Shipping soon?

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Well it's not like they were going to challenge any of those. The first release will appeal to few enthusisats and if it's a great phone it'll probably pick up steam later or in a generation or two based on good reviews, and word of mouth. They definitely are not worried about people choosing iPhone 8, Note 8 etc because essential is mostly looking to sell few million units at max. The main thing is to release a great phone without major issues and then improve it along the line. Target huge sales few years down the line after they build the brand.

That's the plan at least.

But I'm concerned because I know some devices back then which targeted a niche audience at a flagship price and they failed.

I hope Essential's the exception as I really do not want to see anyone fail, but I'm really skeptical, from de Basi's terrible shots to the lack of communication on a missed deadline.

 

[msp1518]

It's been terribly depressing to me. I went ahead and bought the galaxy S8 to try Android (I've been with Apple since the 4S) and I must say, I don't much like it. But that's to be expected after so many years with iOS. Switching is a shock to the system. That being said I really do want a sturdy phone that is not as ginormous as the 6S+ I've been using. Essential fits the bill. I'm willing to take a chance on it. But come on already!

Yes obviously I'd be selling my S8 once the Essential was released. But the Ocean Depths. I really want that one, which means I am waiting even longer.

 

[bhatech]

That's the plan at least.

But I'm concerned because I know some devices back then which targeted a niche audience at a flagship price and they failed.

I hope Essential's the exception as I really do not want to see anyone fail, but I'm really skeptical, from de Basi's terrible shots to the lack of communication on a missed deadline.

Agree at this point doesn't look promising, but let's see once they release how the quality will be and if they can deliver.

 

[raqball]

I'm out... I'll wait on the Pixel 2.

I think this is what most of the potential Essential buyers are going to face now with this delay and nothing at all from the company...

Oh well but on the bright side, the Pixel 2 might just be better, ship when its suppose to and have an actual and real company standing behind it..

 

[Golfdriver97]

It is rather disappointing that the launch didn't happen on time. I can agree with other users that a solid phone delayed is better than a half baked one that needs to be patched every other week for months on end.

However, with social media at our finger tips, there is little excuse for any lack of communication. This isn't the 1990s where the only way to get word out was a press conference. Between Twitter, FB, and Instagram, your message will get out and spread in a matter of hours.

 

[msp1518]

Why couldn't Rubin just say "It'll be out this summer" instead of the 30 days thing? Had he been more open in the date or vague about it no one would be complaining. You simply cannot give a solid timeframe in this day and age of impatient millennials instant gratification via social media if you are not going to keep it.

Oh well. I've already boxed my S8 (because I just don't like it to be frank) and gone back to my iPhone. Once the Essential is in SPRINT stores I can check it out.

 

[buzzard75]

I need a new phone soon. Mine is beginning to really frustrate me to the point where I'm ready to throw it across the room or place it under my car's rear tire and run it over a few times. There's a few phones I have my eye on right now and I think it will come down to which one is available first. Mid-August is my cutoff point. I'm going on a trip and I want a reliable phone before then. In no particular order, I've got my eye on the Essential PH-1, Google Pixel 2, LG V30, and the Asus Zenfone AR. And if none of them are available between now and mid-August, I'll probably just go with the LG G6.

The delay with this phone is raising concerns with a lot of people. I've said before I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt since they're a new tech company and this is their first product launch, but the canned answers and the lack of any real information on what's going on is getting really old.

 

[ChuckG73]

This is starting to get comical, again reminds me of the Ubuntu Edge phone or the Nexus One coming to Verizon.

 

[SZQnl]

I can't think of any reasons for this silence. Surely they know it's good PR to communicate with potential customers.

Maybe it's a legal issue or a funamental design flaw. Or, wishful thinking, they didn't like the backlash for omitting the headphone jack so are trying to redesign it in

Anyway, the longer it goes on the less impact/success they will have with the iPhone, Pixel 2, Note 8 etc getting closer. I'm sure all the Chinese brands are also working on their minimal bezel designs as well.

I am still interested in the Essential Phone due to its smaller size but they're not doing themselves any favours.

 

[modifier]

On the flip side, had Essential remained in the shadows until the absolute day it was ready to ship, all the agony over waiting would instead be complaints about how they didn't announce sooner and caught everyone by surprise.

What's better; knowing or not knowing?

Personally, I'd rather see all the complainers bail out so those of us who do buy them are even more exclusive. (sarcasm intended)

IP rating (specifically IP57/IP58) seems the most likely reason for delay. They're well beyond the development stages.

 

[SZQnl]

Delays are fine. Lack of news or updates is not fine. I don't understand why they cannot tell us what the problem is.

I don't know why I'm complaining, i can't even pre-order the thing

Well, they have plenty of cash so I guess they're not going to disappear.

 

[raqball]

Personally, I'd rather see all the complainers bail out so those of us who do buy them are even more exclusive.

I don't hear anyone complaining about the delay really.. My issue, and what others have expressed, is the complete lack of communication from the company. When you make an announcement like Rubin did then go into deep hiding and complete silence, of course it's going to raise concerns...

I wonder if this is also what can be expected for after the sale support and communication....

 

[modifier]

The lack of transparency is a fair complaint. I've been on the development engineering side of things before and know what it's like to have a product that's ready for launch be delayed for uncontrollable reasons. Sometimes you can talk about it in public, other times it's best to stay quiet. Consumers hate quiet. Balancing silence and saying too much is tough.

The worst part is reading the same questions asked and answered on Twitter. "When will it launch?" and "Stay tuned!" are playing a professional tennis match daily.

And, I do agree about the after-sales support concern. I called their phone number earlier this month just to see if anyone would pick up. I had a question for their engineering team that wasn't being answered thoroughly in email. The number went to voicemail and suggested emailing instead.

For now I'm chalking this up to being a new company with a new product and a scramble to deliver a solid product right away. If they fail at their first product then the rest will be a battle. Getting it right is better than unloading too soon and leaving everyone disappointed.

Delays aside, I'm curious how many devices have been pre-ordered and how many will sell. Given the nearly two weeks between pre-ordering and receiving confirmation in email, I bet these will be popular.

 

[ChuckG73]

I agree that the lack of transparency is disturbing, why not let us know what is going on?

 

[modifier]

Either they can't for PR reasons or they're so close to shipping that they're choosing to keep quiet in case something unforeseen happens between now and launch. If they said today that they're launching on Tuesday 1 August and a bunch of phones are lost at sea from a Maersk freightliner at the hands of Somali pirates, it's guaranteed mud on their face no matter how valid the excuse.

Trust me, I'm not saying this to defend them. I'm just empathetic having been there myself. I've been the engineer who's delivered bad news to a PR team who then had to concoct something close enough to the truth to cover an issue but deliver as good of a message as possible, all to watch it end in torches and pitchforks. That situation could have been avoided had an exact launch date not been given. Essential knows this despite their infancy.

Andy (arguably) mismanaged expectations when he mentioned "30 days or so" in the Walt Mossberg interview since no one cares about the "or so" part, but it is what it is.

They do keep saying "soon" on Twitter and their person in charge of tweeting has only been responding every other day instead of daily. Hopefully that's a sign of things being very close.

 

[ChuckG73]

The chat option is now open on the support page. They are about to send out an explation is what I was told very soon.

 

[SZQnl]

The chat option is now open on the support page. They are about to send out an explation is what I was told very soon.

That's good news. Although this isn't... or maybe it is, who knows!

Essential marketing vice president leaves after seven months - Business Insider

 

[cstmstyle]

I just wish they would at least be posting teases from the camera. Yes it's probably still getting tweaked but it would have been nice to hear or see something.

 

[msp1518]

​

DailyTech - Essential PH-1 – Coming to North America, Western Europe and Japan.

This article certainly is a bit scary.

According to Business Insider, a Spring spokesperson said last week that the Essential phone is, “expected to debut this year”.

What?!?! THIS YEAR?!

Andy, Andy, Andy, you need to say SOMETHING in public.

 

[modifier]

Not that scary. It's a quote from a Sprint spokesperson saying that Sprint expects to get the phone this year.

I doubt Sprint will be willing to commit to a hard date since they might see their own delays even if the PH-1 was available today. They likely have to work out details on whatever bloatware they might want to install in their image, assuming they're getting a Sprint-specific OS build. They would also have to do the typical carrier testing for full compatibility, build support docs necessary for in-store and customer service reps, and whatever else carriers do to sell and support a new device.

Personally, I couldn't care less about Sprint. I just want my unlocked, unbranded, bloat-free phone.