Andy Rubin, the Co-Founder of Android who left Google in 2014, has finally launched his first ever smartphone named ‘Essential Phone’. Yes, his brand is Essential Products Inc. This is not only a powerhouse from inside but a true craftsmanship from outside as well. After teasing it several times, the phone is now officially announced at the price of $699.
Packed inside a Titanium and Ceramic body, the phone not only offers premium look but it also sport a 5.7 inch QHD display with almost zero bezel. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and offers 2560 x 1312 resolution. Running on Android operating system the phone is powered by 2.45GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa core (Quad + 1.9GHz Quad) processor teamed up with 4GB of RAM. It carries 128GB onboard storage memory as well.
The main highlight of Essential Phone is its modular camera features. That’s correct. This can be called the world’s smallest 360° personal camera phone. You can attach a 360 degree camera using magnetic connector of the phone. It can record Ultra HD 3840 x 1920 videos at 30fps. The company is offering this 360° Camera at additional price of $50 along with a Dock for the phone. Both these accessories can be connected small metal pogo pins as you can see at the rear facing.
Under the hood, Essential Phone carries a 13 Megapixel Dual camera (RGB + Mono) with image fusion technology and a 13 Megapixel True Monochrome mode f/1.85 lens. You can record up to 4K Ultra HD videos at 30fps, Full HD 1080p videos at 60fps and HD 720p at 120fps. For Selfie fans, there’s an 8 Megapixel shooter with 16:9 aspect ratio f/2.20 fixed hyperfocal lens. This camera also records 4K videos at 30fps, Full HD 1080p at 60fps and HD 720p at 120fps.
There is also a Fingerprint sensor adding extra security layer to the device. As per connectivity, Essential Phone supports all major connectivity options such as Bluetooth 5.0,WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO, NFC, GPS and GLONASS, and USB Type C. It is backed up with 3,040 mAh battery supporting fast charging.
The Essential phone is up for Pre-order at its official website at the said price of $699 + $50 for 360° Camera. Users can buy one for them in Black Moon, Stellar Grey, Ocean Depths and Pure White colors.