With an eye-catching design and powerful hardware, the Essential Phone is hard to overlook. The device includes 4GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, and a Snapdragon 835 processor. Rear dual cameras, USB Type-C, and a fingerprint sensor make the entire package more enticing as well. Plus, the Essential Phone features a bezeless design with a high screen-to-body ratio and a durable titanium build.

A Fantastic Phone Lacking Certain Features


The phone stacks up well against other flagship devices on the market but lacks certain features. Missing features include a headphone jack as well as IP68 water and dust resistance. Likewise, consumers don’t seem too keen on the device’s $750 price tag. Perhaps the most glaring omission for the Essential Phone is its lack of Verizon network certification at launch.

At least until now.

Andy Rubin recently made an announcement via Twitter, declaring the Essential Phone approved for the Verizon Wireless Network. Without a doubt, certification is a major step forward for a device advertised with total network compatibility. Essential contained the necessary hardware for this claim by design. A lack of certification through Verizon meant that many Verizon customers simply couldn’t get their devices activated.

Today’s Flagships Tend To Feature Total Network Compatibility

Most best-selling smartphones are compatible with the major carriers in the United States. In fact, iPhone models have included this hardware for many years now. The same can be said for Google’s old Nexus line of devices. Samsung and Motorola are two other manufacturers that often have total network compatibility. Previously, the average smartphone manufacturer include either GSM or CDMA compatibility, but not both.

What’s Next For The Essential Phone?

The Essential Phone from Andy Rubin is the first smartphone from company Essential. Therefore, it’s not too surprising the device comes with certain shortcomings. Users have also criticized the device’s camera performance and its price tag. Essential Phone remains an enticing flagship option for consumers nonetheless. On top of that, the sequel flagship should right most of these wrongs within the next 6 to 12 months.

At the very least, the Essential Phone can still improve through software changes moving forward.