Essential Phone: Android co-founder’s new phone revealed

Andy Rubin has been teasing a new phone for a while now, but the Android co-founder has finally taken the covers off the Essential Phone.

The new phone seems to tick all the boxes for a 2017 flagship, namely a Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a sharp display (2560×1312, but it’s unclear if LCD or AMOLED), a 3040mAh battery and a fingerprint scanner on the back. The phone also packs four microphones, which could result in great audio recording credentials.

Speaking of audio, the company has removed the earphone jack, in a rather dick move. Instead, it’s sticking with USB Type C, as is the case with the Moto Z, LeEco and latest HTC handsets. There is however an adapter in the box.

As for photography, Essential has opted for a dual-camera setup, copying Huawei by using a monochrome shooter and colour camera. Diving deeper into the actual camera specs, you’re looking at f/1.85 aperture for both cameras, as well as 4K video recording, 1080p/60fps recording and 120fps slow-motion at 720p.

The Essential Phone wraps Huawei and Lenovo-style features into a durable frame

Selfie addicts will like the inclusion of an 8MP front-facing shooter, delivering the same video resolution/framerate options as the main camera setup.

The new handset also copies Lenovo/Motorola by delivering magnetic connector pins on the back for hardware accessories. The first accessory is a 360 camera (RRP of US$199), using two 12MP f/1.8 aperture sensors to create the 360 degree image. The camera also packs four microphones and 4K/30fps video recording.

Essential has also made a big deal out of the phone’s durability, using a titanium body (instead of aluminium), ceramic back and Gorilla Glass 5 screen protection.

The Essential Phone costs US$699, or US$749 for the phone with the 360 camera accessory. The phone is only shipping to the US for now.