5 ms·

I'm a bit sad to see this, but it wasn't hard to predict. Essential launched its PH1, which was design-wise ahead of the curve. But, they didn't really seem t

by axaxs 8y ago

I'm a bit sad to see this, but it wasn't hard to predict. Essential launched its PH1, which was design-wise ahead of the curve. But, they didn't really seem to listen to or predict the market. First, there was no headphone jack. That's controversial, but you've probably lost what I'd guess at least 10% of your potential market by doing so(potentially as high as 40%). Second, the camera at launch was not good. That's probably what is most important to most people. I've heard it's gotten better, but a bit late. Last, and most importantly, it was absolutely overpriced. It brought nothing to the table to warrant its price, and probably should have been sub $500 at launch. Each of these points can be nitpicked by saying "well Samsung/Apple/LG/Oneplus did it", but Essential is not that. They are an unknown startup company with no consumer trust. You cannot expect people to give up features and pay Samsung prices before they know who you are. /rant

radicaldreamer 8y ago
I doubt the headphone jack had much of an impact on the market, but the go-to-market strategy just wasn't there (Sprint isn't a tier 1 carrier), the camera got poor reviews, and their first accessory, the 360 camera, just wasn't compelling enough, even for the enthusiast market.
- Latteland 8y ago
  There is no reasonable medium to top end phone that is almost pure android and has a headphone jack. it's just stupid to drop it, those who want the headphone jack would buy such a unicorn phone that would lead to it being a real competitive advantage.
diminish 8y ago
I still believe there's room for another premium US smartphone besides Pixel, Apple. China has Xiaomi and Europe has totally lost the smartphone race. Open source software, hardware initiatives have also failed to attract attention (Ubuntu, Firefoxos, ..) Essential or anyone needs some innovative new features or 'feel' to it.
- Kalium 8y ago
  There's definitely room for a premium smartphone beyond Google and Apple! Samsung devices running Android seems to own that space pretty effectively.
  - EpicEng 8y ago
    >room for a premium _US_ smartphone
    - Kalium 8y ago
      Samsung has a strong US market position, running mostly US-made software on hardware fabricated and assembled elsewhere. At this point Samsung's phones are about as American as Google's or Apple's.
      - EpicEng 8y ago
        Except for the fact that, you know, it's a Korean company... but sure.
        pjmlp 8y ago
        How smartphones do Google and Apple actually produce in US?
        EpicEng 8y ago
        So, I think I was misunderstood here... I only piped up because the GP explicitly said "US" in relation to a failing US based company. Saying that Samsung fills that gap makes no sense, regardless of where the phones are manufactured.
        Kalium 8y ago
        In one sense, you're absolutely right. It's a Korean-owned company and therefore obviously in no way American. In another sense, the ownership of Samsung is irrelevant. The actual phones have roughly the same level of US-origin content and US-local labor as those phones famously labeled "Designed by Apple in California".
nradov 8y ago
How was it design-wise ahead of the curve? All I see is yet another flat rectangle. With a notch. Ugh. It's a shame that no one really tries to innovate on mobile device design any more in order to target niche markets. But perhaps the economics of mass production mean that's no longer a viable strategy.
- laughingpine 8y ago
  > With a notch I believe it was one of (if not) the first with a notch.
  - EpicEng 8y ago
    The notch isn't really a design feature though... assuming you're being sarcastic.
    - polishTar 8y ago
      One man's notch is another's "edge to edge display". The cutout allows a higher display to body ratio, which some people value.
      - EpicEng 8y ago
        In other words, an unfortunate trade-off which exists due to a technical limitation. No one _wants_ a notch.
- wlesieutre 8y ago
  And the software ecosystem. If the millions of 3rd party apps only support rectangles, it’s hard to do something different.
- Juan_Largearm 8y ago
  I miss all the different shapes. Nokia alone had so many different shapes in the early 2000s, different layouts, wide ranges of colour ect. It's just rectangles now https://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanthui/3881160306/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanthui/3881160306/
winningcontinue 8y ago
Bought the phone and sold it at a loss more than a few months later for less than half. Camera is terrible and it did not at all improve with time. Screen to phone ratio was amazing but another drawback nobody mentions was the weight. for a 5 inch phone it weighed more than my previous Nexus 6p. Carrying it in my pocket made it heavy.
- watersb 8y ago
  FWIW, yes. The camera is awful, and it is a dense brick to carry around. I am using a PH-1 as my phone, a clearance sale item promoted by Amazon this past summer. I believe Amazon is a major investor in Essential. Looks like another fail for them, in terms of Amazon becoming a smartphone creator with a viable mass-market product.

by axaxs 8y ago

radicaldreamer 8y ago

I doubt the headphone jack had much of an impact on the market, but the go-to-market strategy just wasn't there (Sprint isn't a tier 1 carrier), the camera got poor reviews, and their first accessory, the 360 camera, just wasn't compelling enough, even for the enthusiast market.

Latteland 8y ago
There is no reasonable medium to top end phone that is almost pure android and has a headphone jack. it's just stupid to drop it, those who want the headphone jack would buy such a unicorn phone that would lead to it being a real competitive advantage.

diminish 8y ago

I still believe there's room for another premium US smartphone besides Pixel, Apple. China has Xiaomi and Europe has totally lost the smartphone race. Open source software, hardware initiatives have also failed to attract attention (Ubuntu, Firefoxos, ..) Essential or anyone needs some innovative new features or 'feel' to it.

Kalium 8y ago
There's definitely room for a premium smartphone beyond Google and Apple! Samsung devices running Android seems to own that space pretty effectively.
- EpicEng 8y ago
  >room for a premium _US_ smartphone
  - Kalium 8y ago
    Samsung has a strong US market position, running mostly US-made software on hardware fabricated and assembled elsewhere. At this point Samsung's phones are about as American as Google's or Apple's.
    - EpicEng 8y ago
      Except for the fact that, you know, it's a Korean company... but sure.
      - pjmlp 8y ago
        How smartphones do Google and Apple actually produce in US?
        EpicEng 8y ago
        So, I think I was misunderstood here... I only piped up because the GP explicitly said "US" in relation to a failing US based company. Saying that Samsung fills that gap makes no sense, regardless of where the phones are manufactured.
        Kalium 8y ago
        In one sense, you're absolutely right. It's a Korean-owned company and therefore obviously in no way American. In another sense, the ownership of Samsung is irrelevant. The actual phones have roughly the same level of US-origin content and US-local labor as those phones famously labeled "Designed by Apple in California".

nradov 8y ago

How was it design-wise ahead of the curve? All I see is yet another flat rectangle. With a notch. Ugh. It's a shame that no one really tries to innovate on mobile device design any more in order to target niche markets. But perhaps the economics of mass production mean that's no longer a viable strategy.

laughingpine 8y ago
> With a notch I believe it was one of (if not) the first with a notch.
- EpicEng 8y ago
  The notch isn't really a design feature though... assuming you're being sarcastic.
  - polishTar 8y ago
    One man's notch is another's "edge to edge display". The cutout allows a higher display to body ratio, which some people value.
    - EpicEng 8y ago
      In other words, an unfortunate trade-off which exists due to a technical limitation. No one _wants_ a notch.
wlesieutre 8y ago
And the software ecosystem. If the millions of 3rd party apps only support rectangles, it’s hard to do something different.
Juan_Largearm 8y ago
I miss all the different shapes. Nokia alone had so many different shapes in the early 2000s, different layouts, wide ranges of colour ect. It's just rectangles now https://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanthui/3881160306/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanthui/3881160306/

winningcontinue 8y ago

Bought the phone and sold it at a loss more than a few months later for less than half. Camera is terrible and it did not at all improve with time. Screen to phone ratio was amazing but another drawback nobody mentions was the weight. for a 5 inch phone it weighed more than my previous Nexus 6p. Carrying it in my pocket made it heavy.

watersb 8y ago
FWIW, yes. The camera is awful, and it is a dense brick to carry around. I am using a PH-1 as my phone, a clearance sale item promoted by Amazon this past summer. I believe Amazon is a major investor in Essential. Looks like another fail for them, in terms of Amazon becoming a smartphone creator with a viable mass-market product.