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Andy Rubin made his bones in the mobile manufacture by co-founding Danger (maker of the Sidekick) and Android, which was acquired by Google and turned into the largest mobile platform on Globe. Information technology'due south an impressive pedigree, and then everyone was interested when Rubin announced his new hardware startup was going to make an Android phone. The Essential Phone was unveiled in May, and Rubin told anybody it would come out in simply a few weeks. Here nosotros are a few months later, and the Essential Phone is finally shipping.

There have been a few fake starts after that first unannounced delay. Earlier this month, he announced that the phone was in mass production — but that was cold comfort to people who had already paid for the phone. Consumers who pre-ordered their phones were irked a few weeks ago when Essential began charging cards, but didn't actually ship the phones.

And then, now maybe all is forgiven? The Essential Phone is on its fashion to buyers, with some scheduled to announced on doorsteps this calendar week. Withal, it seems those who ordered both the phone and the 360-degree photographic camera accessory are still awaiting shipment confirmation.

It's easy to get down on Essential for a few delays, but smartphone startups don't exactly have a skillful runway record for delivering phones on fourth dimension. For example, OnePlus launched its first two phones with invite systems that made it hard to club, but that's the only way the company could proceed upwards. Meanwhile, other companies just tin can't get a production out the door. Await at Saygus, which has been promising to ship its now woefully outdated V2 smartphone since early on 2022. Past comparison, Essential is knocking it out of the park on its first phone launch.

The 360 camera addition module.

The phone is aircraft, but it's unclear how good or successful it will be. The early reviews take been positive overall, praising the phone's solid titanium and ceramic build and the wild border-to-edge brandish. The software, too, gets loftier marks, thanks to the unmodified Android UI and no bloatware. The dual photographic camera array is supposed to offer sharper photos than other phones, but reviews point to this as a weak spot for the Essential Phone. Images in low light are noticeably more noisy and dim than other phones in its price range.

A bigger question is how the Essential telephone will compete with devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and iPhone 8. Sprint is the only carrier selling the Essential Telephone directly. The unlocked version of the phone is available for a whopping $700 on Essential's website. That version works on Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T. Verizon certification is still pending, and then it will probably work if you already take an activated Verizon SIM menu. However, don't take it into a shop and expect to be able to activate information technology on Verizon only all the same.