Essential Phone: Possible iPhone Killer

The Essential Phone is finally here. Delayed from its June release date, this phone - designed by the "Father of Android" offers the closest thing to the stock Android OS ever to be released. The first thing you notice about this beautiful phone is the edge-to-edge screen. The simplicity and beauty of it make the little cutout for the "selfie" camera almost invisible. Unfortunately, this phone continues the flagship trend of not having a 3.5mm audio jack, but at least it comes with a USB-C adaptor. Wireless earbuds are separate.

The beautiful screen, simple and sturdy design that supports wireless charging via the ceramic back, and lineup of Essential modules like the 360 camera make this phone a very effective competitor to the iPhone 8, while being half the cost. The future is here with this phone, unfortunate that the cut some corners with the camera, but new software updates have dramatically improved camera performance.

Stock OS

Andy Rubin, the "Father of Android" and leader of Essential is banking on the simplicity of the OS as one of the main advantages this phone has over other Android devices. He pitches his company, Essential, as "the next major gadget company since Apple." 

The move suggests that Rubin believes stock Android is the best Android compared to what you see on phones from Samsung, LG, Huawei and much more. Stock Android means none of the duplicate apps from the smartphone maker and carrier cluttering things up. Android looks and works exactly the way Google intended it to work.

Phones released from other companies often come with layers of software, called "launchers," that run on top of stock Android, which allows them to customize the look and features of Android to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Often they bog down the phone's performance, and such phones are frequently rooted to remove the launchers. These phones come bloated with redundant apps, calendars, and more bloatware than a bargain PC.

Essential Phone is as close to stock Android as you can find on a phone and the look and feel of the OS is great. This OS experience is the vision Rubin had when he left Google in 2014, and it is a great one.

Google just announced Android 8.0 Oreo, and after the Pixel and Nexus phones receive it, you can bet that the Essential Phone will run Oreo smoothly, like Google's own Pixel 2.

Gadgets

The real headline feature for the Essential Phone is that it is the first of many Essential devices that are compatible with a new system for wireless module accessories. The first of these is a 360 camera that snaps on to the back of the phone via magnets. This elegant solution also supplies power, and thus Essential devices do not need batteries. The magnets make the 360 camera easy to attach and detach, and the wireless functionality is a huge plus. Just put the device on, and it just works.

A notable downside is that the camera is too large to put in your pocket while attached to the camera - think of it as a flash for the SLR camera you had in the late 80's - useful but bulky. Nonetheless, the Essential devices will be compatible with all future Essential devices, so the $50 extra spent buying the 360 camera with the phone is an investment as when you get a new phone the device will still work.

Essential is looking to market these devices beyond just phones, including but not limited to the home and car space. The future is bright for this incipient startup, and this flagship phone can be had for likely half the price of the iPhone 8.

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