It's no secret that Andy Rubin, the cofounder of a mobile operating system that's most widely used in the whole word, is creating a brand-new smartphone. Previous reports tout the enigmatic smartphone as having few, if no bezels, and equipped with artificial intelligence. To create the phone, Rubin founded Essential, a new company which includes poached employees from Google and Apple.
Our First Look At Android Cofounder Andy Rubin's Smartphone
More than two months after reports of his wanting to make a new smartphone entered the fore comes the public's first look at the phone. Rather than hold an official unveiling, however, Rubin has opted for the tease, tweeting a photo of the phone in development, but with the product largely covered by a hand.
Even so, we do get a close look at what seems to be a nearly bezel-less screen, akin to the design of the Xiaomi Mi Mix, at least at first glance. Other than the number of elements sitting at the status bar and a seemingly floral wallpaper, there's not much to go on about Essential's forthcoming smartphone. But it's still a pleasant thing to learn that development is moving forward.
"I'm really excited about how this is shaping up. Eager to get it in more people's hands..." wrote Andy Rubin in a tweet.
The Team At Essential
The device in question has yet to be named. We do know, however, that the team making up Essential is said to be focusing its efforts in creating high-end devices, for which it received a steep amount of funding, according to TechCrunch.
There's nothing to go on beyond the slight peek at the smartphone for now, but if Essential is aiming for a high-end device, then this will probably not disappoint in terms of its spec sheet. Also, if it aims to compete with Apple's iPhone, then it has to indeed provide a radical change or innovation to yank consumer off Apple's longstanding allure.
For now Essential feeds on hype with nary an actual product to show off, but it has so far survived on it alone, thanks in part to Andy Rubin's expertise in the sphere, and cogs working behind Essential, no less than the VP of PR and VP of Marketing from augmented reality startup Magic Leap, which has, for a long time, been hyped about to no end, only to recently suffer a series of troubling controversies. It still isn't clear when Magic Leap will unveil its mixed reality device.
There's no word regarding an exact unveiling date, let alone a release date, for the just-teased smartphone Essential is currently developing. If it looks anything close to the one Rubin tweeted, however, then it's going to be an exciting inflection point for smartphone trends, because devices are now seemingly dropping thick bezels in favor of bigger screens. The Galaxy S8, for instance, seems poised to be part of that trend, at least according to leaks. If the iPhone 8's radical design is also a bezel-less screen, then it'd be interesting to see these formidable devices duke it out at the top.
Excited for Andy Rubin's forthcoming smartphone? What features do you expect to see? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
