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Andy Rubin (Android co-founder) launches "modular" Essential phone (no 3.5mm jack)
- Thread starter giga
- Start date
The engineering problem is really just it's a pretty big port in a device where engineers are always struggling to fit everything and make it smaller. Getting rid of the jack makes that job easier for them. It's not even really the size of the hole itself, it's the fact that the jack is relatively long and the housing then requires more space than people realize.
There really isn't a "business class" or even "audio centric" class of phone these days that would do that. That HP Windows Phone is maybe the best fit, and I think that got canned.
Because the smaller Pixel is basically this but with massive bezels and worse build materials, but with maybe a better camera?
The battery size what you'd expect for a phone this size...
juliushandle
Member
I wouldn't call the phone a disappointment. I would call the price a disappointment.
As far as camera, their engineers are likely splitting resources for the phone's 360 camera.
As far as camera, their engineers are likely splitting resources for the phone's 360 camera.
The verge cast was recorded hrs before the Ota.
Which makes you wonder why the rush for them to send out review units while their camera software was still in the works. Good cameras are vital for expensive phones.
they were getting lots of heat for not showing off enough of the phone and not letting press play around with it to give unbiased opinions.
Ah my bad. I looked up the Qualcomm number they are using on their site and Google was giving me the 625. Why don't they just say 835 on their site?
It's going away, not a question of if but when.
eddie4
Genuinely Generous
thx tho, i'll just get the XZ Premium instead.
Spiritwalker
Member
Looks nicer than that iPhone 8 render we've been seeing lately. Not gonna buy it tho.
Jon Armdog
Member
Seriously. I'm sure it's been said already, but is the name supposed to be ironic or something? It has so little that people who would be in the market for a non-iphone would consider essential.
?
The standard they're using already exists tho
cool, i guess? the same tired design they've had for years, plus no fingerprint sensor in the us, makes that a nonfactor for quite a lot of people, not to mention it's $100 more expensive than the Essential phone, which people are already complaining is too expensive
They want their mods to be less of a Moto-style "how do we squeeze more money out of people" and less of an LG-style "how do we make this phone interesting" and more of a "let's make a standardized style module so down the line this just replaces USB-C/Lightning and nobody has to worry about cables ever again." So today it's a 360 camera, tomorrow it's a dock that charges the phone (a la Qi or PMA but without the licensing fees), down the line it's an interface that you can use for any USB thing.
The Sony rx100 camera line is the best compact on the market. I wish they'd use a 1 inch sensor in one of their phones.
They make the best camera sensors on the market for phones (most high end phones use their sensors these days), but that's only half of the equation. Proper software processing matters a whole lot, and that's where Sony fails over and over. They've held back top of the line sensors for their own phone division, refusing to sell them to any other phone, only for their phone to end up with worse pictures than everybody else.
BeforeU
Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.
+ headphone jack
+ cheaper
This phone is actually worse. No finger print in NA + dat massive bezel and boxy design for premium price?
That is sad to hear. It is a shame they're holding things back.
The reviews for essential phone are saying the camera is middle tier. Guess I'll wait for pixel 2
eddie4
Genuinely Generous
I'm not in NA, so the fingerprint sensor is included, and I like the design, personal thing I guess. I'm all in it for the audio and video. 4k screen and excellent audio.
Pixel 2 won't have a headphone jack and Pixel 1 was priced at $650, which isn't really that much cheaper than $700. If they price drop Pixel 2 to $600, maybe, but that doesn't seem likely.
The problem is it's hard to tell where it actually ranks, since most of the "reviews" went off of using the phone for three days total--which is really not enough time to actually review a device--and right before embargo lifted they pushed out an update that improved the camera "drastically" in certain scenarios. So I would wait until Ars Technica, Android Police, Mr. Mobile, or AnandTech (really, any place willing to give up clicks in order to go over and make sure they're covering a device in the most thorough way possible before putting up a review) before coming to a conclusion on how this camera performs.
the design is subjective and all, but you could get last year's device, or the year before that, or the year before that, etc., etc. and have a very similar phone. the only major difference would be specs and paying a normal price for a flagship instead of the crazy price Sony always asks for. there's also a reason they only display in 1080p most of the time, you really can't tell the difference between 4K and 1440p at that size unless you're doing VR, but since it has a LCD it's not good for that, either. (though, to be fair, neither is the Essential phone).
the audio stuff seems like audiophile snake oil like most high end audio stuff, but whatever floats your boat.
hydrophilic attack
Member
eddie4
Genuinely Generous
I guess, there's always pros and cons to everything. I highly doubt there will ever be a perfect phone to satisfy everyone's needs because as we see, that's impossible. I only brought up the XZ because I know I can get it at almost the same price, and the last model XZ (non-premium) for cheaper.
the S8 has a 5.8" screen with a 3000mAh battery and the battery life is fine
BeforeU
Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.
Dev Lee review
He seems to like it
I was kinda talking about Pixel 1. You can get it for a lot cheaper now. If you comparing it with Pixel XL 2 then it will still beat this thing for the price
-OLED display so VR Capable
-Waterproof and wireless charging (based from the leaks)
-better camera (assuming they will innovate on the predecessor)
-Bigger battery (based from the leaks)
For this price point Essential phone just doesn't make sense.
He seems to like it
I was kinda talking about Pixel 1. You can get it for a lot cheaper now. If you comparing it with Pixel XL 2 then it will still beat this thing for the price
-OLED display so VR Capable
-Waterproof and wireless charging (based from the leaks)
-better camera (assuming they will innovate on the predecessor)
-Bigger battery (based from the leaks)
For this price point Essential phone just doesn't make sense.
wrong link, this the one you want?
sure, but comparing it against last year's phone, if you are making the arugment that last year's SoC is acceptable, is a bit unfair because older phones will get discounted more (but also come with the caveat that you're only going to get one more Android version. THANKS QUALCOMM)
as for the other stuff, Daydream VR hasn't really caught on so the OLED display doesn't really matter unless you want to go the specific tract of getting VR, but not full VR just phone VR, and not even the established Galaxy VR but Daydream VR for whateer reason.
the waterproof stuff and wireless charging are good arguments, tho it's also arguable the latter hasn't really caught on outside of a specific niche
the latter two points can also be argued, but i'd also argue that a bigger battery won't matter that much since the Essential phone's battery seems (based off of early reports) quite good anyways and that even with a better camera you'd be accepting a huge step down in terms of what the phone looks like. at a time when the only thing holding back older phones are lack of updates and not having newer, more eyecatching designs, not having the latter makes the case for a pixel 2 much less viable.
BeforeU
Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.
lmao thanks, fixed
OLED looks a ton better than IPS especially when you use the phone a lot in dark conditions. I do all the time.
Mobile VR doesn't compete with full VR at all in my mind. Both have their place, I can't carry a full Vive system outside my home or workplace. Regarding GearVR, Daydream has much more capable default input functionality for obvious reasons, and now that Galaxy S8 also supports Daydream, it makes sense to release any mobile VR content on the Daydream platform.
Which leaks said that? All the leaks I saw suggest the Pixel 2 and XL 2 will have neither of those.
I agree that OLED looks better than IPS, but a full-frame IPS still beats out a normal bezel OLED display.
And that doesn't really matter if you think about how Daydream as a platform doesn't have the catalog that Gear VR does. Sure the default input is better, but why bother when everything on Daydream is on Gear VR, along with tons of stuff that isn't on Daydream?
andythinkpad
Member
Because they run out of things to add in the phones. If there are only 2-3 good hardware improvements every year and the top 2-3 brands have exclusive contracts to them, the 2nd tier brands have to use bullshit gimmick. The 3rd tier can always lower the price but the 2nd tier is getting the squeeze.
Removal of the headphone jack is sad.
Over the course of smartphone development, I've gradually gone from being excited about my contract ending so I can upgrade to a totally new and objectively superior device, to dreading the day my current device dies and I have to switch to something that is at least in some way shittier than what I was previously using.
Over the course of smartphone development, I've gradually gone from being excited about my contract ending so I can upgrade to a totally new and objectively superior device, to dreading the day my current device dies and I have to switch to something that is at least in some way shittier than what I was previously using.
This is how I have felt too. I am holding onto my note 4 for as long as I can.
Same boat, I've begrudgingly accepted that I won't be getting a removable back like the note 4. I was intent on getting the Note 8 but it doesn't seem different enough to what I already have to justify spending £800+ or however much it's going to cost, especially considering it has been 3 years. Thinner bezels is the big point but otherwise the screen is still QHD, more powerful hardware doesn't make much real world difference anymore for what I use it for (aside from VR), the camera on the Note 4 is already pretty damn good and the fingerprint sensor is still in a stupid place. iPhone will always be ruled out because of IOS. At least with the Essential Phone it seems to be different enough to what I already have, with the design (ocean depths hands down looks like the best phone design I have ever seen) and modularity, but then there's no headphone jack and the LCD means no VR.
Hands-on from Marques Brownlee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_WbmSxZnB8
Skel1ingt0n
I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
At the very least, everyone seems to agree it feels as nice as it looks.
Engadget Review: https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/24/essential-phone-ph-1-review/
tl;dr he liked it outside of the camera, which even after the update mentioned in The Verge review, as well as another one, is just "ok."
tl;dr he liked it outside of the camera, which even after the update mentioned in The Verge review, as well as another one, is just "ok."
Frustrated_me
Member
Just "OK" camera means DOA for me.
paperboywriter
Member
LOL. Thought this is some 3.world phone
Rodney McKay
Member
Only phone I'd give up a good camera for is the Moto Z Play, and that's only because it has crazy battery life and is cheap.
I feel like "just okay" is pretty unacceptable at that premium pricepoint given the competition.
Regardless, I'm seeing advertising for this thing everywhere and my gut is telling me that it might have some staying power. Maybe that's just the marketing working, though.
it's the one "it" thing sprint has
so they're going to push it with all they've got
doesn't hurt that it's a cool fucking thing just looking at it. you and i might look at it and say "oh it's just like the mi mix yawn" but a normal person who has only seen something like the s8 would go and say "ah jeez those bezels" because it even blows the s8 and g6 out of the water
haaaaaaaaaaa
glaringradio
Member
Wow... That is a colossal fuck up that is probably going to do some serious damage
BlastProcessing
Member
Well, that's a nightmare.