Essential Phone 2!

[Guy Katz]

Thank you for your extremely crass insult. I have the phone with the latest camera update and that made it worse. It constantly lags or freezes. It is completely incapable of taking a picture in a hurry. When editing pictures the app often freezes. Without a lot of light pics turn out blurry or noisy. It's just pathetic.

My opinion is perfectly valid and anyone who doesn't like can shove it. I use this phone daily and like a lot about it. A hell of a lot. But the camera is a huge failure. I still carry my iPhone 6S+ at night if I am going somewhere with my lady because she want good pictures and the Essential Phone has constantly failed to deliver while the 3+ year old iPhone has never failed.

Everything you said is both legit and true. The camera simply is unusable. The only trolls here are people who say the camera now ‘works’ or stuff like ‘I have had this phone for a few days and no problems’ like playing with a phone for 2 days means something, or on another thread a person complaining on chrome slowness was told to use a different slimmed down version browser. I mean, the writing is on the wall, this phone has some major issues, camera is the top of the list for sure.
I still have this phone as my daily but I’ll definitely replace it when the opportunity comes my way.

 

[mogelijk]

Everything you said is both legit and true. The camera simply is unusable. The only trolls here are people who say the camera now ‘works’ or stuff like ‘I have had this phone for a few days and no problems’ like playing with a phone for 2 days means something, or on another thread a person complaining on chrome slowness was told to use a different slimmed down version browser. I mean, the writing is on the wall, this phone has some major issues, camera is the top of the list for sure.
I still have this phone as my daily but I’ll definitely replace it when the opportunity comes my way.

There seem to be two different groups on this board -- those that use the phone and have few real issues with it, despite the fact many of us had issues with the phone prior to December and the camera prior to February. Then there are people that are still having issues. I strongly suspect that quality control was bad early and their are phones out still that have some type of hardware issue -- that or some have software corruption issues that are keeping their phones, which had the older buggy software, from working well after the fixes (and maybe both).

There are too many people that aren't having issues with the Essential PH-1 now. This is doubly true when most who aren't having issues don't come to a board like this one, they don't feel their is anything to talk about. I hope all of you with issues can get them fixed, and enjoy the great phone the rest of us are using.

Granted, that isn't to say the phone is perfect; the biggest issue being the weak antenna, which appears to be a design issue that can't be fixed. Additionally, while the camera is "fixed" for most of us, the camera hardware is still not as good as many of the current flagships, so even with perfect software will never compete with the recent iPhones, the Pixel 2, or the recent Samsung flagships. Last, it does seem Essential's customer support leaves a lot to be desired, and that is likely the biggest issue for those, like you, that are having major issues still.

These are the things I'd like to see Essential get fixed with the PH-2.

 

[msp1518]

I had more problems over the weekend as the camera app crashed again and again. My co-workers kept asking me why I don't get rid of the new "crap" phone and go back to my iPhone.

Yup. Just beyond frustrated. But I am in China and cannot get any help from Essential on this. I'm stuck. Love the phone, other than the damned camera.

 

[Doug Moffat]

Oh God, for those of you that insist you want a headphone jack get something like a note 8 or any of the current phones that cater to the “I just can’t move on” crowd. You’re living in the past and every year that goes by it will become more apparent.

I'm much better off without a headphone jack--just as I benefitted from nonreplaceable batteries that limited the life of my power supply or required manufacturer software to deprecate battery performance. Maybe my next phone can eliminate all buttons and rely on my psychic abilities.

 

[rld082982]

I had more problems over the weekend as the camera app crashed again and again. My co-workers kept asking me why I don;t get rid of the new "crapp" phone and go back to my iPhone.

Yup. Just beyond frustrated. But I am in China and cannot get any help from Essential on this. I'm stuck. Love the phone, other than the damned camera.

Are you on Oreo beta? All my camera issues are gone since I installed Oreo

 

[msp1518]

Are you on Oreo beta? All my camera issues are gone since I installed Oreo

No, it won't download here in china. Even with a vpn.

 

[Keeptechcoolandsimple]

all i wish is for a better camera solution.

the build quality is fantastic. so good that it was an impulse buy from when best buy was having the black friday sale judt because it felt so good in the hand.

 

[anon(1733)]

For me first and foremost. KEEP THE BUILD QUALITY. Keep the squared style. I love it. Keeps it different than everyone else and feels amazing in hand.

Then I'd like to see. More storage, OLED screen, better camera, more ram and dual stereo speakers. Those would make the next phone a awesome upgrade for me for sure.

 

[ChuckG73]

All Essential has to do is update the internals to keep up with others in the market, keep the build quality the same and update the camera to be on par with Pixel

 

[msp1518]

Well, my Essential Phone has been destroyed. I was hit by a drunken motorbike driver here in China and took a nasty fall. My phone went flying, landed hard on the concrete and was then run over by a car. It is completely destroyed.

So I am eagerly awaiting the Essential Phone 2.

 

[rld082982]

Wow, important thing is you're ok!

 

[wmurch3]

why do people want an oled display so bad? other than an always on screen I find them to be way over saturated and whites look yellowish. also I've never had one that didn't get screen burn in. I think the current display is fine just I max brightness and I'd be happy.

I've been pleasently surprised by the camera picture quality but I have had issues with the stock camera app.

I know they'd consider it a step back but add the headphone jack please.

 

[SactoKingsFan]

why do people want an oled display so bad? other than an always on screen I find them to be way over saturated and whites look yellowish. also I've never had one that didn't get screen burn in. I think the current display is fine just I max brightness and I'd be happy.

I've been pleasently surprised by the camera picture quality but I have had issues with the stock camera app.

I know they'd consider it a step back but add the headphone jack please.

Some want OLED for battery life and true blacks and only use the phone for a year or less. I still prefer a good LCD like the one on the PH-1. All of my OLED phones eventually had some degree of screen degradation. Hoping the PH-2 has a 120 Hz LCD with similar calibration as PH-1.

 

[mogelijk]

why do people want an oled display so bad? other than an always on screen I find them to be way over saturated and whites look yellowish. also I've never had one that didn't get screen burn in. I think the current display is fine just I max brightness and I'd be happy.

I've been pleasently surprised by the camera picture quality but I have had issues with the stock camera app.

I know they'd consider it a step back but add the headphone jack please. ??????

If I recall correctly, Essential stated that they couldn't add a headphone jack and keep the phone the size it is -- that they don't have the room for it internally without shrinking the battery or removing some other feature.

And I have to agree with SactoKingsFan, I would love a 120 Mhz display for the PH-2, as well.

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

The Phone itself is just under $500 now ( no 360 camera add-on and no headphones, included.)

Now the best deal based on many people's items wishlist.

 

[wmurch3]

The Phone itself is just under $500 now ( no 360 camera add-on and no headphones, included.)

Now the best deal based on many people's items wishlist.

Yeah this thing really is a great value. Especially if you buy used. I got mine for 180 on eBay and love it.

 

[krishnansasikumar]

Yeah this thing really is a great value. Especially if you buy used. I got mine for 180 on eBay and love it.

Wow.. That's a great deal. I just bought one from Swappa for 400. Halo Grey with 360 camera.

 

[Runell A]

For me, if the Essential team tightens up on QC (multiple finger registers, speaker grill issue from the first batch)switch out to a wide angle/regular lens set up and get the camera processing right on launch. I will 1000000000000% buy it. This team got the design right!! From the little notch, no branding on the phone, to the "blocky rounded" shape. This phone is dead sexy. Hell, if they release the Essential 2 in the same body, but change up the few points I mentioned, I would buy it hands down... take my money now

 

[msp1518]

I don't want them to change anything about the look and shape. That's the best part.

What it needs is simple... 1. Easier to repair... 2. Camera that doesn't blow (I am not interested in hearing people say otherwise because i trust my eyes)... 3. Brighter screen... 4. Water resistance of some kind... 5. No more touch screen issues.

And one last thing: Actual tempered glass screen protectors that fit the bloody phone! Work with the manufacturers to make that happen and stop insisting your phone doesn't need protection because it sure as heck does.

That's it. Do those and it's kick ***.

 

[Gayle Lynn]

I waited to buy one after Oreo 8,1 was final. I tend to feel the hardware and QA changed and maybe impossible to work magic with software to "fix" camera and other issues.

Would love to hear from engineering on it. And see Ph 2 up the quality.

I want a camera that is better than human eye, can zoom in clearly, but haven't seen that here or with Note 8 and iPhone X.