Strange. I remember we did wrote about Android’s creator, Andy Rubin, foray into handset making. I guess, the truth is, we did indeed missed that piece. Anyways, after much anticipation (or not), Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone is finally almost ready for the mass market. From the get go, the Essential PH-1 looks like an exquisite bespoke product. I mean, just look at it. Ok, maybe it is just another phone draped in an all-too-common dark hue, but check out the materials: titanium for body and ceramic around the back. Say it isn’t exquisite on the get go?
The only thing that could make it even more exquisite as far as built goes, it would be the inclusion of sapphire glass which it does not have. It has a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 over its 5.71-inch edge-to-edge QHD display instead. Under the hood, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, featuring a 64-bit octacore Kyro 280 processor and an 710 MHz 60-bit Adreno 540 GPU, runs the clockwork. The SoC is backed by 4GB of RAM and it has 128 GB worth of UFS 2.1 storage. So, this little guy here should pretty speedy in pulling up stuff that you need.
Around the back is a 13MP dual RGB and Mono camera with image fusion technology, paired to a f1.85 optic, that offers 13MP True Monochrome mode, along with hybrid AF “combing contrast,” phase detection and IR laser assist focus. The rear shooter is capable of 4K (@ 30fps) videoing, as well as 1080p60 and of course, 720p120. Still on imaging, the front gets an 8MP item paired to a f2.2 fixed hyperfocal lens and it, too, is 4K, 1080, and 720p120 capable.
Other details include a four-mic setup with noise cancellation and beam forming, a 3,040 mAh battery with fast change support, 4G LTE radio, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO, Near-field Communication (NFC), GPS and GLONASS, and the usual serving of sensors like proximity and ambient light sensor and whatnot. PH-1 also comes standard with a fingerprint sensor which is located on the back. Speaking of the back, it is also home a “magnetic connector” that will allow compatible accessories, such as Essential’s very own 360-degree camera, to be attached to the phone and it also affords charging of the device when placed on an Essential Phone Dock.
And oh, did we mention it lacks of a headphone jack? A disturbing trend which we hope never propagate further. Anywho, it comes with a dongle though, if you wish to use the good’ol 3.5mm connector-equipped headphones. Available in a choice of four colorways: black moon, stellar grey, pure white and ocean depths, Essential PH-1 Android Smartphone is set to be released later this year, priced at $699. If you are eager, you can reserve a unit on Essential’s website.
Images: Essential Phone.
Essential Phone via Bless This Stuff.
