The new high-end smartphone from the co-creator of Android is called Essential Phone and the hardware startup is led by Android co-creator Andy Rubin. The device, called the Essential Phone, is available at Sprint, Best Buy, and its website.
As previously announced, it costs $699 and is available in only the US for a start. Only the black version of the phone is available, too — Essential said earlier this week that models with a white finish were delayed.
Sprint is running a promotion in which you can lease the phone for $14.59 a month for 18 months, though you'd have to either purchase the phone outright or trade it in for another device once that period is up. Sprint estimates the phone will ship by August 28.
Reports on Wednesday said those who preregistered to buy the Essential Phone had started to receive emails from the company saying their device would ship in the next week. Rubin also said on August 9 that Essential would begin revealing release details for the phone within a week, so Thursday's update was not unexpected.
Despite that backing, the Essential Phone isn't likely to be a serious threat to Apple and Samsung anytime soon. Apart from the company's sheer newness, Sprint is the only carrier that will sell the device through its retail channels, and most US consumers still buy their smartphones through carriers.
The device is still compatible with Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile — all of which have more subscribers than Sprint — but you'd have to buy an unlocked model outright and port it to one of those carriers yourself.
Still, the Essential Phone itself looks to be suitably premium. Business Insider will have a full review soon.
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Close to $700 and not a water proof, when you can get all this features on samsung latest smartphone definitely not for me.
ReplyDeleteAnd some people will even buy this phone up to 2 or even 3
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