Android creator Andy Rubin’s Essential phone is finally here to take on Apple and Samsung

It has been a long wait to have a glimpse of Android creator Andy Rubin's first smartphone. And from the looks and specifications of the new smartphone, we can easily say that the wait was surely worth it.

Apparently, at this point its only renders and graphics from Essential, and you will have to wait for the final verdict. But, we can surely feast our eyes on the new device. Starting with the classy edge-to-edge screen and tiny bezel, the 5.6-inch device is made of titanium and ceramic, which the company claims leaves behind most aluminium phones in the durability department.

Essential has said little about the software other than it will run Android Nougat 7.1.1 out of the box. It uses the same processor as the Galaxy S8 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 835) and features other comparable hardware specs, including 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It also has a slightly bigger battery than both the Pixel and Galaxy S8 (3040 mAh).

The front-facing camera has an eight-megapixel sensor and is capable of recording 4K video, while the rear camera is 13-megapixel with a second monochrome sensor to help boost low-light shots. It also won't come with a headphone jack and will instead rely on a USB Type-C and a dongle for audio output.

While this was all usual stuff, there are a couple of intriguing things too. There are two holes on the back which can be used to attach Essential-made accessories. To start, the pins are going to be used with a charging dock and 360-degree camera.

As previously teased, the device will include a 360-degree camera that can be clipped on the device to enable a whole different kind of phone-based photography.

The Essential Phone can be reserved online in the US starting today for $699 and will ship in four different colours: Black Moon, Stellar Grey, Pure White and Ocean Depths.