A Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) with the Essential team revealed more information about upcoming software updates set to come to Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone.
First off, regarding the issue with the Essential’s laggy touch issues and “display touch scrolling jitteriness,” according to the team, there is already a fix that’s set to be available over-the-air (OTA) in a few weeks.
During the AMA the team revealed that the Essential Phone will receive Android Oreo, though there isn’t a release date yet for the update. However, the team is working on making a public beta of Oreo available at some point in the coming weeks.
The Essential team is also working on fingerprint reader gestures, which they expect will make it into the upcoming OTA update. Similarly, within the same AMA question, Essential revealed that it’s not working on double tap to wake functionality or LED notifications — though Essential suggests downloading an app on the Play Store with this feature. The company noted it’s also not yet working on adjusting the vibration intensity.
Essential discussed colour options for its device, as well. Those who have already reserved the white model should be getting it within the week. The team, however, is still working on the ‘Ocean Depths’ and ‘Stellar Grey’ variants, with no answer on an actual release date yet.
The AMA also briefly touched on the Essential Home — the company’s speaker product that is to challenge Google Home and the Amazon Echo products — which is still in development. Essential says it will have “something to show soon” regarding the Essential Home.
The team at Essential is also working on Live streaming with Facebook and Periscope, which is planned to arrive during the fall OTA for the Essential 360 camera.
The Essential team will be doing bi-weekly AMAs on Reddit with the next one being on October 18th. To check out the full AMA click here.
