{"id":342248,"date":"2017-05-30T19:04:21","date_gmt":"2017-05-30T11:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?p=1496939"},"modified":"2017-05-30T19:04:21","modified_gmt":"2017-05-30T11:04:21","slug":"android-creator-andy-rubins-essential-phone-looks-stunning-and-will-cost-699","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/android-creator-andy-rubins-essential-phone-looks-stunning-and-will-cost-699\/","title":{"rendered":"Android creator Andy Rubin\u2019s Essential Phone looks stunning and will cost $699"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

There\u2019s been much speculation around the new project from Andy Rubin, the man responsible for developing Android, and now we have the answer. Well, part of the answer, at least.<\/p>\n

Essential, Rubin\u2019s new company, unveiled its first smartphone<\/a> alongside an Amazon Echo-like device<\/a> and a new operating system called \u201cAmbient\u201d<\/a>. The three products were unveiled to the Verge, but all that Essential is providing at this point is renders and graphics so we\u2019ll have to wait on the final verdict.<\/p>\n

The phone is the most anticipated item here, and the firm has teased<\/a> its unveiling over the past month<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The first thing to notice from the renders \u2014 again, these are company supplied graphics not independent product shots \u2014 is the impressive edge-to-edge screen and tiny bezel. The design is really quite striking. The screen\u00a0starts at the\u00a0top of the device, leaving\u00a0a small space for the front camera, rolling down to the bottom with just a tiny gap.<\/p>\n

Although we don\u2019t know the size of the panel, it seems on the larger side. The screen is a blend of\u00a0titanium and ceramic which, Essential asserts, makes it stronger than those offered by Apple and Samsung.
\"\"<\/p>\n

The device will ship with\u00a0a Qualcomm 835 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of on-device storage, according to The Verge. The front-facing camera has an eight megapixel sensor and is capable of recording 4K video, while the rear camera is 13-megapixel with a second\u00a0monochrome sensor to help boost low-light shots. That\u2019s a departure from a secondary lens for\u00a0bokeh-style images as Apple has done with the iPhone 7 Plus.<\/p>\n

In addition, as previously hinted at, the device will include a 360 degree camera that can be clipped on the device to enable a whole different kind of phone-based photography. Oh, and there\u2019s no headphone jack but the device will ship with a dongle.<\/p>\n

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On the software-side, Essential hasn\u2019t released details yet so we can only speculate that, in line with the device\u2019s simple yet powerful approach, it\u2019ll be a minimalist affair that doesn\u2019t force\u00a0bloatware on its users.<\/p>\n

The $699 price tag, however, is official, and it could make the device a very interesting option. Although carrier distribution is a key make-or-break fact for hitting serious volume with U.S. released smartphones, the Essential Phone is sure to provoke curiosity among smartphone purists. There\u2019s no word on availability, but the U.S. will be the first market for sales.<\/p>\n

Essential\u2019s Echo competitor \u2014 \u201cHome\u201d \u2014 is also notable.<\/p>\n

The Verge reports \u2014 based on renders \u2014 that it\u2019ll be a smart assistant\/interface for controlling things like music, smart thermostats, smart lights, answer questions, etc. Beyond a large circular screen and standard features like voice activation,\u00a0the exact details remain unclear.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

One interesting twist, the publication reports, is that Essential Home will avoid using the cloud for funneling and storing data where possible. That\u2019s a deliberate attempt to handle privacy issues that smart home assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home have thrown up. Instead, data and services will be managed locally unless absolutely necessary.\u00a0That pitch is enough to color us intrigued to learn more.<\/p>\n

Essential gave The Verge details around Ambient, the OS powering its Home device, but the scope of what is\u00a0know right now is limited. Wired reports<\/a> that the plan is to create \u201can open source, infinitely extensible platform\u2026 that powers all the smart stuff in your home\u201d and begins with a smartphone<\/p>\n

No doubt there\u2019s plenty more to come, not just from the Essential Home and Essential Home, but from Rubin himself. His newest venture, parent to Essential, is Playground and that\u2019s an incubator design to work on multiple hardware projects<\/a> beyond just smartphones and assistants.\u00a0Having been the driving force behind Android, the world\u2019s most popular operating system<\/a>\u00a0with over two billion devices<\/a>, Rubin is spreading himself wider in\u00a0a bid to top that achievement.<\/p>\n

Images via The Verge<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\" There’s been much speculation around the new project from Andy Rubin, the man responsible for developing Android, and now we have the answer. Well, part of the answer, at least. Essential, Rubin’s new company, unveiled its first smartphone alongside an Amazon Echo-like device and a new operating system called “Ambient”. The three products were unveiled to the Verge, but… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a>\n<\/div>\n

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