Essential Phone

Anyone interested in this?

Essential PH-1




Specs:
dimensions: 141.5 x 71.1 x 7.8 mm (5.57 x 2.80 x 0.31 in)
cpu: Snapdragon 835
screen: 5.71 inches (~84.9% screen-to-body ratio)
resolution: 1312 x 2560 pixels (~504 ppi pixel density)
storage: 128 GB, 4 GB RAM
camera: Dual 13 MP, f/1.9
OS: Android 7.1
USB C charging
battery: 3040 mAh

Full specs here: gsmarena

Spoiler: Photos

Notable info:
- created by Android founder Andy Rubin
- unlocked for all networks
- Made of Titanium and Ceramic
- dual 13 MP cameras, one color, one monochrome. Algorithm blended for superior color.
- 'pure' android, no bloatware.
- not waterproof, no sd slot, no headphone jack.
- optional magnetic 360° camera. UHD (3840 x 1920) at 30fps
- optional magnetic charging dock.
- built in magnetic 60ghz, 6gbps wireless USB port for future accessories.
- 4 microphones

www.essential.com

 

No thank you, I'd rather have the Samsung J3 Pro or J7 Pro as a budget phone:

 

I can't imagine @Phoenix using a budget phone.

 

I want to see real reviews posted first.

 

I can - he would probably change them every month instead of every couple of months

But man, phones become expensive. I've bought my laptop for 1100 Euros, and build my PC (with everything) for 1200. This phone costs 749 bucks...

 

The iPhone 8 is rumored to be $1000.

 

IPhone might even be Over USD 1000 for the ones with more storage.

 

Not interested in an expensive phone from an unproven OEM that might not be around six months after purchase. And then there's the missing chunk of screen at the top center. No thanks.

 

You mean the chunk that the iPhone8 and Sharp Aquos S2 also have?

Spoiler

</sarcasm>

I'm really hoping this phone turns out well. I need something new with a good camera and I don't want a 6" phone, but something bigger than 5". I was also ready to jump ship and leave sprint but they now offer free texting and 3g data in 165 countries which works well for my travels.

 

If the iPhone 8 is missing that chunk like some sites are speculating, then yes, it's bad there too. And yes, same criticism of the Sharp.

Just because Essential isn't literally the only company doing X didn't mean I can't criticize them for doing X. I think cutting it a chunk of screen to reduce the top bezel by a few mm is bad.

 

Its a beautiful looking phone in the green/gold color. But like others, Until the company is in business for awhile I am staying away. The new iPhone has my wife's and my name on them. We are really still enjoying our 6s. I have been trying other devices, but the iPhone is the best for us. KeyOne is awesome, U11 is awesome, but the smooth flow and polish of the iPhone is just BETTER.

 

Meh, personal preference. I keep trying to talk myself into iOS because of the security update situation, but the inability of various third-party apps to play nicely with each other drives me up the wall. The extreme sand boxing of app data is good for security but can be onerous when I know what I want to do and the iOS device just won't do it. For example, I emailed myself pictures (to my Gmail account) that I wanted to upload via Chrome to Shutterfly to use on an anniversary gift that I was working on on Shutterfly. I simply could not get Chrome to recognize downloads from Gmail as available uploads. This same process on my phone (S7 Edge) was easy as pie.

As for smoothness, the non-Plus iPhone has been blazing fast from what I've seen, but I've seen just as many microstutters on iPads and Plus-sized iPhone as on my S7 Edge. I wonder how much of the iPhone's legendary smoothness is really about the OS and how much is about the relatively low resolution of the non-Plus iPhone when compared to 1440p Android competitors.

 

Well, All I know, is I have NO issues doing ANYTHING on my iPhone. For the most part I do not use google services. I don't use chrome, I don't use gmail etc...so that's a non issue. I have put the 7 plus next to the galaxy 8+ and the iPhone was noticeably smoother in its function and faster as well.

 

So...why are you even considering moving away from the iPhone and to Android? I've never had a single OS where I personally felt that way (and I've owned Windows PCs, Macs, a Chromebook, Windows Phone, iPads, and several Android phones) and if I did, I wouldn't voluntarily leave it!

 

I am not leaving . I will always have my iPhone as my daily driver. I buy other devices to play with. it's a sickness. As I mentioned before elsewhere, on my desk right now, there is my dell 2 in 1, acer 7720, acer s3, dell 11 3000 2 in 1, keyone, galaxy note, 2 iPhone 6s, a Lumia 950xl a MacBook air, and an old MacBook white running Linux mint. Oh, also 2 asus vivotab RT LTE's, an ipad air 2 and a lepan mini tablet. Soon to arrive is a U11, something from asus, a 3 zoom I think, and a mi mix.

As you can see....I use everything.

 

No branding and no bloat out of the box. Why can't other companies follow this design?

 

Agreed. Another reason I like apple. NO BLOAT. This essential phone is a nice phone for sure.

 

Unless you count U2's Songs of Innocence as bloat ;-)

It took me about 30 seconds to uninstall or disable the third-party software I didn't want from my S7 Edge. Maybe it's "the principle of the thing" for some, but as a practical matter the third-party preinstalled software really isn't hard to deal with.

 

I like U2 so no big deal...But I mean carrier bloat more than anything.....I hardly count songs as bloat. I mean...I turn on a Samsung device and first thing that splashes across the screen is TELUS....not Samsung. NO THANKS.

 

A company inserting music into your music mixes that you didn't ask for is "no big deal" but the exact language displayed on a boot up screen is "NO THANKS"? I don't follow.

 

IDK, there are some Android phones which have no bloat, i.e. I toyed with an idea of replacing my Q10 with either Moto G5 Plus or Nokia 6, and they come with no bloat.

 

Its not just the boot up screen its, the apps you cannot remove...its the carrier bloatware you cannot remove....I am not talking about rooting etc, I mean when you buy the phone there is a ton of **** on it, big deal an album is loaded on my iPhone. I can remove it ooooorrrrrrr, if I like u2 I got a free album from them....totally not in the same realm of "bloat".

 

Every single carrier app on my S7 Edge can be (and was) either uninstalled or disabled with just a long press on the app icon. Super easy, super quick, no harder than removing an album from your iTunes library. Do you have carrier apps on a recent Samsung flagship where that isn't the case? What phone and what apps?

As for Samsung's first-party apps, you can't uninstall the "internet" browser from a Galaxy phone even if you just use Chrome. But you can't uninstall Safari from an iPhone even if you just use Chrome. Tie.

 

AT&T doesn't allow that. That's why I'm using the U-software. A good chunk of AT&T's apps are permanently active. Also, CarrierIQ... that can't be disabled. Also, if you have a Verizon branded Samsung Galaxy device, it's running a TON of stuff you will never see, and since they're bootloader locked and under DMVerity hash, you're likely to never be able to change them.

Also, on an iPhone, Safari is at the root of the OS, so uninstalling it would be like deleting the icon. Apple doesn't, and will not EVER, support 3rd party webview API's. Every app or service that calls on webview will be rendered by Safari regardless if the icon is on the springboard or not. Same for Android. All system webview calls will be handled by the default system renderer: Chrome API.

 

Damn, it's a flop.

Spoiler

unless they seriously fix the camera app and add more features to it.

 

They have sold 5000 units since release. more like off a cliff than a flop.

 

does not seem like a big hit to me.

 

Based on the Pixel 2 leaks, I can't think of a single reason to get this over them if you're into vanilla Android, and an LG V30 or Galaxy S8 if you're not.

 

I had a chance to handle the essential phone in-store and it felt really super-premium. The full screen apps felt really immersive. I can only imagine when the iPhone X comes out with the similar full-screen experience it's going to be their best selling phone ever.

 

Has anyone read anything about when colors other than black moon and pure white will be available? I saw that stellar grey will be available before the ocean depths color but no timeline was provided.

 

pretty awesome deal on the essential phone at sprint.

https://slickdeals.net/f/10772655-sprint-essential-phone-5-m-with-flex-lease

tldr;
upgrade your phone (or add a line or new account) on sprint.
choose the essential phone for $25 on an 18 month flex lease @ $5 / month.
(order online to waive the $30 activation fee)(may pickup in store).
optional: after receiving phone, call sprint and ask to payoff lease. fee=$30
total price = $25 + $90 lease price + $30 early lease termination fee + tax = $157 out the door.

Spoiler

figures this deal came out 1 day after I bought my V30+
sure i could return the v30, but meh, i'm liking it.

 

I’m taking back anything negative I have said about this phone. I am getting one right after Christmas. It’s very very nice.

 

Good for you, my friend has one and it is great!

 

I don't think that deal works anymore. Now if you terminate the lease you must pay the difference of what you have paid for the lease from the original price of 699.

 

I get the essential free with upgr2de at Telus.

 

I wonder if you rather should go for Zanco Tiny T1

 

Anyone here with the essential yet?