Essential PH-1 - the creator of Android presents its new modular smartphone // Updated: 02.06.2017
30.5.2017
Translation: machine translated
Android is the most widely used operating system on the planet, and its creators are regarded as pioneers of mobile software. One of them is now turning his attention to the hardware side of things, presenting the Essential, a new phone that is intended to serve as a model for modular smartphones, among other things.
"People ask me why I started Essential," says Andy Rubin, its founder and CEO. Andy Rubin is a familiar name to Android fans, as it was he who co-invented the operating system. He stepped down after Android was bought by the giant Google and is now making a comeback in the smartphone industry.
The Essential PH-1 has the potential to revolutionise the market.
Reassure yourself: the prices displayed in this article are not final. We cannot yet provide prices for the Swiss market. At the time of writing, product managers are enquiring about financial, legal and logistical issues. All prices are therefore purely indicative. We will adjust them when they are delivered to us and recalculate pre-orders accordingly. No worries.
The Essential PH-1 in a few figures
Essential's first smartphone looks great. It has a titanium body, ceramic backplate, Gorilla Glass 5 and a virtually rimless display with a resolution of 2560 x 1312 pixels in an unusual 19:10 aspect ratio. This equates to a screen diagonal of 5.71 inches, or 14.5 cm.
Its dual lens boasts 13-megapixel resolution and can shoot video at up to 120 fps.
The Snapdragon 835 processor and its4GB of memory should be able to deliver very good performance, the MIMO antennas make all communications work in parallel and the 3040mAh battery probably won't disappoint either.
But that's not what makes the PH-1 so special. If you look closely at the image, you'll see two small dots on the back of the phone.
That's not what makes the PH-1 so special.
The two dots are magnets that will hold modular accessories. So far, Essential has announced a 360° camera, but other modules are expected to follow.
A docking station providing wireless charging is already planned.
Why create such a smartphone?
Does the world need yet another high-end smartphone, differentiated only by its modular features? The concept is interesting, but smartphones of this type have suffered some harsh setbacks. Google pulled the plug on its Ara project, Motorola's Moto Z wasn't as successful as expected, and while other projects appeared on the fringes of the big stars, they quickly disappeared.
Andy Rubin, too, has questioned what his Essential PH-1 can offer that its rivals cannot.
The Android founder gives us the answer on the Essential blog (in English) and puts to rest rumours that his phone is equipped with artificial intelligence. It runs Android, but has some interesting features.
The Essentials company philosophy also answers our question:
- The devices belong to you. Essentials will not force you to combine anything with your phone;
- We are kind to each other. Closed ecosystems only imprison the mind; they are obsolete;
- High-end materials and manufacturing should not be reserved for a limited number of consumers;
- The devices shouldn't become obsolete after a year, but evolve with you;
- Technology should accompany you and improve your quality of life;
- Simplicity is always the best option.
Do users automatically hold root mode access to their phone? Does the device even have artificial intelligence? No idea. All we know is that the device will run Android 7.1.1.
A few lines on its availability
My first question was when I'd be able to test it. Even if the Essential PH-1 isn't a technological revolution, it's clearly arousing curiosity. Rubin's announcement reminded me of Google, before the company got too big to maintain its idealism. It's a good start. The smartphone market could do with someone to refresh manufacturers' ideologies.
So I checked with our mobile product management team, who are of course already evaluating the possibility of adding the smartphone to our range.
Well...
Nothing is certain. At the moment, only pre-orders in the US are possible. That's not a problem in itself, but we need to sort out a number of legal, financial and technological issues. Will the phone be CE marked? Will it be locked by the suppliers? What guarantee do we want to apply? Can we guarantee good after-sales service if we import it? And what will the price be? Our product managers estimate that it will cost about the same as an iPhone or Google Pixel, but we can't be sure. And of course we want to test it to make sure it's good before we offer it.
So we've published the models below for your information. As soon as we receive official confirmation, we'll order them. In fact, we'd love to know how many of you are interested.
All of a sudden I'm going to order a device to use as a test.
Another item worth mentioning: the Essential Home
The Essential PH-1 is accompanied by the Essential Home. Aside from the fact that it's reportedly an "API for the home", we don't know much about the device. It looks like some kind of Google Home or Amazon Echo.
My guess is that the assistant built into the Essential Home will be called "Airo".
I'll keep you posted.
An unlockable bootloader // Updated: 02.06.2017
Essential has confirmed on its official Twitter account that the Essential PH-1 will have an unlockable bootloader. Without further ado, the user will be able to access useful mechanisms and features when the system boots up. We'll be able to easily install new versions of Android.
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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