Probably covered here already but found it interesting that according to Gsmarena, the Essential Phone and IPx are very close in physical dimensions.
As for the Essential, my carrier store in Canada didn’t have it yet today like they were suppose to, so I could try it out, and like the above review, I am betting I’d be exactly in the same boat; loving the ultra premium hardware, the simplicity of the design, and the uniqueness and exclusivity of the phone...and of course the size. I can get past the lack of IP68, and of wireless charging. Changing camera apps appears to do the trick with the camera, but still not a top class photo taker...I can maybe be ok with that. I’m not a fan of pure pure Android, but if it was ultrafast and bulletproof I could get on board, but in the above review it’s missing touches all over the place, and that’s unforgivable.
Add it all up and at the price, there’s no way to justify all those shortcomings along with buggy software, never mind the unknown with a new company and support.
But the size, materials and exclusivity will still have me interested,more so again when I get to play around with one. I’d say wait for the second version, but that’s assuming there will be one, and my guess is if there is, the premium materials used in this one will be downgraded as part of the changes for the second version.
If nothing else, the physical size has me interested, as reviewers say it feels perfect in the hand.A and that the IPx has the same dimensions. Having a Note 5 the last two years I’ve wanted something smaller. Flirted with the IP7 for a couple weeks, and have an IPad Pro so the ecosystem change wouldn’t be a big change, but there are a lot of things I like in Googles ecosystem as well. And now the IPx/Essential may be that perfect size. The V30 is right up there as a phone that checks all boxes, and a touch smaller than the Note 5.
If money was no object I’d get the IPx for the Oled, the Apple ecosystem, and the sweet spot size, and a Note 8 as a second phone/line for when I want the full big screen experience. Money is an object if you’re outright buying two top end phones, so it’s a matter of which compromises I make.
Tuesday may help finalize that decision, but however it goes, as much as I’d like it to work, I just don’t see the Essential besting the Note 8,or V30, or even the S8 (size) on the Android side as my main phone nor the Note 5 (which is still an admirable beast after two full years, minus battery life) as my secondary Android Phone if I make the switch to IPhoneX as my daily driver.
And charging flagship pricing for more of a OnePlus 5 type phone. 