We all know Andy Rubin is the father of Android. After exiting Google, he has now gone back – not to Google – but to Android. His company, Essential Products, recently announced a phone. Just called Phone, or Essential Phone. But how different is Essential?

Rubin, in an interview to Wired Magazine, has said he tried almost all phones. And is happy with none. Every phone lacks something — size, battery, processing power...

So he decided to make the Phone. It’s built with titanium using a unique type of moulding technology from a small secret company. And it runs Android in its purest form.

The 5.7-inch front screen has absolutely nil bezel, except for the 8MP camera. It has the latest Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB storage.

“For all the good Android has done to help bring technology to nearly everyone it has also helped create this weird new world where people are forced to fight with the very technology that was supposed to simplify their lives,” says Rubin on the Essential website.

He added that he was frustated with the current state of technology today. “After another long talk with my friend we decided that I needed to start a new kind of company using 21st century methods to build products for the way people want to live in the 21st century,” he said. “The result is Essential, and this is what we believe.”

“Devices are your personal property. We won’t force you to have anything on them you don’t want to have,” added Rubin. “We will always play well with others. Closed ecosystems are divisive and outdated.”

“Devices shouldn’t become outdated every year,” said Rubin. “They should evolve with you. Technology should assist you so that you can get on with enjoying your life.”

Yes, when Rubin says the phone evolves with time, he means it. It has a magnetic dock for attaching accessories at the back.

He wants to ensure Essential’s accessories never go out of style. He doesn’t want the person who buys the phone to throw out the accessories he had bought after a while just because it doesn’t go with his new device. All the accessories will work with whatever device Essential brings next. In short, the phone and its accessories are future proof.

The phone comes with the “world’s smallest 360” degree camera. There is no separate app for the camera. And there is no need to connect through Bluetooth. Just the phone’s camera app is enough. It also supports wireless charging.

He wants Essential to be the new powerhouse on an open platform that will power future devices. And the Phone is just the beginning for Rubin.

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