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Essential PH-2 and PH-3 design concept images show two phones that will never be

The Essential PH-1 smartphone first shipped in 2017 and… it was the only phone the company ever shipped before shutting down earlier this year. But the company did have dreams of expanding its lineup. The planned Essential Home line of smart home products never saw the light of day. And the weirdly elongated Project GEM […]

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Essential is shutting down (no new products, no more updates for the Essential PH-1)

The smartphone company started by Android co-founder Andy Rubin is shutting down. Essential only ever released one smartphone. But since the Essential PH-1 hit the streets in 2017, it’s been one of the most well-supported Android phones on the market. Essential pushed out Android OS updates and monthly security updates the same day they were […]

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Essential Phone is essentially discontinued… but new “mobile product” is in the works

The Essential Phone was the first smartphone to ship with a notch in the display and it was the first phone from the startup created by Android founder Andy Rubin. It was also not exactly a huge success in the market, and the company’s had a bit of a rough year… but that hasn’t stopped […]

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Essential releases second modular add-on for its phone (Audio Adapter HD)

A handful of phone makers have released models with support for modular add-ons in the past few years, with limited success. It’s unclear if modularity is going to continue to be a feature in the future… but it’s always nice when an existing device lives up to its promise. When Essential launched its first smartphone […]

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Essential is launching an HD audio module for its smartphone this summer

The Essential PH-1 smartphone has a set of Pogo pins on the back that you can use to attach modules that extend the phone’s functionality. But since launching the phone last year, Essential has only offered a single module: a 360-degree camera. This summer Essential plans to launch its second module. It’s a hi-fi audio […]

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Bloomberg: Essential cancels its next smartphone, company might be up for sale

Less than a year after releasing its first smartphone, it looks like Essential Products might be going out of business. Bloomberg reports that the company, which was started by Android co-founder Andy Rubin, has cancelled development of its next phone, and may be looking for a buyer interested in acquiring the company. The Essential PH-1 […]

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If Apple drops the notch in 2019, will Android phone makers follow suit?

Nearly a dozen new Android phones with camera cut-outs in their otherwise nearly full-screen displays debuted at Mobile World Congress last month. Rumor has it LG’s next flagship will also have a camera “notch.” And Google has officially added support for displays with cutouts to Android P. While the first modern smartphone with a notch was […]