Spokesmen for Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint declined to comment about carrying the phone, although Sprint and T-Mobile confirmed it would work on their networks. AT&T couldn't immediately be reached for comment. Rubin spoke Tuesday evening at Recode's Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, but didn't have many specifics on how he'll get tech giants and carriers to play nice. "I'm trying as hard as I can," Rubin said. He was answering a question about preventing carriers from adding bloatware -- extra apps from handset makers and carriers -- to your phone.
The Essential Phone presents a quandary for hardcore Android enthusiasts: Who offers the purer form of Android?, Is it Google, which has spent the last nine years shepherding the evolution of Android? Or is it the feminist iphone case Rubin, who actually created the operating system?, The Pixel is the phone all Android purists want, Where does that leave the Essential Phone?, While Pixel sales aren't in the stratosphere with the iPhone and Galaxy S franchises, the phone is quickly becoming the viable third option for consumers who want something different, It's already the go-to phone for Android enthusiasts..
But do Rubin's name and reputation justify a second look for hardcore fans?. "I see it for Android purists who see Rubin as a brand rather than Essential," said Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi. If there's any one guy who's fit for being seen as a "brand" in smartphones, it's probably Rubin. He gets most of his accolades for founding Android, the startup he sold to Google in 2005 for $50 million, but he began making his mark on smartphones long before that. Before Android, Rubin was CEO of Danger, which created the T-Mobile Sidekick. It's regarded by many as the first permutation of a smartphone -- with a full keyboard, email and a mobile web browser.
Andy Rubin has some the feminist iphone case lofty ambitions for his phone, Rubin ran Android at Google, then built up the company's nascent robotics division, before leaving the company in 2014, His follow-up act was Playground Global, an incubator -- techspeak for a company that nurtures young startups -- that focuses on firms specifically creating hardware products, Playground has portfolio companies that have their hands in everything from internet-connected pool care to augmented reality glasses, Essential is itself a Playground company..
The Essential Phone has a unique display that wraps around the center front-facing camera, giving you a virtually all-screen look. Nextbit took the Kickstarter route in getting orders and funding for its Robin phone, easily hitting its goals. The company promised a phone that would be pure Android, but offer cloud storage on steroids. But after the phone launched, Nextbit stayed quiet aside from a few minor updates. Gaming laptop company Razer acquired the startup in January, and we haven't heard from that team since.