on the rear, and that very noticble spot on the front of the display is an 8MP sensor with f/2.2 aperture and fixed lens. Both cameras support 4K@30fps, 1080@60/30fps, and 720p@120fps.
Other specs includes Bluetooth 5.0 and USB Type-C; with both having to handle your audio as there is regrettably no 3.5mm headphone jack built-in and requires the use of a dongle, thankfully included. Lastly we have a 3,040mAh battery, and fingerprint sensor on the back.
The new device will cost $699 sim free, or $749 with the current promotion that includes the 360-degree camera attachment. There is currently no date on when the device arrives. It does come in Black Moon, Stellar Grey, Pure White and Ocean Depths colors.
