More than a month after missing its deadline, the Essential phone's production seems to be in full swing. Essential chief Andy Rubin himself shared photos of the production line, declaring that the phones will be available in a week.
The photos were posted by Rubin via Twitter, with the post reading "We are in full mass production, ramping up to deliver your Essential Phone. Find out where you can get yours next week!"
Rubin, who is the chief executive officer at Essential Products, previously said that the new smartphone will be shipping sometime in June, but missed the deadline. Given past delays, and with no details on the exact date of availability, fans are not impressed with the announcement.
One Twitter user said, "With so many broken promises I think I will pass this time and see if the company makes it for at least two years." "No actual details, completely vague tweet. Well done on not providing anything again," said a commenter. "I lost interest. It's no longer 'essential' that I buy this phone," said another.
With the phone's high-end specifications and minimalist design, it has been highly anticipated since it was announced last May. The phone features a sleek, almost bezel-less design with a 5.7-inch screen that wraps around the front camera to maximize the display. Its body is built from titanium and ceramic materials for high durability.
It will also be the latest smartphone to support modular devices which will attach to magnetic pins at the back of the phone. Currently, the available modular devices are a wireless charging dock and a pocket-sized 360-degree camera.
The Essential phone also owes much of the attention it's getting to Rubin himself, the man behind the Android operating system. He was Google's senior vice president of mobile and digital content before leaving the company in 2014 to focus on startup projects.
