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essential gs8

Andy Rubin is famous for founding Android, which was subsequently acquired past Google and turned into the largest computing platform on Earth. He left Google several years ago to wait for new challenges, and now he'southward arrived dorsum in the Android ecosystem with a startup known every bit Essential. The company revealed its first telephone this week later on teasing it several weeks previously. The Essential Telephone has a crazy border-to-border screen, a titanium frame, and the latest Qualcomm chip. This phone looks like it could fifty-fifty give the Galaxy S8 a run for its money, then let's see how they stack upward.

Display

Samsung's Galaxy S8 has a 5.8-inch curved AMOLED panel that's taller than other phones. The 18.5:ix aspect ratio offers more space than a regular 16:9 display in this chassis would. That helps it fill up more of the bachelor space, and the edges that curve downward brand it comfortable to hold. Samsung calls this an "infinity display." The resolution is 2960 ten 1440, which is amongst the highest available on a phone.

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Essential has a similar goal of cramming as much screen into its telephone as possible. This phone has a 5.7-inch flat LCD panel. It'll exist 2560 ten 1312 with a 19:10 ratio. However, it goes all the style to the edge of the phone — for existent. There are only a few millimeters separating the display from the edge, merely that comes with a trade-off. The front-facing camera takes a chunk out of the display right in the acme center. It's certainly an interesting pattern option.

The Essential phone has a cool take on the shrinking the bezel, but Samsung's AMOLED is a known quantity, and information technology's not bad. LCDs tend to have duller colors and slower response time, making VR impractical. Then, advantage Samsung on this one.

Internals

These phones will share a lot on the within, and that'due south what counts, isn't it? Both phones have a Snapdragon 835 with 4GB of RAM. The Galaxy S8 is tuned to be more ability efficient, so it doesn't experience as fast equally yous might expect for a device with such a powerful fleck. We don't know what Essential volition do with the 835, but there's room to leave the GS8 in the dust.

The Essential Phone will ship with 128GB of storage, but the Galaxy S8 is but 64GB. Nearly markets don't accept a higher-capacity variant, either. Both phones use high-speed UFS storage, which is much faster than a removable card. In fact, the Essential phone doesn't take expandable storage at all. Samsung's phone has a microSD card slot if you don't listen the slower speeds.

Essential might exist able to run across the needs of most users with so much built-in storage, but some people will never give up the microSD card slot. Notwithstanding, a Snapdragon 835 tuned for performance could be enough to put Essential over the top.

Design

Samsung's Galaxy S8 is a beautiful slice of engineering with its aluminum and glass body. The drinking glass rear panel curves up to run into the curved front end, giving the overall device a rounded, comfy feel.

The Essential Phone, past dissimilarity, is a apartment slab, just it's made from materials we don't often see in smartphones. The frame volition exist titanium, which is much more durable than aluminum. Aluminum volition scratch and dent if you drib it, but titanium remains unblemished. The back panel is ceramic, which (depending on the structure) tin can be much lighter and stronger than glass.

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Samsung has opted to stick with the headphone jack for at least one more than generation, but the Essential Phone is living in a jack-less hereafter. It but has a Type-C port, but you tin can employ a 3.5mm adapter. It does, however, include a fingerprint sensor in the right place on the dorsum of the phone. That's the same location used by the Pixel, LG G6, and others. Samsung placed it fashion up next to the camera, which is terrible.

The Milky way S8 is a pretty phone, but the new materials Essential is bringing to the table are intriguing. I think Essential has an advantage here.

Software

Samsung's TouchWiz interface used to exist the definition of bad design, but it'due south gotten much amend over the years. It still lacks the sensible interface of stock Android, merely Samsung has at least made its myriad of features comprehensible. The color palette is also more elegant. Meanwhile, Essential aims to launch its phone with a nearly stock version of Android. That's probably a good matter.

I potential concern is what's going to become of Essential in a yr? Samsung volition be effectually to update the Galaxy S8, even though information technology might accept longer than yous'd similar. Maybe Essential will crash and burn, or mayhap information technology will pivot to other devices. It's a new player with a lot of unknowns. Essential is in a position to provide a great Android experience, though.

Cameras

The Milky way S8 only has 1 12MP camera on the rear as more and more phones implement dual cameras. However, it's a really good camera. Focus is incredibly fast, colors are authentic, HDR manner is constructive, and fifty-fifty low-calorie-free shots are practiced. In my experience, it'south a close second to the Pixel.

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The Essential Phone has two rear-facing cameras, which it says are the thinnest dual sensors ever created. Essential is doing the aforementioned thing Huawei does with its Leica-branded dual cameras. At that place'south a 13MP RGB sensor paired with a 13MP monochrome sensor. The monochrome sensor is great at capturing detail, and more sensors equals more than light. The output from both sensors is combined in software to give y'all an (allegedly) great photo.

It's hard to say who's going to win here. Camera performance varies hugely based on software, so we'll have to expect and see. Still, Essential has some cool ideas.

Modularity

The Essential Phone has one feature with no analog on the Galaxy S8: an accessory connector. On the back panel of the phone are 2 small pins that ability Essential'southward accessories, of which only one has been announced. When ownership an Essential phone, you lot tin can add a 360-degree photographic camera for $l. It attaches magnetically to the back, and you're all gear up.

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The accompaniment transmits data to the phone wirelessly with a special RF module. The result is a USB 3.1 connection without the plug. This could be absurd for various accessories, but all we have and then far is the photographic camera. Hopefully Essential shows off some more ways to make use of that connector. It has more potential than other modular accessory systems.

Cost and availability

Just looking at the hardware Essential has on offer, the $699 asking price seems similar a good deal. Titanium and ceramic are not inexpensive, and the phone has specs on the same level every bit the Galaxy S8. You're looking at $750 for Samsung'due south phone, or $850 if you upgrade to the Milky way S8 Plus.

Samsung's devices are more widely bachelor, though. You can get a Galaxy S8 from any carrier or from Samsung unlocked. Essential is simply selling the Essential Phone on its website, only information technology's unlocked. It says carrier partnerships are coming later, merely information technology might accept longer than anyone expects.

Now read: 25 Best Android Tips to Make Your Phone More than Useful