After months of previewing, Andy Rubin – also known as the father of the Android – finally launched the first smart phone under his new company Essential, the long awaited Essential Phone PH1. Being one of the developers of the original Android system, Rubin felt partly responsible for including lots of unnecessary features packaged together with the latest technology in Android phones. Now Rubin makes sure Essential Phone follows the saying ‘simple is best’ and the functions included are practical ones that aim to benefit all users.

Rumour has it that the next generation of iPhone will have a full screen face. The Essential Phone follows the same concept and features a 5.71-inch QHD display that is almost edge-to-edge. The rounded corners make the phone more visually appealing and the front-facing 8-megapixel camera supports 4K video recording. The exterior of the phone is made of titanium and ceramic for better strength and should survive the occasional drop perfectly fine. The 13-megapixel dual-lens rear camera uses both colour and monochrome sensors for richer images. Also found on the back are the fingerprint reader and the magnetic connector for charging and attachment of the optional 360 camera and other potential accessories to be developed in the future. Essential Phone is available in black, white, dark grey and dark green but currently only for the U.S. market.