Any Interest In Rubin's Essential Phone?

[widgeteer]

The company has posted a video taken with the 360 camera, and a few pics taken at night (the latter linked in the following article). Both results are bad to blah:

http://phandroid.com/2017/06/06/essential-phone-360-degree-video/

I'm hoping this is early software issues cause if they think *that* stuff makes it look good, the phone is in trouble.

 

[Tig Bitties]

For supposedly the hot brand new phone, this Essential is getting zero buzz so far.

Typically a brand new phone is all over the big YouTube channels, and headline news on all Android sites like AndroidCentral, AndroidPolice, etc... Yeah the Essential Phone was mentioned on those sites, but like one or two articles only, and really nothing since.

And the big YouTube tech channels haven't even discussed the phone yet, even if it's not released yet, they still discuss the buzz of a new upcoming release, and go to the preview announcement show, but nothing

 

[spinedoc77]

So this is pretty much vaporware right? I signed up to their preorder page, but there is no date for shipment at all. I read up and the only allusion to a release date is Rubin vaguely saying something like this summer. Seems like they are trying to gauge interest and maybe secure more funding, but really don't have anything concrete in place.

Plus it's still very vague if it will truly run vanilla android, and if so will OS updates have to go through Essential and how fast they would be. They seem woefully underfunded for such a project, much less supporting and updating the phones.

I wish some oem would just release a phone you can put vanilla android on, like you can buy a PC and put any OS on it.

 

[widgeteer]

For supposedly the hot brand new phone, this Essential is getting zero buzz so far.

Typically a brand new phone is all over the big YouTube channels, and headline news on all Android sites like AndroidCentral, AndroidPolice, etc... Yeah the Essential Phone was mentioned on those sites, but like one or two articles only, and really nothing since.

And the big YouTube tech channels haven't even discussed the phone yet, even if it's not released yet, they still discuss the buzz of a new upcoming release, and go to the preview announcement show, but nothing

I don't know what you consider "big Youtube tech channels" but the phone has had featured coverage on morning news networks. I've seen it discussed on most of the youtube tech channels I watch.

The reason there hasn't been any other chatter is because no one one has their hands on the phone yet, there is literally nothing to talk about other than Rubin's ReCode appearance.
[doublepost=1496761245][/doublepost]

So this is pretty much vaporware right? I signed up to their preorder page, but there is no date for shipment at all. I read up and the only allusion to a release date is Rubin vaguely saying something like this summer. Seems like they are trying to gauge interest and maybe secure more funding, but really don't have anything concrete in place.

Plus it's still very vague if it will truly run vanilla android, and if so will OS updates have to go through Essential and how fast they would be. They seem woefully underfunded for such a project, much less supporting and updating the phones.

I wish some oem would just release a phone you can put vanilla android on, like you can buy a PC and put any OS on it.

No, it's not quite vaporware. There is a phone, and it is close to release (unless Rubin was lying). He said within 30 days, so that would be June.

Until review units are out to critics though, it won't matter.

 

[raqball]

I reserved one in both white and black for now. I really want the Grey but it's not available at the moments for reservation...

 

[Zackmd1]

The company has posted a video taken with the 360 camera, and a few pics taken at night (the latter linked in the following article). Both results are bad to blah:

http://phandroid.com/2017/06/06/essential-phone-360-degree-video/

I'm hoping this is early software issues cause if they think *that* stuff makes it look good, the phone is in trouble.

My god... Both of those examples are terrible... I am pretty sure the original iPhone could have taken a better picture then that.

 

[symphara]

While I'm definitely interested in this phone and currently planning to get one, I'd also definitely wait for reviews and not rush into buying one. It's too expensive to gamble, and the camera samples look bad indeed.

By the way I contacted them to ask about the glossy vs matte finishes, and I was told only the grey is matte and the others are glossy. I was (perhaps mistakenly) under the impression that Rubin, during the interview, said the white one was matte, but apparently this is not so.

I don't think this phone is vaporware. We should start seeing reviews hopefully in a month or so.

 

[Technarchy]

Very interested but I'm also a recent S8 customer which takes me out the market.

 

[widgeteer]

Just got email confirmation of my reservation. Supposedly I receive another one (soon?) to pay. Hopefully this means shipping is around the corner.

I wonder if critics have them in hand yet.

 

[Zackmd1]

Just got email confirmation of my reservation. Supposedly I receive another one (soon?) to pay. Hopefully this means shipping is around the corner.

I wonder if critics have them in hand yet.

Interesting. I reserved one on day one as well and have not received a confirmation. Wonder if that will come today. Seems pretty fast considering no concrete date has been announced yet or even some clarifications on the phone itself. It would be nice if reviews came out before they asked us to pay.

 

[widgeteer]

Interesting. I reserved one on day one as well and have not received a confirmation. Wonder if that will come today. Seems pretty fast considering no concrete date has been announced yet or even some clarifications on the phone itself. It would be nice if reviews came out before they asked us to pay.

I've had the same thought but I'm sure they have a return policy same as anyone else. If it sucks, I'll send it back.

 

[Zackmd1]

Just received my confirmation for the pure white model. So it looks as though it is happening. Hopefully this also means reviewers have got their hands on one or at least are close to receiving them.

 

[jamezr]

Looks like Sprint to be the exclusive carrier of the Essential phone. Hate carrier exclusives.


https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech...-exclusive-carrier-essential-phone/102669726/

 

[rhinosrcool]

Looks like Sprint to be the exclusive carrier of the Essential phone. Hate carrier exclusives.


https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech...-exclusive-carrier-essential-phone/102669726/

Agreed. To me, Sprint is the last carrier I'd like an exclusive (a sprint/tmobile merger would change things?).

 

[Oohara]

Love it how they talk about how bad dongles are and then promptly include one in the box since their phone doesn't have a freaking headphone jack. That lack of consistency is not a good sign. Gonna go ahead and join the sceptics for this one.

 

[widgeteer]

Looks like Sprint to be the exclusive carrier of the Essential phone. Hate carrier exclusives.


https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech...-exclusive-carrier-essential-phone/102669726/

It'll be "exclusive" in the same way the HTC U11 is exclusive - Sprint will offer in stores and market it, but it can be bought unlocked and used on any carrier.

The plus is there will be a physical presence in a store where people can play with it, and some marketing behind it. The minus is if it's seen as a Sprint exclusive, that defeats the purpose of the plus I just mentioned.

Any way you cut it, this is going to be a niche device. The question is will it be "niche-no-one-cares" or "OnePlus-small-but-strong-fanbase".

I'm rooting for the latter. I think Rubin has a few tricks up his sleeve I'd like to get the chance to see with this company.

 

[jamezr]

It'll be "exclusive" in the same way the HTC U11 is exclusive - Sprint will offer in stores and market it, but it can be bought unlocked and used on any carrier.

The plus is there will be a physical presence in a store where people can play with it, and some marketing behind it. The minus is if it's seen as a Sprint exclusive, that defeats the purpose of the plus I just mentioned.

Any way you cut it, this is going to be a niche device. The question is will it be "niche-no-one-cares" or "OnePlus-small-but-strong-fanbase".

I'm rooting for the latter. I think Rubin has a few tricks up his sleeve I'd like to get the chance to see with this company.

Exclusives just hurt business and distribution. Look at the Pixel and Verizon. You could still buy the Pixel online through Google but not having it on all carriers hindered sales. But the point was moot when HTC could not keep up with demand.
I don't see that happening with the essential phone though. I don't think there will be a big demand for it. The features set and pricing and carrier exclusive will hold it back.

 

[widgeteer]

Exclusives just hurt business and distribution. Look at the Pixel and Verizon. You could still buy the Pixel online through Google but not having it on all carriers hindered sales. But the point was moot when HTC could not keep up with demand.
I don't see that happening with the essential phone though. I don't think there will be a big demand for it. The features set and pricing and carrier exclusive will hold it back.

I think a huge reason for the Pixel demand was the push of the biggest carrier in the US, quite frankly. Google threw a lot of advertising behind it as well.

This isn't really carrier exclusivity, it's carrier *marketing* exclusivity. Same as the Pixel. Difference is, as I stated, in one case you had the biggest carrier in the US backing the play, in Essential's case you have Sprint. Unless the Tmo/Sprint merger happens relatively soon, I think Essential is making a mistake.

Oh well. As long as the phone is cool, that's really all I care about. Not gonna lose any sleep over Andy Rubin not making a few million more.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Looks like Sprint to be the exclusive carrier of the Essential phone. Hate carrier exclusives.


https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech...-exclusive-carrier-essential-phone/102669726/

Hmm that's very interesting. Never expected Sprint to be the exclusive carrier for a cool phone like this. I would think someone open like T-Mobile, who has a history of unlocked bootloaders, etc... Actually I thought this phone wouldn't be on any carrier whatsoever.

 

[spinedoc77]

Hmm I wonder how locked down the Essential will be. I know Rubin says Sprint will sell a carrier unlocked one, and it should have all the radios for NA carriers, but I wonder if they will leave the bootloader unlocked for root and such. He really is pushing "choice" and that sounds like rooting to me.

Another big question mark remains, will it be fully vanilla Android and will that translate into updates as fast as the Pixel gets them? Or will there be some customizations from Rubin, and/or Sprint making the updates contingent upon the oem and/or carrier? If it's the latter then I'm already walking away, especially if the pixel 2 ends up being nice.

 

[widgeteer]

Hmm I wonder how locked down the Essential will be. I know Rubin says Sprint will sell a carrier unlocked one, and it should have all the radios for NA carriers, but I wonder if they will leave the bootloader unlocked for root and such. He really is pushing "choice" and that sounds like rooting to me.

Another big question mark remains, will it be fully vanilla Android and will that translate into updates as fast as the Pixel gets them? Or will there be some customizations from Rubin, and/or Sprint making the updates contingent upon the oem and/or carrier? If it's the latter then I'm already walking away, especially if the pixel 2 ends up being nice.

The Pixel 2 will end up being nice.

My guess is the phone will be vanilla with some tweaks. Updates are another story. Who knows. Most OEM's suck with updates so I personally don't tend to worry about it.

 

[symphara]

Hmm I wonder how locked down the Essential will be. I know Rubin says Sprint will sell a carrier unlocked one, and it should have all the radios for NA carriers, but I wonder if they will leave the bootloader unlocked for root and such. He really is pushing "choice" and that sounds like rooting to me.

Another big question mark remains, will it be fully vanilla Android and will that translate into updates as fast as the Pixel gets them? Or will there be some customizations from Rubin, and/or Sprint making the updates contingent upon the oem and/or carrier? If it's the latter then I'm already walking away, especially if the pixel 2 ends up being nice.

Fully vanilla, I doubt it. It has to handle that funky camera cutout at the very least. They might want to put on their "Ambient" stuff as well.

In any case, I'm really excited about the second half of 2017. Between the Essential, Pixel 2, Note 8, iPhone 8, Mate 10, OnePlus 5, there's just going to be incredible choice out there. And I will get one of these - the Essential looks most appealing right now but I need to see the reviews.

 

[spinedoc77]

Fully vanilla, I doubt it. It has to handle that funky camera cutout at the very least. They might want to put on their "Ambient" stuff as well.

In any case, I'm really excited about the second half of 2017. Between the Essential, Pixel 2, Note 8, iPhone 8, Mate 10, OnePlus 5, there's just going to be incredible choice out there. And I will get one of these - the Essential looks most appealing right now but I need to see the reviews.

That's what I figured. If it's not vanilla Android then I'm out. I can just buy a S8, G6 or any other well established phone/oem and deal with the same delayed OS BS. The Pixel 2 is looking better and better, can't wait for it to be unveiled.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Sprint only ? Ugh. Who the heck is still on Sprint ? They freaking blow.

Put it on all four carriers, or none of the carriers. But exclusive deals suck. And exclusive deals on the worst carrier with the least amount of subscribers = Insta fail.

 

[symphara]

Sprint only ? Ugh. Who the heck is still on Sprint ? They freaking blow.

Put it on all four carriers, or none of the carriers. But exclusive deals suck. And exclusive deals on the worst carrier with the least amount of subscribers = Insta fail.

I think it's good for potential customers to have at least one option where they can see the device for real, so it's great they got one carrier to go with it. Otherwise if you're on a different network you can always just order it unlocked directly from Essential. They have confirmed it will work on all networks.

If you cannot afford an outright $699, in my opinion you probably shouldn't pay for it in installments either.