When Andy Rubin first unveiled the Essential Phone, we all have positive feelings about the possibility of a revolutionary smartphone. It’s from the Father of Android so we were thinking it would be a step up of the common Android phone. We got excited about its arrival but were disappointed with the initial sample photos and videos of the supposed impressive camera. There’s also the fact the device was delayed. The company missed its deadline. It did arrive in a few weeks time, exclusive to one mobile carrier only.
The Essential Phone isn’t exactly the bestseller we hoped it would be. We can’t say if Andy Rubin leaving the company had something to do with it but the product started on the wrong side. It was delayed and then there’s the problem of customers’ information accidentally sent out to others, challenging repairability, and some lags.
A month after release, Essential only sold 5,000 units. Over four months later, the number has reached less than a hundred thousand. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), only 80,000 Essential Phones were sold in 2017. It was a tough start for the company and we have no idea if it can ever hit its original target. Prices have gone down already after a few discounts.
As for Google, the Pixel line’s shipment doubled to 3.9 million in 2017. That’s for both the Pixel 1 and Pixel 2 generations already. The number is way higher than the Essential Phone’s but still an insignificant number of the 1.5 billion market size.
VIA: Francisco Jeronimo (1),(2)
