2 years, 4 months, 4 days. This is the time that I have carried the Essential Phone PH-1 as my “daily driver”. I believe that is my record of any phone.
Words cannot express how frustrated I am to be forced to move on from Essential. It has been the most favorite phone I have ever carried. The physical size of the phone is perfect. The updates have been solid on-point and I even got Android 10 before the Pixel series did (look it up). The state of mobile phone selection in America right now is terrible.
It should be noted that I never factory reset the Essential. The phone received all the following updates without any issue whatsoever. Operational speed has always been excellent, smooth and responsive.
- Android 7.1.1 “Nougat”
- Android 8.1 “Oreo”
- Android 9.0 “Pie”
- Android 10 (current)
You may wonder why I decided to get a new phone. The answer is simple: security. While Essential regularly released Android security patches, this has not happened since Febuary 2020 when the company announced full shutdown. Therefore, as time progresses, the phone becomes more and more vulnerable to zero-day flaws and exploits.
Choosing a replacement was very difficult. My priority was centered around security. Apple, Google, OnePlus, and Motorola were all viable contenders. While I seriously considered an iPhone for longer than 30 seconds, I couldn’t really choose this as I am married for life to Android. However, Apple’s code is completely closed and written in the United States. Therefore it (usually) is secure, as long as the humans writing it that work for Apple don’t accidentally leave open a huge vulnerability as they have in the past.
OnePlus tempted me greatly, especially with the OnePlus 7T for $500. Hardware specs are awesome but the OS is written in Shenzhen, China. This is not secure. Same with Motorola.
Better the enemy I know than the enemy I don’t
Therefore, the only choice is the Google Pixel. While I have no trust in Google remaining to “do no evil”, better the enemy I know than the enemy I don’t. Also, if Google is caught violating our privacy in a way that is unforgivable, I have a bit of faith in the FCC to lay down the law to protect the American citizens.
Amazon has the Google Pixel 3a XL on sale for $319 plus taxes. This is in preparation for the launch of the upcoming Google Pixel 4a. My plan is to carry the 3a XL as my daily driver until the 4a is released, or the Pixel 5 is announced and that might change my mind. I only want the 3a XL for a few months.
Initial review of Pixel 3a XL versus Essential Phone
- Bigger
- Lighter
- Much better battery
- Camera is epic
- Bezels are huge
- Software is nearly identical in every way
I am quite sympathetic to your experience and reasoning. I was one of those who ordered the Essential way before it shipped. To be honest, I had some problem with the initial phone…it ate sim cards, but it was quickly replaced. I finally gave up on it’s being my phone when I switched carriers (to Google Fi) and found myself stranded without service in a somewhat rural area in Pennsylvania. I got an incredibly inexpensive Moto G6, which worked fine, until the Pixel 4 came out.
Had Essential stayed viable and produced a second model that would have worked with Fi I would have bought it.
The board of directors at Essential killed the goose that laid the golden egg when they asked Andy Rubin to step down. He made the phone we all wanted and made it “consumer-centric”. They reacted to the FUD factor of the “Me Too” movement too hastily. It was because of Andy they were able to attract investors and enthusiasts. Then they proceeded to break every promise they made to us. I had almost zero problems with my PH-1. Then one day my phone slipped out of my pocket in a parking lot and got run over by a car. I had a lot of great accessories but I wasn’t about to buy another by a company that announced they would not support existing customers anymore.
Maybe Elon Musk will come out with a Starlink phone. I would buy it with no hesitation or trepidation. Rest In Piece, Essential. 🧐