Essential Phone made big waves during its launch earlier this year. The anticipation was regarding an all-new premium smartphone created by the co-founder of Google’s Android operating system. Andy Rubin’ Essential mobile had hit the market in August 2017 and was priced at $699. According to recent reports, the price of the phone has come down to $499. When a flagship device like Essential sees a sudden price drop, it is understandable that its existing customers may get a bit disappointed. Since the company had recently launched the device, it is interesting to note that it will offer an additional $200 for the people who had already bought the device. The $200 friends and family code can be used to buy either the 360-degree camera or additional Essential Phone.
Based on speculations, the reason for the sudden price cut, within just two months after it started shipping retail units, is that the high-end phone has not been a huge success. Additionally, technology giants like Apple and Samsung have launched massive smartphones in this time period. Quite possibly, the Essential may be facing troubles in selling its first phone in large numbers, However, the company has not shared sales numbers. The biggest issue with the device when it got launched was its price tag. Now that the company has trimmed the price of the phone by a $200, the company may expect to see a spike in sales.
Even after the price cut, Essential Phone will continue to face tough competition from the likes of Google Pixel 2, Apple iPhone 8 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S8, among others.
Essential Phone specifications: The phone features an edge-to-edge 5.7-inch QHD display with a resolution of 2560×1312 pixels. It is powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor coupled with 4GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. The phone sports a dual rear camera setup (13MP + 13MP), where one of the lenses is capable of taking shots on dual RGB, mono and another is true monochrome. Meanwhile, the front camera is 8MP with f/2.20 aperture and fixed hyperfocal lens. The device is fueled by a 3040mAh battery inside.
