Black Friday and Cyber Monday are as much a way to clear out old stock as they are about big door-buster deals. Shocker: Essential still has some phones to unload. We've seen this device go on mega-sale a few times, but the Cyber Monday bundle is still rather compelling. You can get the phone, 360 camera, and more for $329.
Read MoreEssential Cyber Monday bundle includes a phone, 360 camera, camera case, and Earphones HD for $329
[Update: Back in stock] Essential reveals its Audio Adapter HD, a $150 machined titanium external DAC for the PH-1
Essential's Audio Adapter HD has finally been announced. The company has been talking about the existence of this new external headphone jack/DAC since June, and this month's security update indicated we'd see it soon. But there are a few twists: It's $150, and a limited edition.
Read MoreEssential decides a third of its staff isn't
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.
Read MoreEssential is reportedly working on an AI phone that operates through voice commands
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.
Read MoreEssential Phone re-review: Good software isn't good enough for most of us
When it was first released, Essential's entry into the phone market was a bit of a flop. Reviews for the PH-1 weren't profoundly negative, but the phone's almost $700 price was humorously high considering its features and problems at the time. A bit over a year later, many of its early issues have been fixed or improved, the phone is one of just a handful to be updated to Android 9 Pie, and it's dropped down as cheap as $250 for Amazon Prime Day — though it's closer to $330 now.
Read MoreEssential pushes October security update, brings back notch support
In a move that will surprise few at this point, Essential pushed out the latest Android 9 Pie release with October security patches within minutes of Google. Perhaps more exciting is the fact that with this update, the company is bringing back notch support.
Read MoreTWRP support now available for Essential Phone, Nokia 8, and HTC U11 EYEs
Even stock Android isn't perfect. While the lack of a heavy-handed skin is welcome, many users will find shortcomings (whether personal or widely acknowledged by the user base at large), that they'd like to tweak. Those users will be glad to know that the one and likely only Essential Phone, one of the few stock Android devices on the market, is now supported by TWRP.
Read MoreThe Best Of AP
Essential Phone gets September security update immediately following Google's release
Even though a May report suggested that Essential has canned its second-generation phone (an assertion the company didn't fully contradict), the first Essential Phone remains a cult favorite. In large part, that's because the company pushes out Android updates in near tandem with Google — and that was no exception with the September 2018 Android Pie update released today.
Read MoreEssential Phone finally gets support for YouTube zoom-to-fill
Now that almost every major smartphone has a display with a ratio around 18:9, regular old 16:9 videos aren't looking too hot with their black bars. To combat this, YouTube added a helpful zoom-to-fill feature to its Android app, but that functionality only works on select, more mainstream devices. The Essential Phone is finally getting support for it, months after both its and the feature's release.
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