Andy Rubin teases Essential’s next phone with a ‘radically different form factor’

Essential recently announced it is working on a successor to its first flagship smartphone. Now, Andy Rubin (@Arubin), the controversial ‘father of Android’ and founder of Essential, teased a new device via his Twitter account.

https://twitter.com/Arubin/status/1181688540540764160

We've been working on a new device to reframe your perspective on mobile. It's now in early testing with our team outside the lab. Look forward to sharing more in the near future! #ProjectGEM pic.twitter.com/BnVy7yM2Kj

— Essential (@essential) October 9, 2019

This is a dramatic shift away from the PH-1 and even more drastically different design than most of the folding smartphones this year has brought forth. It seems this design — now internally named Project GEM — looks like half the width of a standard smartphone but sports a hole-punch camera, fingerprint sensor and a custom Android skin that features weather, maps, calendar and Uber.

In addition, three colour options are available, including gradient blue, red, orange and green.

Time will tell if these images are actually the PH-2, or if the phone Rubin tweeted out is just an internal test unit.

Andy Rubin left Google with a sizable severance package amid allegations os sexual misconduct. He then went on to create Essential and the Essential Phone.

Source: @Arubin