Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone is still weeks away

As a fledgling start-up, the process of bringing that first product to the masses is rarely ‘smooth as a baby’s bottom’ and often ‘rough as a badger’s a**e.’

Thus it is proving with the Essential Phone (PH-1), the new smartphone from Android co-founder Andy Rubin, who today admitted the phone is still weeks away from a release.

Upon the phone’s unveiling back in May, Rubin promised to get the bezel-less, modular phone to early adopters within 30 days. That was 51 days ago.

Related: Best smartphone

Now the former Googler has taken to Twitter to plead patience from those hoping to get the first-gen phone in their hands before the summer is out.

While not offering a specific timeline Rubin assured pre-order customers the phone will be with them “in a few weeks. ”

From Rubin’s statement it appears work on the phone has now been completed and there’s no unresolved hardware or software flaw holding things up.

The comments also suggest an international release won’t be too far behind the US launch.

Earlier this week we brought word Rubin was in talks with multiple UK carriers over bringing the Essential handset to the Blighty.

The report claimed EE was among the networks in discussion over an exclusive deal, akin to the one Essential agreed with Sprint in the US.

When it eventually arrives, the Essential Phone will deliver a 5.7-inch QHD display, Qualcomm 835 processor and 4GB of RAM.

There’s a 13-megapixel rear camera sensor, as well as a 8-megapixel front-facing camera capable of capturing 4K video.

The firm is also marketing a 360-degree camera accessory that clips to the top of the phone.