• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Andy Rubin (Android co-founder) launches "modular" Essential phone (no 3.5mm jack)

E

enzo_gt

tagged by Blackace
andythinkpad said:
Modular phones don't even sound awesome in theory, because everything should be done thru bluetooth and wifi.
Click to expand...
I suppose. Customizability is one of those things that power users kind of assume everyone wants out of their devices but people just want the complexity handled before they choose the SKU they want.

CheesecakeRecipe said:
bFB9as4.png



N-no thanks...
Click to expand...
Hope you're not looking forward to the new iPhone (although it will be slightly less ugly.
 
H

hohoXD123

Member
Damn, the Ocean Depths one looks amazing. It's a shame there are too many downsides to this phone, no headphone jack being a pretty big one.
 
C

CheesecakeRecipe

Stormy Grey
gamma said:
Would you rather have more bezel?
Click to expand...

giga said:
Why not if it gives more room for non-system UI?
Click to expand...

I would gladly take a top bezel over this design, as I don't like inconsistency like what this cut-in causes. It doesn't flow well, and sort of breaks Android's visually consistent top-bar visual language by forcing a giant, protruding oval into the screen space. I don't mind small details like rounded screen corners, and I at least appreciate what Samsung is doing with their curved glass screens, but this is a step in the wrong direction.

enzo_gt said:
Hope you're not looking forward to the new iPhone (although it will be slightly less ugly.
Click to expand...

I've never owned an iPhone - not out of any anti-Apple bias, just due to Android always giving me more options. Whatever they do with their designs tends to appear in the Android ecosystem later on, but I otherwise don't really have a reason to be concerned about what they're doing with their models.
 
S

Skel1ingt0n

I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
"Connectors are dumb."

"But this HAS a connector?"

"Yes."

... this phone makes, truly, zero sense. It's like everything they say is proven untrue in the device. Does he know what he's holding???

***

I can't hassle Rubin - he's clearly a smarter and wealthier man than me. But holy hell is he the worst fucking presenter. Drab defined.
 
S

Skel1ingt0n

I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
I'll bet money that there is never a third gen of the Essential phone. All this talk about "modular phones not being forward compatible" is nonsense, when this will have no successor to be forward compatible with.
 
F

Furyous

Member
He mentioned something about wireless RF. Everyone in the Android OT knows where I'm headed next. Does the possibility exist for wireless RF to be used to control appliances?

This phone looks like a skinny G6 with Mi6 camera placement.

I am having a damn hard time getting over them bastardizing the display. For $700 I want a full display but maybe I'll get used to this in time.
 
M

Mr.Shrugglesツ

Banned
Furyous said:
He mentioned something about wireless RF. Everyone in the Android OT knows where I'm headed next. Does the possibility exist for wireless RF to be used to control appliances?

This phone looks like a skinny G6 with Mi6 camera placement.

I am having a damn hard time getting over them bastardizing the display. For $700 I want a full display but maybe I'll get used to this in time.
Click to expand...

I believe he mentioned near distance, so probably not.
 
G

gamma

Member
Furyous said:
He mentioned something about wireless RF. Everyone in the Android OT knows where I'm headed next. Does the possibility exist for wireless RF to be used to control appliances?

This phone looks like a skinny G6 with Mi6 camera placement.

I am having a damn hard time getting over them bastardizing the display. For $700 I want a full display but maybe I'll get used to this in time.
Click to expand...

He just said the back is RF transparent so they don't need antenna lines.
 
H

Husker86

Member
giga said:
That section would be blacked out when in landscape or full screen apps I assume. Otherwise, portrait apps get more space.
Click to expand...
I bet that an app the requests full screen gets to use that space, and no app is going to account for that cutout. However, if they completely changed how Android works and that entire strip goes black, that'd be even more garbage because that's a decent chunk of screen.
 
F

Furyous

Member
He mentioned something about a headphone jack accessory and I'm not sure how to feel about this. On one hand that it feels like a way to save on the bill of materials decreasing the manufacturing cost. On another hand it could save money in the long run of the device.

This device looks like an iPhone 7 without bezels, back fingerprint sensor, dual camera setup. It looks really easy to hold one handed so that has me excited.
 
M

Mr.Shrugglesツ

Banned
Furyous said:
He mentioned something about a headphone jack accessory and I'm not sure how to feel about this. On one hand that it feels like a way to save on the bill of materials decreasing the manufacturing cost. On another hand it could save money in the long run of the device.

This device looks like an iPhone 7 without bezels, back fingerprint sensor, dual camera setup. It looks really easy to hold one handed so that has me excited.
Click to expand...

Magnetic headphone jack sounds pretty legit if they package it in.
 
Q

Qvoth

Member
even the brand name essential sounds douchy
everything about this smells a big flop, but they seem to be aiming for the extremely high end market anyway rather than mass market appeal
 
G

giga

Member
Husker86 said:
I bet that an app the requests full screen gets to use that space, and no app is going to account for that cutout. However, if they completely changed how Android works and that entire strip goes black, that'd be even more garbage because that's a decent chunk of screen.
Click to expand...

How is it even more garbage compared to it just being bezel instead? It's the same thing.
 
E

enzo_gt

tagged by Blackace
Jeffrey said:
andy rubin interview on the verge. with prototype. around 16 min.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=HCjjnVNXDLI

looks hot... interest rising. Seems to be running AOSP or something close?

edit: the 360 camera is kinda neat!
Click to expand...
Yeah okay that looks kind of neat, especially the 3D camera and how fast it worked.

EDIT: This interviewer really needs to chill, though. Asking hard questions, yeah, but still, getting in the way of the guy actually explaining.
 
diablos991

diablos991

Can’t stump the diablos
enzo_gt said:
Yeah okay that looks kind of neat, especially the 3D camera and how fast it worked.

EDIT: This interviewer really needs to chill, though. Asking hard questions, yeah, but still, getting in the way of the guy actually explaining.
Click to expand...

That interviewer is terrible.
He seems downright hostile.

There's a difference between asking tough questions and being an ass.
 
J

Jeffrey

Member
diablos991 said:
That interviewer is terrible.
He seems downright hostile.

There's a difference between asking tough questions and being an ass.
Click to expand...
Mossberg is retiring like after this event. He can do what he wants lol.



Watched whole video.


Essential shipping in 30 days. Hopefully reviews soon?

Rubin basically said the phone is running stock android. If there are promises of updates on the nexus cycle I'll drop 700. Fine.

Phone is 16:10 so videos will be cropped won't interfere with the camera position.
 
T

The Maverick

Member
That camera was nuts. Wow. No headphone Jack is a killer but this seems like a paradigm shifter for Android. Kind of like what LG was trying with their main line.
 
C

Chris R

Member
Hmmn, "essential" to me would be zero front facing camera and a 3.5mm jack.

Phone could be cool without the cutout and without the bezel on the bottom, and maybe half the price too :\
 
V

Veritigo_X

Member
Hold up, so on top of no headphone jack the phone isn't even waterproof? ... I thought that was like the entire point of getting rid of the thing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Need Major Finance and Life Advice
2
71
3K
AJUMP23 replied
EA Hopes to Use Generative AI to Drive Monetization and Make Development 30% More Efficient
Opinion Business Game Dev
27
2K
radewagon replied
How do I deal with PTSD?
23
1K
Leopold replied
Wanking Emails: (Up: Also Op is a serial wanker possibly twice between emails)
39
3K
BlackTron replied
The Great GalaxyCon Disaster of Richmond 2024: A Comedy
4
1K
jason10mm replied
Top Bottom