We all knew that Android co-founder, Andy Rubin, has been hard at work on a smartphone. Now it is official and the Essential Phone PH-1 has been unveiled. It is a very interesting smartphone too.
It isn’t the 5.7-inch display or Snapdragon 835 processor that sets it apart though. The Essential Phone PH-1 is special because it has an edge-to-edge display, titanium frame, supports 24 LTE bands, stereo speakers, and a magnetic connector for snapping on accessories.
The Essential Phone will have a catalogue of accessories available for it – all of which can be snapped on. These accessories include: 360 camera and the Essential Phone Dock. Other accessories will be announced.
Andy says that he created Essential to solve the problem of how modern smartphone technology clutters the lives of users. It is interesting that an Android co-founder admits this glaring problem. It is impressive that he steps up to provide a solution. Andy’s words:
But the real reason is because of what happened during a night out with an old friend of mine. As the night went on we inevitably began talking about what we didn’t like about the current state of technology. Less and less choice. More and more unnecessary features cluttering our lives. An increasing sea of products that didn’t work with one another…
And just when I was about to drop another criticism it hit me: I am partly responsible for all of this.
For all the good Android has done to help bring technology to nearly everyone it has also helped create this weird new world where people are forced to fight with the very technology that was supposed to simplify their lives. Was this what we had intended? Was this the best we could do?
The question that we will have to wait to answer is this, How well does Essential Phone solve this problem? The phone runs Android, after all. Yes; it does, but Essential says it is with modifications. We have heard that before. The Essential Phone PH-1 has a tall order. This is a drool-worthy device, but given all that we know about it, it does not look like it will record widespread adoption. Have a look at the specifications below.
Essential Phone PH-1 Specs
Network and Software
- GSM: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
- CDMA: EV-DO Rev. A: 0, 1, 10
- 3G: HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
- 4G: LTE + VoLTE 1(2100) / 2 / 3(1800) / 4(1700/2100) / 5(850) / 7(2600) / 8(900) / 11 / 12(700) / 13 / 17(700) / 20(800) / 21 / 25 / 26 / 28(700) / 29 / 30 / 38(2600) / 39(1900) / 40(2300) / 41(2500) / 42 / 43
- SIM Type: Nano SIM
- OS: Android 7.1 Nougat
Design
- Dimensions: 141.5 x 71.1 x 7.8 mm
- Weight: 185 g
- Display: 5.7-inch, 2560 x 1312 pixels ( PPI), LTPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- Sensors: Fingerprint. Proximity. Ambient light. Barometer. Accelerometer. Magnetometer. Gyroscope
- Build: Titanium body + Ceramic back
- Colours: Black Moon. Stellar Grey. Pure White. Ocean Depths
Hardware
- Processor Type: 64-bit Kryo 280 Octa-core 2.45 GHz
- Processor Name: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835
- Graphics Processor: Adreno 540, 710MHz
- RAM: 4 GB
- Internal Storage: 128 GB
- External Storage: None
Cameras
- Rear: Dual 13 megapixels RGB + 13 megapixels Mono, f/1.85, Phase Detect and IR Laser Assist Focus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash
- Video recording: 4K @ 30fps
- Front-facing: 8 megapixels, f/2.2, 4k video recording
Multimedia
- Music Support: MP3/WAV/eAAC+ player
- Loudspeaker: BoomSound™ Hi-Fi edition
- Video Support: MP4/MPEG4/H.263/H.264 player
- FM Radio:
Connectivity
- Bluetooth: v5.0
- WiFi: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
- GPS: Yes
- USB: v3.1, Type-C
Miscellaneous
- Charging: Quick Charge 3.0
- Battery: Non-removable Li-Ion 3040 mAh
- Announced: May 30, 2017
- Availability: June 2017
Essential Phone PH-1 Price
The PH-1 sells for $699 as at launch time.
Essential Phone PH-1 Review
Read our review of the Essential PH-1 with Android 9 one year after launch.
Disclaimer: While we take the pains to ensure accuracy, we can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.