As per The Verge, the Essential Phone carries a price tag of $699 and comes with all the top-of-the-line specifications and features you’d expect to find on board a modern-day flagship, including a Snapdragon 835 processor and 4GB of RAM.
More notably, though, the handset features a stunning 5.7-inch edge-to-edge display that rises to the top, with a small cutout for the 8MP front-facing camera in the middle.
The Essential Phone also has one of the best dual-camera systems on the market (on paper, at least). It’s made up of a regular 13MP CIS and a monochrome CIS that takes in more light than a traditional color camera, so it should perform well in low-light.
Here’s the full spec list:
Essential Phone (PH-1) |
|
Battery |
3,040mAh with USB-C fast charging |
Camera |
8MP front camera with 4K video Dual rear camera (13MP Dual RGB + Mono fusion system) |
Dimensions |
141.5 x 71.1 x 7.8mm185 grams |
Display |
5.71″ LTPS LCD with 19:10 ratio 2560 x 1312 pixel Quad HD |
RAM |
4GB RAM |
SoC |
Snapdragon 835 (10nm) |
Storage |
128GB UFS 2.0 (no microSD slot) |
Special Features |
Titanium body, Ceramic back, Gorilla Glass 5, Magnetic dock, 6Gbps Wireless Accessory Connector, no branding, no bloatware and Bluetooth 5.0 LE. |
Earlier we mentioned that the Essential Phone is modular. What this essentially (see what we did there?) means is that you can expand the functionality of your smartphone using a series of attachments.
To get you started, you can purchase a 360-camera module that connects to the top of the handset, giving you the facility to record or stream 360-degree video.
Like the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, the Essential Phone lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack. A bit of a nuisance, we know — and Essential does too, which is why it’s bundling a complimentary USB-C-to-3.5mm headphone adapter in the box of every device it sells.
It’s available to pre-order starting today
The Essential Phone is available to pre-order in four colors — Black Moon, Stellar Grey, Pure White and Ocean Depths — starting today for $699, or $749 with an included 360-degree camera attachment. Unfortunately, there’s no word on when units will start shipping.

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