Any Interest In Rubin's Essential Phone?

[widgeteer]

I do too. I do like the screen to body ratio and IMO, they did it better than Samsung. I don't have to worry about edge false touches on this phone like I do my S8. Sometimes just picking up my S8, I launch random apps because the side of my finger will touch the edge. With how the essential was built (thickness and use of materials) and a very tiny bezel all around, it actually works a lot better in that sense. They just need to iron out some of the other shortcomings... and work on their customer relations.

Huh. I can't think of one time I've gotten false touches on my S8 Plus.

In any event, I still love the look and idea of this phone: a premium handset with stock Android. I'm a buyer of the Essential 2 if they get their CS straightened out and fix the camera.

 

[co.ag.2005]

Huh. I can't think of one time I've gotten false touches on my S8 Plus.

In any event, I still love the look and idea of this phone: a premium handset with stock Android. I'm a buyer of the Essential 2 if they get their CS straightened out and fix the camera.

I wouldn't call them false touches, per se. Let's say my S8 is on my wireless charging stand at work and the screen is open/unlocked. If I reach over and grab it, sometimes the edge of one of my fingers will touch the edge and launch an app whose icon is barely on that edge. It happens more times than I'd like, but it's not a deal breaker.

 

[Zackmd1]

I wouldn't call them false touches, per se. Let's say my S8 is on my wireless charging stand at work and the screen is open/unlocked. If I reach over and grab it, sometimes the edge of one of my fingers will touch the edge and launch an app whose icon is barely on that edge. It happens more times than I'd like, but it's not a deal breaker.

I get this as well... With my S8 I am constantly launching either the dialer or Google maps because they are on the far left of my screen. When picking up the device my fingers seem to always wrap around the display enough to tap one of these two icons. Just as you stated, not a deal breaker but it is annoying. Curved screens are cool to look at but I am not convinced of their utility yet.
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But to be honest the solution to use alternative camera apps does not bring the picture quality to flagship levels. it just brings up to passable levels. At $700 it is priced at a flagship level...same at the HTC U11 ($650) with a great camera.
I have seen the pics people are posting on the AC Essential threads. They are not very good.

Personally I think the pictures with gcam look excellent but that's just my opinion... if I purchase the white model I will most certainly be using gcam as my primary camera app. I couldn't care less about the mono sensor if good quality pictures are possible from the rgb sensor only.

 

[widgeteer]

I wouldn't call them false touches, per se. Let's say my S8 is on my wireless charging stand at work and the screen is open/unlocked. If I reach over and grab it, sometimes the edge of one of my fingers will touch the edge and launch an app whose icon is barely on that edge. It happens more times than I'd like, but it's not a deal breaker.

I hear you, I have the same set up in my office however my phone is locked so that probably is why. I was really happy when they got rid of capacitive buttons because I used to false touch the hell out of those.

 

[co.ag.2005]

I hear you, I have the same set up in my office however my phone is locked so that probably is why. I was really happy when they got rid of capacitive buttons because I used to false touch the hell out of those.

I agree with that! when I had my S6 and Note 5, handing my phone off to a friend or family member to look at something meant the back button or recents button always got pressed in the hand off!

 

[Fernandez21]

Stopped by the house real quick, and wow really love the hardware. Feels great. Not much time, have to run back out, but check out this picture of it next to my 4.7” iPhone 7.

Also, for those wondering, hd calling on AT&T works, doesn’t look like WiFi calling does, but didn’t have much time to check.

 

[Zackmd1]

Stopped by the house real quick, and wow really love the hardware. Feels great. Not much time, have to run back out, but check out this picture of it next to my 4.7” iPhone 7.

Also, for those wondering, hd calling on AT&T works, doesn’t look like WiFi calling does, but didn’t have much time to check.

The phone looks excellent and is amazing to see a screen much larger then iPhone in roughly the same footprint. How is the LCD quality in terms of colors and contrast? Any light bleed present?

 

[jamezr]

Essential Phone: 24 Hours Later, Some Initial Thoughts


"I tried to add to my burger picture collection yesterday and had to restart the camera app 3 separate times because it just stopped taking pictures. I was tapping and tapping and tapping the shutter button, and it just didn’t want to do anything."


http://www.droid-life.com/2017/09/01/essential-phone-24-hours-later-initial-thoughts/

 

[MRU]

Essential Phone: 24 Hours Later, Some Initial Thoughts


"I tried to add to my burger picture collection yesterday and had to restart the camera app 3 separate times because it just stopped taking pictures. I was tapping and tapping and tapping the shutter button, and it just didn’t want to do anything."


http://www.droid-life.com/2017/09/01/essential-phone-24-hours-later-initial-thoughts/

When it's the 'sole' app you have included in stock android yourself, you would think you would get it right.

If you can't get 1 app, I emphasise just 1 app, not a full skinned OS, no multiple custom stock apps, no launcher or gui or anything else, just 1 rudimentary but 'essential' camera app....

if you can't get that right before launching your device - it's worrisome indeed.

 

[jamezr]

When it's the 'sole' app you have included in stock android yourself, you would think you would get it right.

If you can't get 1 app, I emphasise just 1 app, not a full skinned OS, no multiple custom stock apps, no launcher or gui or anything else, just 1 rudimentary but 'essential' camera app....

if you can't get that right before launching your device - it's worrisome indeed.

It gets even worse through the rest of the article



"The camera is also painfully slow at times. I was taking macros of some plants around my house yesterday with the sun peaking through a tree in the background and thought I had taken 5 or 6 photos. As it turns out, I took 3, 1 of which was of the blurry ground. In its current form, the camera app on this phone is unacceptable and that’s apparently after multiple updates."

http://www.droid-life.com/2017/09/01/essential-phone-24-hours-later-initial-thoughts/

 

[co.ag.2005]

It gets even worse through the rest of the article



"The camera is also painfully slow at times. I was taking macros of some plants around my house yesterday with the sun peaking through a tree in the background and thought I had taken 5 or 6 photos. As it turns out, I took 3, 1 of which was of the blurry ground. In its current form, the camera app on this phone is unacceptable and that’s apparently after multiple updates."

http://www.droid-life.com/2017/09/01/essential-phone-24-hours-later-initial-thoughts/

The good news is the Google ported camera is fast. But shouldn't have to use another camera APK on a $700 phone

 

[Fernandez21]

The phone looks excellent and is amazing to see a screen much larger then iPhone in roughly the same footprint. How is the LCD quality in terms of colors and contrast? Any light bleed present?

The LCD is good, not as good as my iPhone 7, but is seems like a higher resolution version of the one in my 6S. No light bleeds, even lighting, fairly black blacks, and very sharp.

 

[Fernandez21]

Camera also seems fine to me. Here are some shots I just took on a roof where I'm working. It just rained here and the sun is going down.

 

[Zackmd1]

Camera also seems fine to me. Here are some shots I just took on a roof where I'm working. It just rained here and the sun is going down.

Photos look decent to me as well. Stock camera app I am assuming? Plan to install the gcam or are you sticking with the stock app? I am really curious as to what happens with video stabilization when using gcam.

 

[widgeteer]

I'm surprised to hear about the touch issues. As a stock phone it has very little margin of error for any software issues. Its differentiation needs to be through a seamless Android experience.

 

[TouchedByAl]

Have demo units been setup at any Best Buy or Sprint stores?

 

[AppleRobert]

Have demo units been setup at any Best Buy or Sprint stores?

Not in either place when I checked in my area yesterday. Thank goodness every place is so close to me when I shop that I do not waste lots of time for anything I am interested in.

 

[lowendlinux]

Amazon used to say shipping 1 September so I went yesterday to look and now Amazon is saying 8 September

 

[Moneoa]

This phone, as I’ve said before is nothing more than a bezel less Android phone with a gimmicky 360 camera.

The s8 has an amazing camera and that same bezel less beautiful edge to edge look. The essential handset was so hyped as to make one expect it was revolutionary but it’s not.

If the team at essential can’t make stand out features for this phone it will never gain traction above niche status. The modules are a gimmick, pure and simple that are over priced and a money grab.

Moto mods anyone?

 

[jamesrick80]

Camera also seems fine to me. Here are some shots I just took on a roof where I'm working. It just rained here and the sun is going down.

Those photos look horrendous...sorry but they just do.

 

[MRU]

Those photos look horrendous...sorry but they just do.

They are likely heavily compressed via Tapatalk

 

[symphara]

This phone, as I’ve said before is nothing more than a bezel less Android phone with a gimmicky 360 camera.

The s8 has an amazing camera and that same bezel less beautiful edge to edge look. The essential handset was so hyped as to make one expect it was revolutionary but it’s not.

If the team at essential can’t make stand out features for this phone it will never gain traction above niche status. The modules are a gimmick, pure and simple that are over priced and a money grab.

Moto mods anyone?

Didn't you say before this phone is vaporware? Several times, in fact? You sound like you have an axe to grind.

 

[Michael Goff]

They are likely heavily compressed via Tapatalk

They might be, but I'm skeptical because the best I hear is that the pictures are "alright in good light".

 

[jamezr]

They might be, but I'm skeptical because the best I hear is that the pictures are "alright in good light".

I have seen several posters on different forums post pictures from the PH1 and they are passable with the Google camera app. But even the first adopters with their new device enthusiasm can't change the quality of the pictures. The camera is just bad. Every reviewer so far has said this..... I don't think essential has the wherewith all to make it better...or else they would have by now.

 

[Fernandez21]

Here are some more comparison shots between the essential and some of my other phones, truly awesome how large of screen they were able to fit in there.

HTC One M8, Essential, GS7

iPhone 7 (4.7”), Essential

Note 5, Essential

YouTube video size, Note 5 top, Essential middle, iPhone 7 bottom

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Those photos look horrendous...sorry but they just do.

Uploaded these to flickr. Camera not as good as my iPhone 7 or GS7, but it seems fine. Not bad enough to be a deal breaker for me.
IMG_20170901_193701 by Fernando Fernandez, on Flickr
IMG_20170901_193651 by Fernando Fernandez, on Flickr
IMG_20170901_193647 by Fernando Fernandez, on Flickr
IMG_20170901_194015 by Fernando Fernandez, on Flickr
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I'm surprised to hear about the touch issues. As a stock phone it has very little margin of error for any software issues. Its differentiation needs to be through a seamless Android experience.

Yeah, Ive had that. It just randomly happens then goes away. Ive also had this weird thing happen where it'll register my taps 2 spaces down, so if i click the top link it register me tapping the 3rd link. These weird glitches are temporary and fix themselves after a little bit.
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Photos look decent to me as well. Stock camera app I am assuming? Plan to install the gcam or are you sticking with the stock app? I am really curious as to what happens with video stabilization when using gcam.

Stock camera app, all shots set to auto and just quick shots i took while i was up there. I was planning on installing the google camera, but for now it seems the stock camera is good enough for me, haven't run into any of the freezing issues others have mentioned.

Benchmarks for those that are curious.