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OSOM plans to release its first privacy-focused product next year
Essential may be dead, but OSOM is starting a life of its own
Essential may not be around anymore, but that doesn't mean the talented team that made up the company is taking a break. Essential's head of R&D, Jason Keats, founded OSOM Products earlier this year with a handful of former employees on board. Now a new interview has revealed a glimpse into the future of OSOM — and it's a vision that's focused pretty much entirely on user privacy.
(Update: More info) Former Essential staff have started a new company called OSOM Products
Expect some 'innovative' and 'wild' hardware from a team of past Essential employees
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After launching one of the most hyped Android phones in recent years, Essential came to a sad end in the wake of the Andy Rubin controversy. The company still has a cult following and many are still using the Essential PH-1 despite the fact that it's no longer being supported. Those users will be excited to learn that a bunch of former employees are now part of a new company called OSOM Products, founded by Essential's head of R&D Jason Keats.
Andy Rubin's Essential launched its first phone in 2017, and it turns out that will be its only phone. After making some news last year with the bizarre Project GEM prototype, Essential has now announced that it won't be releasing that device or any other. Essential will shut down, effective immediately.
Yesterday, I posted (and shared via Android Police's official Twitter account) that Android Police will no longer be accepting any access from Andy Rubin's startup Essential. That means no more press conferences, briefings, embargoes, or review devices. This came in light of Rubin's announcement of the company's new phone, apparently called GEM.
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It turns out that the folding phone isn't the only weird form factor these days. Andy Rubin, the man behind Essential, just posted the first photos of the company's upcoming phone on Twitter. It's quite the departure from the PH-1, but if you like how tall Sony's 21:9 phones are, you're in for a real treat.
Who responds to a nine-month-old tweet with news about an upcoming phone announcement? Andy Rubin, apparently. The Founder and CEO of Essential may be going through a (likely very messy) divorce, but he took the time today to respond to a near-ancient Twitter discussion telling folks to "hang tight" and that his company would "make an announcement" in regards to tweets encouraging Essential to release another phone.
Misery loves company, and Essential has just bought some. CloudMagic's eponymous email app was once a pretty appealing offering with an unbeatable price tag of free. That was before it was rebranded as Newton Mail and had a hefty $49.99 annual subscription fee slathered on it in September 2016. As you can guess, that didn't go over very well, and Newton Mail was officially put out of its misery on September 25th. Now Essential, a startup with a not-so-glamorous trajectory of its own, has acquired CloudMagic. The financial terms of the deal are unclear.
Much less work is getting done at Google offices around the world today as thousands of employees have walked off the job in protest. At issue is the way Google handles sexual harassment claims, spurred by the recent news that Android co-founder Andy Rubin was paid a $90 million severance after another Googler accused him of harassment. The organizers hope this protest will draw attention to the issue and improve workplace safety and equality.
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Nearly a year ago, Andy Rubin took a leave of absence from Essential, after The Information alleged that he was in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate while he led the Android team at Google. Rubin returned to Essential not long after, but now more details about his time at Google have been released by The New York Times.
Essential may be at work on making an AI-focused alternative smartphone that operates mainly on voice commands, but it'll have to do so with a significantly reduced staff. Essential has confirmed that it is laying off a large portion of its staff, which Bloomberg reports amounts to roughly 30 percent of the 120-person workforce — mainly in the hardware and sales divisions.
While Essential's first device has a cult following among those who prioritize quick Android updates, it became clear in May that it would never see a follow-up. A report from Bloomberg revealed that the company had canceled a second Essential Phone and put itself up for sale. However, over the past several months, the company has quietly chugged along, continuing to push out lightning-fast security patches. Now, a new report from Bloomberg states that the company is indeed working on a second device — but it's not at all like its first product. According to the publication's tipsters, the handset is an anti-smartphone with a small screen that relies primarily on voice commands.
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According to Bloomberg, Essential, an up-and-coming phone manufacturer, is reportedly calling it quits, canceling its second phone and putting out a "For Sale" sign. The company, founded by Android's creator Andy Rubin, has supposedly hired an outside firm to advise it on a potential sale, with one suitor allegedly showing interest.
Many of you were probably wowed by the Vivo Apex, a concept phone with way too many futuristic things on board, at MWC 2018. The Apex has extraordinarily small bezels and an in-display fingerprint sensor, but arguably its most innovative feature is its popup front-facing camera that allows it to avoid the dreaded notch. Andy Rubin has revealed that a patent for this solution was granted to Essential Products, Inc in 2017.
To say it's been a bumpy ride for Essential would be an understatement. After the initial hype surrounding the company's first phone died down, reviews were lukewarm and strong sales failed to materialize. Considerable price drops have followed, and there's also been controversy surrounding founder Andy Rubin and alleged inappropriate behavior. That said, there are some positives for owners of the device, with Essential quick to deliver updates and make improvements.
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- Recode reports that Andy Rubin has returned to working at Essential. No other details are known at this time.
According to The Verge and other publications, Andy Rubin has taken a leave of absence from his company, Essential. The news followed hours after The Information broke a story that Rubin was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate while he led the Android team at Google.
AMAs on reddit are a good way for tech companies to communicate with fans and potential customers and answer any concerns they may have. Of course, not all of them go well, but if you're honest and respond to important questions, it's easy enough to do. Essential may have had a couple of screw-ups in the past, but at least it did its AMA right. Here are some responses we thought deserved a spot in this recap.
It's finally happening. Today marks the official, long-overdue launch of the Essential Phone PH-1 with Essential and Sprint making announcements that you can pre-order Andy Rubin's new device today.
Andy Rubin's Essential hasn't had the greatest start, what with executives jumping ship and shipments being delayed so early on, but things may finally be looking up. The startup's flagship product, the PH-1 smartphone, has just hit Best Buy's website with listings for both the Sprint and unlocked models.
Smartphone startup Essential is headed by Android founder Andy Rubin, but that doesn't mean it's immune from delays. After promising to launch the Essential Phone in June, the company missed the deadline with nary a word. Rubin has now relayed a message to those who registered to buy the phone, informing them it'll just be a few more weeks.
