Essential Review thread

[EnemiesInTheEnd]

Gets roasted by Mr Mobile

https://youtu.be/V388Wo3mj7s

I don't care much for Mr. Mobile's views on phones from the reviews I have seen.

Is it possible this phone might suck?

Nah. The phone is really good aside from low light camera performance.

 

[EnemiesInTheEnd]

He also stated from his experience he never seen image quality really improve much from updates

I doubt he reviews a lot of phones with such immature software.

 

[anon(9918034)]

He also stated from his experience he never seen image quality really improve much from updates

Did everyone forget about the htc10, when it first launch. It had some serious camera struggles. Yet they fixed it with an update and it was one of the best cameras out at the time on a phone.

On this site unless Samsung or LG makes it, it will most likely get a less than stellar review every single time. I am super excited to get this phone and can't wait. It's the perfect size with a great screen and best build quality of anything coming out this year, have fun with your glass cover phones.

 

[modifier]

On this site unless Samsung or LG makes it, it will most likely get a less than stellar review every single time.

That's why I want to try a different camera app before making a judgment call on camera quality. The BlackBerry KEYone had lackluster camera reviews despite being the same sensor as the Pixel. Using the Pixel camera app it was identical.

I am super excited to get this phone and can't wait. It's the perfect size with a great screen and best build quality of anything coming out this year, have fun with your glass cover phones.

Agreed on all points. I'm having a hard time finding an alternative option.

 

[bhatech]

Update not promising

k, NMI54B update complete. In Essential-vs-Pixel shooting, slight improvement in lit scenes. App still slow. Low-light still a dumpster . https://t.co/1eTsYzhzeX

 

[anon(661246)]

Update not promising

k, NMI54B update complete. In Essential-vs-Pixel shooting, slight improvement in lit scenes. App still slow. Low-light still a dumpster . https://t.co/1eTsYzhzeX

Damn essential dropped the ball.

 

[msp1518]

This is disconcerting. I am spending more on this phone than on any phone I have ever purchased and a lackluster camera is not acceptable. If it cannot at least match my iPhone 6S+ (which I bought 6 moths after its release for well under retail) I'll have to essentially return the Essential.

I've been hung hofor this phone for a long time but not right now.

 

[anon(9918034)]

Everyone needs to just relax, this is a first phone for this brand new company. There will be issues because it's a brand new barely tested software even though is super close to stock. The best bet is for everyone to wait for the release of the phone and then start submitting constructive feedback back to essential. Don't email them saying it sucks and that's it. If you want it to get better then get involved otherwise don't waste everyone's time and start complaining because the PRE RELEASE review units have a slow camera app.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Everyone needs to just relax, this is a first phone for this brand new company. There will be issues because it's a brand new barely tested software even though is super close to stock. The best bet is for everyone to wait for the release of the phone and then start submitting constructive feedback back to essential. Don't email them saying it sucks and that's it. If you want it to get better then get involved otherwise don't waste everyone's time and start complaining because the PRE RELEASE review units have a slow camera app.

The company is brand new, but the minds and people behind it aren’t.

I can totally understand that they may be new to doing monochrome hybrid dual camera setups, as it is not easy to get this right in your first go even if you have experience.

But even for a first product, a $700 phone with a decidedly mediocre camera out of the box at launch is a really tough pill to swallow. If the camera is a critical point in your next phone, either look elsewhere or wait a while for future patches. It kinda sucks that the camera at launch isn’t even at full potential.

 

[anon(9918034)]

The company is brand new, but the minds and people behind it aren’t.

I can totally understand that they may be new to doing monochrome hybrid dual camera setups, as it is not easy to get this right in your first go even if you have experience.

But even for a first product, a $700 phone with a decidedly mediocre camera out of the box at launch is a really tough pill to swallow. If the camera is a critical point in your next phone, either look elsewhere or wait a while for future patches. It kinda sucks that the camera at launch isn’t even at full potential.

Samsung, Apple, LG, have all been plagued with issues at the release of new software it's not something that is only effects new companies.

Unless the phone was made by Samsung or LG it will never get a great review. I don't trust what any reviewer says, because they are bias and blow Samsung every chance they get. If I actually listened to reviews I would have never owned half the phones I did. The honor 8 was the best example every review trashed the software, yet the forum was filling with nothing but praise from the people who got it.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Unless the phone was made by Samsung or LG it will never get a great review.

Except the Essential Phone actually got good marks everywhere else.

It's just the camera where it really lets down.

 

[anon(9918034)]

Except the Essential Phone actually got good marks everywhere else.

It's just the camera where it really lets down.

According to a very very very small amount of people who have pre-release review units.

 

[bhatech]

Samsung, Apple, LG, have all been plagued with issues at the release of new software it's not something that is only effects new companies.

Unless the phone was made by Samsung or LG it will never get a great review. I don't trust what any reviewer says, because they are bias and blow Samsung every chance they get. If I actually listened to reviews I would have never owned half the phones I did. The honor 8 was the best example every review trashed the software, yet the forum was filling with nothing but praise from the people who got it.

I don't care about reviews personally since I buy all the phones anyway but I don't think majority reviewers are there to make essential look bad. Sure there will always be the odd site who have some grudge against certain OEMs but the criticisms against essential are valid for a $700 phone. Sure it's a new company but there is reason to be skeptical about things like camera software drastically improving with software updates. Essential may prove everyone wrong sure, but based on past history of companies promising similar things not much improved.

Either way anyone buying essential knows there will be certain limitations since it's a new company etc but I still bought since I'm a gadget nerd and like how the hardware is, stock software etc. Camera is bummer but I have other phones which take amazing pics so doesn't bother me.

 

[bhatech]

According to a very very very small amount of people who have pre-release review units.

They have also gotten multiple updates and they keep updating the review, for example yesterday evening they got another update and it improved a bit. It's not the reviewers fault the software is pre release or not finished. They have to review with what they got. They can't wait 5 months for the software to improve, they will revisit after few months and then say if it's improved but for now they have to review with whatever they have been provided.

 

[modifier]

So far they've had one security patch and three camera app updates. It does look like they're trying to make good on the update schedule.

 

[1901Madison]

Except the Essential Phone actually got good marks everywhere else.

It's just the camera where it really lets down.

Battery life is apparently pretty good.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Battery life is apparently pretty good.

Yes, it is pretty darn good.

I saw someone got 5 hours out of a full work day. I presume it can be better but this is very good for a 3000-ish mAh battery powered a sub-QHD display and flagship internals.

 

[anon(9918034)]

There have been times when software updates improved the camera. Does no remember the pixel being plagued with camera issues when it first launched. Now it's rated one of the top cameras in a phone because of the app. The HTC 10 had some camera issues at launch, a few updates later and bam one of the best under rated cameras in a phone.

Can anyone else name a phone for 700 that comes with 128gb storage and that is built out of titanium and ceramic? The fact that the only bezel that really exists is at the bottom of the screen.

 

[Ry]

There have been times when software updates improved the camera. Does no remember the pixel being plagued with camera issues when it first launched. Now it's rated one of the top cameras in a phone because of the app. The HTC 10 had some camera issues at launch, a few updates later and bam one of the best under rated cameras in a phone.

Can anyone else name a phone for 700 that comes with 128gb storage and that is built out of titanium and ceramic? The fact that the only bezel that really exists is at the bottom of the screen.

Link to Pixel issues?

 

[Ry]

The company is brand new, but the minds and people behind it aren’t.

I can totally understand that they may be new to doing monochrome hybrid dual camera setups, as it is not easy to get this right in your first go even if you have experience.

But even for a first product, a $700 phone with a decidedly mediocre camera out of the box at launch is a really tough pill to swallow. If the camera is a critical point in your next phone, either look elsewhere or wait a while for future patches. It kinda sucks that the camera at launch isn’t even at full potential.

And that's one of the problems with the hype.

Sure. Andy Rubin (and team) "invented Android".

But their first product has a crappy (relative to the current market, of course) camera.