Editors Liked
- Edge-to-edge screen
- Super-smooth performance
- Pure, unadulterated, Android
- Clever accessory system
- Solid Wi-Fi
- Looks great, and actually unique
Editors Didn't Like
- Somewhat disappointing camera
- Mediocre built-in speaker
- Lacks headphone jack
- Lacks latest LTE features
- Awkward button placement
The Essential Phone is doing so much right: elegant design, big screen, long battery life, and clean software. And on top of all that, it has ambitions to do even more with those modules. If you asked Android users what they wanted in the abstract, I suspect a great many of them would describe this exact device. But while the camera is pretty good, it doesn’t live up to the high bar the rest of the phone market has set.
As reviewed by The Verge