There was consternation back in May when Andy Rubin’s Essential PH-1 phone was revealed as an exclusive of America’s fourth placed network, Sprint.
Now a UK launch is on the cards and it appears as if the bezel-less Android smartphone will once again be restricted to a single carrier.
According to a Financial Times report on Monday, Android co-founder Rubin is in talks with UK carriers over an exclusive deal to carry the Essential phone.
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The handset is about to ship in the US for $699, which is around £540 at the current exchange rate, although UK pricing is yet to be confirmed.
In terms of specs it has an edge-to-edge 5.7-inch QHD display and a modular design, which enables, among other accessories, a 360-degree camera to be attached to the top of the phone.
It has a 13-megpixel dual-camera set-up capable of 4K video, with the second lens used as a monochrome sensor. The selfie camera is 8-megapixels.
In terms of power, it runs off the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with 4GB RAM.
Will you be deeming the PH-1 ‘Essential’ when it arrives in the UK later this year? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.