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Tig Bitties

macrumors 603
Sep 6, 2012
5,517
5,692
Big difference between Essential's phone and the OnePlus phones. Same specs but half the price for the OP, and it also runs a stock Android type OS.
 

Wildo6882

macrumors 6502a
Sep 12, 2015
522
561
Illinois
Why do people freak out about a number when it comes to the size of the battery? Good lord, Henny Penny, the sky isn't falling. iPhones have tiny batteries by comparison and still get great battery life. Everything I've seen in the reviews of the HTC U11 with a 3000 mAh battery show all day and then some. Can't we just see how the phone works before freaking out? I don't care if it has a 1200 mAh battery if it lasts me from 7am to 11pm.
 

symphara

macrumors 6502a
Nov 21, 2013
670
649
The Essential certainly looks interesting. It has the LTE bands I want, the fingerprint sensor on the back, which is great, the colour/monochrome camera arrangement is very interesting - it worked for Huawei. Titanium and ceramic is a classy combination.

If the camera is actually good I will probably buy one. It looks much more interesting than OnePlus 5, and the Note 8 would have to be crazy special to make me overlook its Samsungness.
 

widgeteer

Suspended
Original poster
Jun 12, 2016
1,565
4,610
Big difference between Essential's phone and the OnePlus phones. Same specs but half the price for the OP, and it also runs a stock Android type OS.

Can OP run on VZW?
[doublepost=1496160066][/doublepost]
But..... it's just another Android phone. Lol I don't get it

Correct, which is why I dunno if it has a shot in the marketplace. *I'm* incredibly interested because I'm a dork for this stuff but I don't see anything about the phone that would inspire the average consumer to opt for it vs the S8 or G6 if they were shopping for something.

I think the key might be whether it's available in stores with carrier support behind it. Being able to handle the phone, see its build quality, might sway someone. I would tend to doubt it will be available in stores as the whole point of the phone is to be unshackled from bloat, and if carriers can't wedge their junk on a phone they ain't interested. Pixel and iPhone notwithstanding.
 
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tbayrgs

macrumors 604
Jul 5, 2009
7,467
5,097
Big difference between Essential's phone and the OnePlus phones. Same specs but half the price for the OP, and it also runs a stock Android type OS.

Except rumors are the OnePlus 5 will be signficantly higher in price than past OP models---some rumors have it as high as $650. Considering the OP 3T costs $439 for 64GB, if I had to guess, I'd bet it's closer to $500. Regardless, while cheaper yes, it's going to be far from 1/2 the price. And I'll also wager it doesn't have anything close to the tiny bezels found on the Essential.

If I was in the market for an Android phone, I'd personally take a long hard look at this. I find the design pretty damn attractive, no curved edges yet maximum display to device size, dual cameras and it's quite a bit cheaper than the Pixel. I'd still personally choose a phone from Android's 'father' than a Samsung (or any other third party OEM for that matter) simply based on my preference for stock Android and software support. However, considering we're likely only about 4 months away from the next Pixel, I'd probably sit tight for now.
 
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widgeteer

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Jun 12, 2016
1,565
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As into this phone as I am I have two questions:

  • Is it water resistant? I'm starting to think it's not because I don't see that listed anywhere on the site, hopefully I just missed it.
  • Customer support. I don't often have to use a company's CS but when I do, if it's good, that's sometimes worth the premium. If it's crap, it doesn't matter how good the phone is.
 

noobinator

macrumors 604
Jun 19, 2009
7,335
6,998
Los Angeles, CA
As into this phone as I am I have two questions:

  • Is it water resistant? I'm starting to think it's not because I don't see that listed anywhere on the site, hopefully I just missed it.
  • Customer support. I don't often have to use a company's CS but when I do, if it's good, that's sometimes worth the premium. If it's crap, it doesn't matter how good the phone is.

Not water resistant.

That one is up in the air obviously but I'd imagine it'd be similar to other startups like NextBit etc. Not clue how they were at CS.
 

widgeteer

Suspended
Original poster
Jun 12, 2016
1,565
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Not water resistant.

That one is up in the air obviously but I'd imagine it'd be similar to other startups like NextBit etc. Not clue how they were at CS.

Is the no water resistance confirmed? Kind of a bummer but not a deal breaker for me. Pixel was my favorite phone last year into this one and I didn't care. Much.
 

willmtaylor

macrumors G4
Oct 31, 2009
10,314
8,198
Here(-ish)
Ah. They're probably right. As I said, I can't find it mentioned anywhere on the site so would seem to answer the question. Kind of surprising any phone at that price would launch without water resistance in 2017.
The stumbling block for most folks I've read isn't the IP rating, but rather the lack of headphone jack and lack of expandable storage.
 

noobinator

macrumors 604
Jun 19, 2009
7,335
6,998
Los Angeles, CA
The stumbling block for most folks I've read isn't the IP rating, but rather the lack of headphone jack and lack of expandable storage.

Don't forget no wireless charging either. Not a huge deal, but Samsungs have it and so will iPhone (eventually). The phone is pretty but not too essential for me. :D
 

willmtaylor

macrumors G4
Oct 31, 2009
10,314
8,198
Here(-ish)
Don't forget no wireless charging either. Not a huge deal, but Samsungs have it and so will iPhone (eventually). The phone is pretty but not too essential for me. :D
With the exception of the camera, I agree about the aesthetics. However, I do think this year's iPhones will have a similar design aesthetic as well.
 

widgeteer

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Jun 12, 2016
1,565
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The stumbling block for most folks I've read isn't the IP rating, but rather the lack of headphone jack and lack of expandable storage.

Headphone jack, I can understand. Expandable storage, meh. 128gb is way more than enough for *most* folks. The days of keeping too much media on phones is going away anyhow. That's not to say someone will insist they do need it, I'm sure they do. I don't think it's a barrier to entry for the majority of consumers.

Headphone jack: I have an iPhone 7+ and yeah, it's a pain in the ass. There have been times when I've needed to make a call and charge my phone and realized WHOOPS! My car doesn't do streaming media so if I've wanted to use an aux cable - again, SOL.
 

widgeteer

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Jun 12, 2016
1,565
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Just caught this on the website:

Docking station for
the Essential Phone
Magnetic
connector
Your phone is an essential part of your daily life. And like you, it needs to lie down and recharge sometimes. With our unique Click cordless connector, your phone can quickly recharge while always being at-the-ready for when you need it.

Soooo...cordless charging via...MAGNETS? I am intrigued.
 
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tbayrgs

macrumors 604
Jul 5, 2009
7,467
5,097
Just caught this on the website:

Docking station for
the Essential Phone
Magnetic
connector
Your phone is an essential part of your daily life. And like you, it needs to lie down and recharge sometimes. With our unique Click cordless connector, your phone can quickly recharge while always being at-the-ready for when you need it.

Soooo...cordless charging via...MAGNETS? I am intrigued.

I believe it charges via a dock with pogo pins, a la the old Sony Xperia phones.
 

slitherjef

macrumors 65816
Feb 8, 2012
1,402
1,189
Earth
Sigh... Yet another Android phone in an already oversaturated market. It's to the point where handset manufacturers are trying to differentiate themselves with accessories and gimmicks instead of refining the software, batteries and user experience.

What will this phone do that the others don't already? Run Android on a slightly updated soc?
 

widgeteer

Suspended
Original poster
Jun 12, 2016
1,565
4,610
Sigh... Yet another Android phone in an already oversaturated market. It's to the point where handset manufacturers are trying to differentiate themselves with accessories and gimmicks instead of refining the software, batteries and user experience.

What will this phone do that the others don't already? Run Android on a slightly updated soc?

Wha? That's precisely what their claiming to do - offer a better software and user experience.
[doublepost=1496186240][/doublepost]Carriers confirm the phone will work on their network. Verizon confirms, as usual, that it is a jerk and loathes anything that comes from an open market:

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbre...hone-verizon-att-tmobile-sprint-compatibility
 
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