YouTuber thrifted unreleased 'skinny' Android sensation
An individual recently managed to get a hands-on experience with an unreleased smartphone from Essential, initially known as "Project Gem" in 2019. This PH-2 device exemplifies an extreme "candy bar" phone design, resembling a device sliced from a tall Sony Xperia 1. It recalls memes about the iPhone 5's slightly taller, 4-inch screen, speculating what could happen if phones continued to elongate instead of widen. This is prepared by SSP.
Rob Wainwright, a software engineer linked to the Nova Launcher project, acquired this unreleased phone on eBay. His video showcases the mostly operational PH-2 featuring card-style widgets for apps like Spotify and Uber. The display at the top mimics a smartwatch, showing a clock prominently. The anticipated launch of this device was thwarted due to several complications.
The 2017 debut of Essential's first phone, the PH-1, saw limited success with only about 150,000 units sold. Plans for the second phone were obstructed due to troubling revelations about Andy Rubin, the company's founder, involving his exit from Google amid serious sexual misconduct allegations. These issues surfaced through reports by The Information and the New York Times, leading to the cancellation of the PH-2. Essential concluded its operations in early 2020, citing the inability to deliver the device.
The buyer displays the PH-2's unique attributes, including its tall 5.7-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2,160 by 560 pixels and a hole-punch camera. The rear features a protruding camera and a non-functional fingerprint reader, both prone to smudges similar to its predecessor, the PH-1. Though the user interface (UI) remains unfinished, the custom Android launcher features swipe-up gestures for navigation and web app-based cards on the home screen. These apps often appear displaced, like a YouTube video that occupies a minuscule portion of the display.
Despite being largely functional, the PH-2 carries forward the experimental intentions of Essential. With components such as a Snapdragon 730G Arm chip, 64GB storage, and 4GB RAM, it aimed for mid-range competitiveness. Essential had envisioned minimalist apps tailored to its elongated form factor, named Gems, offering a lean, modal experience. However, speculation remains whether such a distinct and unorthodox device could ever appeal to users accustomed to more conventional smartphones.
Ultimately, the demise of Project Gem and Essential signifies missed potential. If Rubin's issues hadn't preemptively dismantled the company, it's uncertain if this unusual phone could have gained traction amongst consumers. The broader market trends favored increasingly larger screens, a direction reinforced by foldable phones turning into mini-tablets. The fate of smaller, niche devices continues to show that despite novelty, buyer interest remains skewed towards more practicable designs.