Review unit!

[modifier]

No headphone jack . . . ?

Nope! USB-C to 3.5mm adapter is included though. Guess there's still something to complain about. That didn't last long!

Sarcasm aside, that's probably the one feature I wish was there.

 

[anon(1733)]

I get why people use it. But for me it's a non issue. I stopped using the 3.5 mm headphone jack a long time ago.

 

[njgill05]

Sweet, skins ordered in matte black and dragon stone. Problem solved re: grip and smudges.

 

[cdd543]

Maybe we will start seeing some reviews today as some have had the device all week.

 

[elyfant422]

First review I have seen. https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/18/16165040/essential-phone-review-android-andy-rubin

 

[SZQnl]

Joshua at Android Authority has a hands on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Grns57T3XY

Looks as expected. I like overall but not sure about the glossy ceramic back though. Will wait to see the matte version.

 

[modifier]

Looks as expected. I like overall but not sure about the glossy ceramic back though. Will wait to see the matte version.

Same reaction I had. Looks great, exactly as expected. Looking forward to getting it in-hand.

 

[dannyar11]

The mediocre camera scares me. I have my order in and for $700 im not willing to compromise on a subpar camera like I was with the oneplus 5. If the camera is bad, or isn't updated quickly after launch im afraid I will be sending it back. With 3 kids and many photos taken monthly camera is my top priority on a smartphone followed by battery life.

 

[msp1518]

Tons of so-called'reviews on YouTube this morning. They are Essentially (get it) "first impression" videos and not reviews. Phone looks spectacular. I will drive by SPRINT today to see if they have any floor models.

 

[1901Madison]

First review I have seen. https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/18/16165040/essential-phone-review-android-andy-rubin

Over 7 hours SOT and a full day of use easily.

 

[bhatech]

The mediocre camera scares me. I have my order in and for $700 im not willing to compromise on a subpar camera like I was with the oneplus 5. If the camera is bad, or isn't updated quickly after launch im afraid I will be sending it back. With 3 kids and many photos taken monthly camera is my top priority on a smartphone followed by battery life.

Verge said after the update the camera went from dumpster fire to pretty decent. So I'm hoping more updates will get it pretty good or great status.

 

[anon(661246)]

Camera software is pretty hard to get right. It takes time and resources to get the correct adjustments. It wouldn't surprise me if it took up until the second generation to get the camera quality to match flagships.

If camera is your main focus then you should invest in a device that we know will have a good camera.

 

[dannyar11]

To be fair, they said it was a dumpster fire in low light, not overall. And it got decent after the update. With phones like the note 8 and v30 weeks away, paying 700$ for a phone that has a subpar camera is not acceptable, especially since all these new devices share the same look that make the essential phone stand out which is the near bezeless display.

 

[Gdwheel]

From what I have read, this phone will be like a reduced bezel Pixel. The camera software will need work to be close to or on par with the Pixel camera, but otherwise, it seems that it will appeal to Pixel customers who want a smaller device with a large screen. Oh, and it looks a lot better than the Pixel, too.

 

[modifier]

We need more camera samples from more sources to make a fair judgment. It's way too soon.

 

[ChuckG73]

Don't make a big deal about the camera if you are not going to deliver a great product. Essentials brand is pretty new and they cannot afford to tarnish their brand right out of the gate. Hence, why they gave it to review sites and updated the software. Remember your phone has not shipped yet and the phone you get will probably have a better camera experience than The Verge. They had to decide do you send these out or hold out even longer....with all of the bad press about making buyers unhappy by missing delivery dates, they probably thought it is better to get the phone out.

 

[dannyar11]

It seems as with every new phone release we become more accepting of these issues. A phone shouldn't be shipped out with a half baked camera that requires a software update to reach acceptability. Updates should add features or patch issues that turn up that weren't caught during testing. It shouldn't be used as a way to "promise" buyers that it "may" improve performance. Already Essential is coming out of the gates leaving a bad taste in peoples mouths, not only by delaying the initial launch, but now having a subpar camera and requiring updates to make it decent. This is expected from a $500 phone like the Oneplus 5 not from a $700 startup company.

 

[modifier]

Has any company had a 100% perfect launch? Perhaps our willingness to accept issues is because no one has set the bar.

Oneplus started off invitation-only for the first three generations and their devices were very hard to get. The first iPhone was delayed and nearly impossible to buy at launch unless you purchased second-hand at a premium. Nexus and Pixel both had delays and bugs out of the gate, camera software included. In fact, I don't know if Google has ever had a smooth launch. The first Motorola Droid was both expensive and buggy. BlackBerry has had numerous problems in their BB10 and Android devices. Even the Samsung S8 launched with major Bixby annoyances. There are countless examples far worse than Essential so far. For a startup, they're experiencing average issues but in my opinion nothing yet bad enough to stop the show.

I understand everyone's frustration but if launching now with the camera still a work-in-progress versus delaying another month, launching now is arguably the lesser of two evils. I'm personally glad it's shipping now.

 

[pkcable]

Has any company had a 100% perfect launch? Perhaps our willingness to accept issues is because no one has set the bar.

Oneplus started off invitation-only for the first three generations and their devices were very hard to get. The first iPhone was delayed and nearly impossible to buy at launch unless you purchased second-hand at a premium. Nexus and Pixel both had delays and bugs out of the gate, camera software included. In fact, I don't know if Google has ever had a smooth launch. The first Motorola Droid was both expensive and buggy. BlackBerry has had numerous problems in their BB10 and Android devices. Even the Samsung S8 launched with major Bixby annoyances. There are countless examples far worse than Essential so far. For a startup, they're experiencing average issues but in my opinion nothing yet bad enough to stop the show.

I understand everyone's frustration but if launching now with the camera still a work-in-progress versus delaying another month, launching now is arguably the lesser of two evils. I'm personally glad it's shipping now.

iPhone pre-sales are STILL a nightmare! The new normal is to stay up or wake up at 3am (east coast) and keep hitting that refresh button till you can buy it.

 

[anon(1733)]

Has any company had a 100% perfect launch? Perhaps our willingness to accept issues is because no one has set the bar.

Oneplus started off invitation-only for the first three generations and their devices were very hard to get. The first iPhone was delayed and nearly impossible to buy at launch unless you purchased second-hand at a premium. Nexus and Pixel both had delays and bugs out of the gate, camera software included. In fact, I don't know if Google has ever had a smooth launch. The first Motorola Droid was both expensive and buggy. BlackBerry has had numerous problems in their BB10 and Android devices. Even the Samsung S8 launched with major Bixby annoyances. There are countless examples far worse than Essential so far. For a startup, they're experiencing average issues but in my opinion nothing yet bad enough to stop the show.

I understand everyone's frustration but if launching now with the camera still a work-in-progress versus delaying another month, launching now is arguably the lesser of two evils. I'm personally glad it's shipping now.

That is very well said. No company has had a perfect launch. Almost all devices ship with bugs. Ship with issues. Ship with something that doesn't work quite right. In the end it comes down to if the company is responsive enough to fix th issues in a timely manner. And for essential only time will tell.

Everyone has to just sit back and let's see how this rolls. Don't discount something because it's not perfect out of the gate. There hasn't been one phone that has been this far. Let's just see what this company does.