Essential Owners: How are you getting on with the phone?

[James Falconer]

As a guy potentially interested in picking up the phone, was wondering if any Essential users out there have feedback on how the phone is holding up.

Do you like it? How's the build quality holding up? Any quirks or things you DON'T like about it? Anything I should be aware of before dropping the $$$?

 

[Orangejuicizzle]

Well I would say that I like it. Build quality is fantastic, screen is really cool, and on another note, it's nice being on stock.

Quirks, probably the camera. Also, I'm a little paranoid if I break the screen or if it has a manufacturing issue. I think repairs can be pricey if you don't have insurance.

Otherwise, it's a great device, and the company has been pretty active with software updates. I think Oreo is just around the corner (at least the Beta).

 

[selvinsosa]

I really love-hate the phone. There is no other phone in the market that feels really great on hands. small body and full screen. really solid device.

The bad? in my case. touch sensitivity and camera. I have a open ticket with essential since september ( two days after I receive the phone ) they push an update but since I'm on sprint. I need to wait for sprint to approve it.

Since I don't take many pictures, the camera is ok for me.
I do have extra insurance but I don't want to paid to get a replace one when there is a update that fix my problems.
Don't pay the full price from essential.com when there are a few new or mint conditions for $500 at swappa.
If you get it from essential and you get the camera 360. don't put any skin on the phone. camera will not work at all.

 

[digitalbreak]

<TL;DR;>
It's getting better with every update and glad to see Essential team open by having bi-weekly AMAs. So, if you are interested to be an early adopter, it doesn't get better than the Essential!
</TL;DR;>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCCVmYO-SDw&t=25s

 

[modifier]

I'll be on my second soon. After returning my first for a defective speaker grille mesh and missing it ever since, getting another didn't take much convincing. Sure, the camera could be better but from a purely base, stock Android perspective with nothing in the way, the PH-1 is hard to beat. I also enjoy the fact that it's rare.

It's still the best constructed device I've held in years. Using the word 'premium' to describe it would be a disservice to the phone, plus I hate hearing that word used so often. It's better than premium.

If you haven't already, take a look at the Reddit AMA threads for an idea of how they're doing on the software side. For all the negativity in expecting them to fail everywhere, software updates have been quite solid for such a small company.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/essential-phone/838077-bi-weekly-ama-recap-reddit.html
https://forums.androidcentral.com/essential-phone/832993-essential-ama.html

The thread entitled This thing has really grown on me has some great reading as well.

 

[The DragonTJH]

I got mine Tuesday, it was between this, The Pixel 2 XL or the LG V30+ on Sprint. The Pixel 2 reveal eliminated that (Carrier exclusive to Verizon) as a possibility and I got antsy waiting for the V30+ to be available, so I ordered the PH-1.and I'm glad I did. I got my hands on the V30+ today at a Sprint store and I wasn't as impressed as I expected to be. Build quality is no even in the same ballpark, and the stock Android OS on the PH-1 is delicious!
I have messed with the camera quite a bit as that was one of my primary concerns with the phone, and it does struggle a bit in really low light, but in good lighting it takes very nice shots IMO. And it seems they are improving it in leaps and bounds with each update, so I trust it will be the camera they promise on their website in short order.

 

[Matt Ritchie1]

Do not buy an essential phone - unless you want to get the runaround between essential, wireless carrier and pay out your a$$ for repairs, including screen replacement. The durability of the phone is very poor. The company has a great sales pitch but the product is overall junk! There are numerous individuals in the same position, take a few hours and read the negativity on reddit. Buy elsewhere, many phones deserve credit, unfortunately essential isnt one of them. Feel free to pass this message everywhere

 

[anon(10268214)]

Do not buy an essential phone - unless you want to get the runaround between essential, wireless carrier and pay out your a$$ for repairs, including screen replacement. The durability of the phone is very poor. The company has a great sales pitch but the product is overall junk! There are numerous individuals in the same position, take a few hours and read the negativity on reddit. Buy elsewhere, many phones deserve credit, unfortunately essential isnt one of them. Feel free to pass this message everywhere

So you signed up here just to dig up a 3 month old thread? Lol.

 

[dmateo]

Do not buy an essential phone - unless you want to get the runaround between essential, wireless carrier and pay out your a$$ for repairs, including screen replacement. The durability of the phone is very poor. The company has a great sales pitch but the product is overall junk! There are numerous individuals in the same position, take a few hours and read the negativity on reddit. Buy elsewhere, many phones deserve credit, unfortunately essential isnt one of them. Feel free to pass this message everywhere

Were you just bored when you dug this up to bash this device?

 

[tedbearclaw]

I absolutely love this device. Love the simplicity camera is adequate for my needs. Battery life is a huge plus coming from s7. Honestly love this phone I can't find anything that irritates me as to I see many others complain about on here

 

[farocco]

just got mine, and coming from an iPhone, the interaction is much nicer. better alerts, Google asks my opinion in places I visited.

 

[Katrinaluv]

I got my Essential phone as Christmas a gift and I love it . The pics are beautiful. Great feel to the phone and love the 360 camera but it really takes the battery down quick. It's tough to find cases to choose from for protecting this awesome phone. But I highly recommend the phone.

 

[superstarmc]

My only complaint is it's not good in low light photography. Otherwise it's real smooth, screen is amazing, battery life great and have taken some good shots during the day.

 

[mogelijk]

My only complaint is it's not good in low light photography. Otherwise it's real smooth, screen is amazing, battery life great and have taken some good shots during the day.

I've not really tested the low light recently, but people have told me that it is greatly improved with the latest camera update.