Earlier this year we reported that Android founder Andy Rubin was working with his new company, Essential, to create a bezel-less phone. Today via Twitter he has revealed a tease of what is to come.
https://twitter.com/Arubin/status/846396881668210688
While not revealing many details what we can see is a device sans bezels that seems to be running Android (it would definitely be a strange choice for the founder of Android to not use Android so that is hardly a surprise). The clock, battery and cell service icons are all stock Android so hopefully this could be another option for those out there who prefer the Google/Pixel/Stock Android look. His tweet also mentions being eager to get it into more people’s hands which hopefully shows that it is ready for large scale production.
Rumours have the display larger than 5.5in, 3D touch-like technology and a proprietary magnetic connector for charging and hardware accessories. This connector is interesting as the first thing that comes to my mind is Moto Mods — Is Essential looking to do something similar? The phone itself has been manufactured by Foxconn and is apparently launching Q3 of this year for $649US.
It is unlikely we will see it here in Australia officially but there is always the import option if it takes your fancy.
Are you looking for a bezel-less phone? Assuming they put the front-facing camera at the bottom (where else could it go?) how would you handle that? Upside down selfies?
Mi Mix 2?
In the first photo that looks like what I think a normal size phone should be, much smaller than the current offerings. It looks about the size of my Z3 compact which has a 4.6″ screen and even if it was bezel-less I doubt you could fit a 5.5″ screen in it. I hope the rumoured screen size is wrong and it is a normal size device.
yeah, it depends on the bottom bezel but if its a 5.5in display with no bezel you wouldn’t imagine the footprint would be very big
I’m not sure if the first photo has the same phone. It seems to have bezels on top and bottom. That’s the sort of size device I think I’d like. If a 5.5″ bezel-less phone was a cm shorter than the S8 then I’d be very interested but I think the almost 15cm of length/height of an S8 device is to long for comfortable use in front pockets of pants. Not to mention being able to use the device one handed. Getting your thumb from the bottom to the top of the screen would be difficult even with a 14cm… Read more »
i think the first image is a stock image of Andy from many years back during a phone announcement (is it one of the Droids?)… also i don’t think Andy looks that youthful anymore.
i think the only image there is to go by is the glowing red hand from the tweet
It looks amazing. That size is what i was hoping the Galaxy S8 sans bezels was going to be.
Even with 5.5″ screen, should be about the size of the current Galaxy S7. so easily manageable in 1 hand.
WANT.