Earlier this year, Essential CEO Andy Rubin hinted that his company could be working on a new device. We didn't hear much more about the product in the following months, but that's changing today.
Essential has confirmed that it's got a "new device" that's in the early testing stages right now. An Essential spokesperson confirmed as much to XDA-Developers, but unfortunately they didn't say much else about the upcoming product. Here's the spokesperson's full statement:
“Hi Mishaal, thanks for reaching out. We’ve previously shared that the Essential team is working on a new device. It is now in early testing and we look forward to sharing more details in the future.”
Meanwhile, a few details about the upcoming device may have leaked out. Essential's build bot sent an email to developer Luk1337, who developed a patch for a bug that was picked up by Essential engineers, and the email makes references to a build version of "gem-q-microg-userdebug MICROG.QP1A.190711.020". That build version hints at a device codenamed "gem" that's running Android 10.
There's a mention of microG, an open source alternative framework to Google Play Services, though there's no guarantee that Essential's new device will or won't have Google Mobile Services when it launches.
The email also hints at a "FINGERPRINT_WALKIE_TALKIE" variable, though little is know about that setting. There are mentions of an "sm7150", too, which is also known as the Snapdragon 730 processor, as well as camera sensors like a 16MP Sony IMX519, 48MP Sony IMX586, 13MP Sony IMX258, 20MP Sony IMX476, and 5MP Samsung S5K5E9. Those references don't necessarily guarantee that every one of those cameras will be included in the end product.
Finally, a commit submitted by an Essential engineer was discovered that fixes an issue that would cause a boot animation to be cropped when using an install orientation of 90 or 270 degrees. XDA notes that those orientations are typically used for tablets, while smartphones usually have an orientation of 0 degrees.
A lot of the info about the next Essential device is still up in the air, but we're betting that there are a lot of folks who will be excited to learn that the product is indeed in early testing. While the Essential Phone had a rough launch, it got some price cuts and gained more fans, especially after Essential continued to push out updates the same day that Google's Pixel phones got them. And while the Essential Phone is no longer for sale, it's still getting speedy updates, having just gotten Android 10 the same day that Google released it.
What would you like to see from a new Essential device?
