When the Essential Phone was first announced back in May of last year, there some considerable excitement about the device, mainly because the company behind it, Essential Products, was founded by Andy Rubin, considered by many as the father of Android. Quite simply, many had expected the Essential Phone to give Samsung’s Galaxy flagships and Google’s Pixel smartphones a run for their money.
Of course, that did not happen. While overall the Essential Phone was an impressive smartphone release, it just could not quite stand toe to toe with the best of the competition, especially in terms of camera specs and the quality of the display. It did not help that some customers were reporting of some issues with regards to the phablet’s touch screen. Naturally, the Essential Phone never really took off with the masses -- more than three months ago, it was reported that only 88,000 units of the flagship were shipped in 2017. Despite the efforts of Essential Products to drum up some interest from potential buyers (most notably its decision to drop the handset’s pricing from the original $699 to just $499 last October, and its move to announce new color options last February), it just was not enough to make the smartphone a certified hit.
Still, Rubin’s company had promised more than a month ago that it would do better with its next flagship offering, presumably the follow up to last year’s Essential Phone. But according to a report recently published by Bloomberg, it appears that the mobile brand has decided to cancel the upcoming Essential Phone 2.
The report even asserts that Rubin may be considering the idea of selling Essential Products, including its products, patents, and even engineering personnel. However, Andy Rubin himself has since tweeted a statement today saying that, “We always have multiple products in development at the same time and we embrace canceling some in favor of the ones we think will be bigger hits. We are putting all of our efforts towards our future, game-changing products, which include mobile and home products.”
Those words should help address the news of the possible cancellation of the Essential Phone 2. Interestingly, Rubin’s statement does not talk about the potential sale of the company as indicated in Bloomberg’s report. So for fans of Essential who were hoping to get some clarity, the tweet may not offer enough relief as it is. Everybody knows that the competition among Android phone makers is incredibly fierce, with even formerly strong brands such as HTC feeling the pressure, especially from the aggressive Chinese players (Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, just to name a few). While it is true that Essential may have stumbled a bit in its first attempt, there is an argument that it still deserves a second chance. Of course, it has to be willing to take that chance if it wants to succeed.
