Last week, Andy Rubin, a founding father of Android and now CEO of Essential, held an “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session over on Reddit. Rubin answered some of our questions about Essential and the Essential PH-1 cell phone. Here’s what we learned in a nutshell.
The Reddit thread was packed with people asking questions on Thursday, and thanks to it we have answers to some of the things we’ve been curious about. So without further ado, here are some mentions of important facts we learned.
One Reddit user chimed in early in the conversation inquiring about the Essential PH-1’s camera. Many have reported performance issues since first getting their phone and Rubin confirmed that most if not all the bugs can and will be fixed via a future software update. This brought us into updates, which was when Rubin confirmed that the company’s first-ever smartphone will be updated from Android Nougat to Android Oreo “in the next month or two.” This lands ahead of most rivals, which sounds promising considering Essential has chosen a stock-like experience of Android. So there’s your confirmation
Another Reddit user asked about the availability of mod accessories for the pin connector found on the back of Essential Phone. Presumable employees, Joe and Dave, followed up on this question with some promising news. A charging dock is said to be in the works, and new high-end audio and 3.55mm headphone jack attachments could come soon after. This is the first time we’re hearing of these ideas. Out of them, the 3.55mm attachment seems to be the most interesting, which could give Essential PH-1 owners the option to plug-in an old pair of headphones since no jack is present on the handset. Let’s hope it’s affordable.
It was also asked when exactly the Pure White color option of Essential PH-1 would become available. As it stands, the phone is only available in Moon Black, though the company did confirm that a White version would be coming soon. Now we have confirmation that the new color is only a “few weeks” away from being packaged up for shipment. Sit tight!
In the last bit of news, and perhaps most gratifying, the Essential PH-1 has been confirmed to work on Verizon’s wireless network in the United States. When Essential PH-1 was first introduced, the company promised it would work on all four major US carriers. Sprint is the exclusive seller in the territory other than Essential itself, but as of September 18, those on Big Red have permission to use the smartphone on America’s most popular cellular network.
For more information including some of the finer details, hit the link below to the full Reddit AMA or drop us a comment below and we’ll do our best to get back to you.
SOURCE [EssentialOfficial on Reddit]
