Essential, the startup founded by Android creator Andy Rubin, is reportedly bringing its first smartphone to the UK later this year.
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A new smartphone from the man who created Android is reportedly coming to the UK
The phone's already been delayed in the US.
The Essential Phone.
According to The Financial Times, Essential has been in discussions with UK carriers on a deal to launch the phone here. One potential partner is EE. It's also thinking about bringing the phone to western Europe and Japan.
Essential's first phone, simply called Phone, hasn't actually launched in the US yet. But the startup has shown signs of trouble already. Business Insider reported last week that the company's VP of marketing Brian Wallace had left. Andy Fouché, who was listed as Essential's head of communications but described himself as an advisor, also left.
Essential is promising a high-end $700 (£535) device which will compete directly with Apple's iPhone and Samsung's flagship Galaxy range. The phone comes with magnetic connectors, meaning people can pin accessories to the back, such as a 360-degree camera which will be sold separately.
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The company will begin selling the unlocked phone through its site this summer, and it has an exclusive US carrier deal with Sprint. It hasn't given an exact timeframe though, and the company has already missed its launch deadline once.
Ben Wood, an analyst for CCS Insight, told The Financial Times that there would be "little or no interest" in Essential were it not for Andy Rubin.
Rubin reportedly raised $300 million (£231 million) recently for Essential. According to one analysis, the round values his startup at $993 million (£765 million), making it almost a unicorn before it even has a product on the market.
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