Essential Phone

Edge-to-edge screen ; Clean Android ; Good battery life

Somewhat disappointing camera ; Module system unproven ; No headphone jack

An arcane artifact from an unrealized future

Bright, colorful, sharp display ; Price reduced to a reasonable level of $499 ; Premium feel ; Android with no frills ; Nearly bezel-less front looks beautiful

Software feels like unfinished business ; Glass front and ceramic back makes phone slippery ; Camera quality is lacking ; Nearly bezel-less front makes for awkward handling

Premium build quality ; Top of the line specs ; Fast performance ; Decent sound ; Great QHD screen ; New pricing makes it a great value phone ; 128GB storage

Fingerprint magnet ; Minimal water/dustproof rating ; 360-dgree camera accessory mediocre ; Camera software needs work/more features ; No headphone jack ; No wireless charging ; No microSD card support

Build quality that is a step above everything else ; Stock Android and the desirable Google features that come with it ; Plenty of storage

High price reflects cost of materials, and little else ; Stunted and wonky performance during basic user interactions ; Screen responsiveness not consistent ; Picture quality does not measure up ; The Essential camera app is a disaster ; Hit-or-miss...

Titanium and ceramic feel wonderful in the hand ; Compact size for 5.71 inch display ; Long battery life ; Fast, stock Android experience ; Second camera is monochrome ; New $499 price is great

Basic camera software, no manual capability yet ; No headphone jack or wireless charging

Beautiful display ; Premium design and build ; Stock Android ; Good camera ; Great performance ; Cheaper than other flagship smartphones on the market in Canada

No headphone jack ; Back of device is a fingerprint magnet ; Not water resistant ; 360 Camera attachment take forever to load

Overall, the Essential Phone is a great effort from Andy Rubin’s new company. It shows that they’re capable of making a solid phone and there’s still room for improvement. But on the other hand, it’s hard to recommend the Essential Phone, especially...

Pure, unadulterated, Android ; Clever accessory system ; Beautiful design ; Amazing photo quality

Slow camera ; No headphone jack ; Awkward button placement

Serious Android nerds will love the Essential Phone's sleek design and crap-free software, but there are still some serious bugs.

Stevige behuizing ; Groot scherm in klein formaat ; Goede accuduur ; Vrijwel stock Android ; 128GB opslag

Slechte fotokwaliteit ; Scherm erg blauw ; Geen 3,5mm-jack ; Vingerafdrukscanner onhandig ; Niet waterbestendig