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Is the $499 Essential phone worth it?

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

No other Android smartphone in 2017 has been as polarizing as the Essential phone. Created by the father of Android, many of us (tech reviewers) wanted a no compromise phone we could love. A device that would be a trailblazer showing other manufacturers what is possible and ushering in an new era of innovation through competition.

Instead the Essential phone is a device I want to love but can't. 

Essential recently dropped its Canadian and US price and many readers wanted to know if I could recommend this phone at the new price. Keep reading to find out.

It feels rushed

So Andy Rubin teed the essential phone in March an created a tone of excitement.

Reviewers went wild because it was the first phone with an edge to edge display. Since then, we have been bombarded with a bunch of beautiful, wet designed smartphones with edge to edge displays (like the Samsung Note 8, Samsung Galaxy S8+, iPhone X, etc). 

When I use the phone and compare it to its cousins, I have the feeling the phone was rushed. Since September, Essential has had to release 4 updates to make the device usable and it still has a lot of room for improvement.

One major complaint that seems to affect all users is the camera quality. Even with the hardware Essential used, most of us expected the device to take much better pictures. Then a port of the Google Pixel Camera app was released by an unknown developer and tests (see article here) show that through software, image quality can be greatly improved. This is the perfect example of issues created because Essential didn't take the time to release adequate software to make it's device shine.

If you take too many sequential burst pictures, the native Essential Camera app crashes and won't work until you restart the phone. 

The good

The Essential phone looks and feel amazing. It has a beautiful edge to edge screen that is brights.  The device is slightly heavier than competing products and really feels well built. It is (to me at least) the best looking android phone you can buy today.

It comes with USB C.

It has a camera that doesn't have a hump so the entire back of the device is flat and won't wobble when placed on a table.

It has a fantastic fingerprint reader that is well placed and works very quickly every time. 

It is running a stock version of Android (comparable to the Google Pixel line). This clean version of Android means the phone is extremely fast and responsive. Apps start quickly (often faster than on a Samsung Galaxy S8+ or Note 8). 

Essential has committed to 3 years of security patches and 2 years of major OS updates which is a huge win. Even companies like Lenovo Motorola, Samsung and OnePlus don't commit to software updates like this. I think this is a huge plus for Essential and I wish other companies would follow it's lead.

The bad

The camera is one of the main reasons people buy smartphones and the Essential camera is just "ok". I won't bore you with samples because every reviewer has posted dozens but trust me, the camera will leave you wanting.

As mentioned above, the illicit port of the Google Pixel Camera app does make a significant improvement to the picture quality but it still isn't in the same league as the Samsung Galaxy S8 (which you can now buy around the same price) or the OnePlus 5 (which is out of stock as we wait for its replacement the OnePlus 5T).

It doesn't have any type of water or dust protection.

It doesn't support wireless charging.

You can't buy a second Essential branded was charger yet and the only add-on they released is their $150 360 camera which itself produces "ok" quality pictures and videos.

The speakers on the Essential phone get fairly loud but the audio quality is sub-par. 

Conclusion

The Essential phone was the phone I was hoping to love and was hoping it would become my daily driver (replacing my iPhone). 

So to answer the original question, even at this price, I can't recommend the phone for most users. If Essential released an Android 8 upgrade (we know they are testing it internally) and that version included a massively reworked camera app and they released the charging pad, then may recommendation would likely change.

Important issues with the Google Pixelbook

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

So the Google Pixelbook is the most elegant expression of what a Chromebook could be. There are dozens of review on the internet extolling the wondrous virtues of the device. I think it is a fantastic device for the right user because it is fast, hassle-free and as secure as a mobile computing device can be.  

Instead of just writing another copycat article about the positives, I wanted to share some of the less than perfect elements of the device. To ensure you can make an educated decision.

Image courtesy Google 

Google Assistant 

I love the Google Assistant and was excited when Google added it to the Pixelbook. The problem is that the activation hot words only work when the device is on and the screen is on. If the device is idle and "sleeps", you will have to manually wake it up before you can trigger the Google Assistant. Consumers have come to expect always-on assistants (think Google home and Google Pixel 2 smartphone are always listening). 

I am a Google GSuite user and expected the Google Assitant (at least on their premium laptop replacement device) to integrate better for their business users. As an example, it won't be able to read you your agenda. 

Image courtesy Google

PixelBook Pen

The Pixelbook pen is a great concept but your experience will depend greatly on the apps you are using. Google claims that the Pixelbook Pen API uses a low latency model that should deliver 10ms response times and this is true in certain apps like Google Keep. In Google Keep, using the pen feels akin to writing on paper. In apps like Adobe Draw or Microsoft OneNote, you definitely feel the latency. The latency is so bad that it makes the experience almost unusable. 

Android apps on ChromeOS

With the launch of the Pixelbook, Google finally graduated Android apps on ChromeOS out of beta. This is a push we have seen from Google for many months and they want to encourage ChromeOS (Chromebook) users to leverage the millions of Android apps to make the Chromebook the prefered mobile platform.

Some companies (like Adobe) have worked with Google to make their Android app Chromebook aware and thus using Lightroom on it is actually a great experience. It is fast, fluid and very functionally complete. 

Other apps are the polar opposite. With these less than optimal apps, you will experience:

  • incorrect app orientation
  • the app does not use the full-screen real estate 
  • app performance is sometimes erratic and will crash for no discernible reason

Conclusion

The Pixelbook is a beautifully crafted device that works relatively well. If the device had been a couple of hundred dollars less, I could easily overlook everything written here, but at $US999, my expectations are slightly higher. 

I think the Pen is still a beta experience and they should really provide one for free with each Pixelbook. More customers using the Pen means more telemetry and better design cues for v2 next year. I cannot recommend the $US99 pen right now. The Pixelbook pen is nothing more than a gimmick right now. 

Samsung releases ad to mock Google's Pixel 2 XL screen issues

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

We regularly see mobile carriers release commercials mocking competitors but we rarely see this with smartphone manufacturers. Samsung has been watching all of the flack reviewers are throwing at Google regarding the screen on its new flagship Pixel 2 XL. And good ol Sammy decided it's time to use Google's misstep to its advantage with a short commercial talking about the incredible screen on its own devices.

I'm in the market for a new smartphone and actually ordered a Panda Pixel 2XL from Google (scheduled to arrive Dec 18). With all of the issues, I am now considering alternatives and leaving towards a Samsung Note 8 or the upcoming OnePlus 5T. 

The short well-crafted ad shows clips from various Youtube tech reviewers talking about how great the Samsung screens are (e.g. MKBHD, Unbox Therapy, Mr. Mobile and many more).

Regardless of how you feel about the Pixel 2 XL screen (some do like it), there is no debate that Samsung is the king of OLED screens. When talking about $1000 phones, companies are expected to deliver high-quality devices and I am fine with Samsung using this opportunity to win some points.

OnePlus 5T specs and release date

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

It's time to upgrade my phone and I am waiting to see what OnePlus releases as their OnePlus 5T model. In the above photo (from GizChina.it) , we see that the launch will likely take place on November 16 (for India at least which is where we believe this slide was created for).

And everyone's favorite leaker, EVLeaks also confirmed a November release date.\

OnePlus 5T Specs

Everything we have so far is based on rumor. Remember that everything we have seen so far could be an elaborate misinformation campaign by OnePlus. With that caveat, let's dive in.

We believe the processor will be the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 found in the OnePlus 5 and all other 2017 smartphones.

We also expect the OnePlus 5T to be delivered in 2 common packages:

  • 6GB of RAM + 64 GB of internal storage
  • 8GB of RAM + 128 GB of internal storage

These options should be identical to what we have with the OnePlus 5.  Some of the leaks also suggest a larger 3300 mAh battery (according to AnTuTu benchmarks). It is also safe to assume the OnePlus 5T will come with their proprietary Dash speed charging technology, 

The OnePlus 5 had an excellent camera and OnePlus understands the importance of the camera. The latest leaks suggest that the OnePlus 5T will now include 2 20MP cameras. 

OnePlus co-founder (Carl Pei) recently tweeted this:

If the above picture is an indication of low light picture quality the OnePlus 5T will bring, I am very excited. 

OnePlus 5T design

OnePlus has always been a design-driven company and it is safe to assume they will deliver this time as well. It is safe to assume the new OnePlus 5T will adorn a 6" 18:9 screen with a resolution of at least 2160x1080. 

This new larger display will require a more "bezeless" front and we expect the fingerprint sensor to be moved to the back. 

 

The above "leaked" image from a Chinse site supports everything we have heard so far. You can see the post containing this picture on Sina Weibo yourself. Keep in mind that all the leaks have come from unverified sources so they may simply be photoshop creations. 

OnePlus 5T Price

OnePlus has slowly increased the price of it's phone with every new release. We typically see a $50US increase each time and it is safe to assume OnePlus will stick to that model. The OnePlus 5 was $US479 at launch. I expect the OnePlus 5T to be around $US529.

Even at $529, it is almost half the price of equivalent flagships from Samsung, Google or LG.

Conclusion

And now we wait for November 16 to come. I am anxiously waiting for the OnePlus 5T to see if it is my next daily carry phone or if I will go with the Samsung Note 8 or Google Pixel 2XL. Did I mention I hate waiting? 

Changing Google.com country domain no longer works

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Google power users knew that changing the Google country top-level domain (ccTLD) would allow you to find results optimized for another country or language (e.g. searching Google.ch instead of Google.com to get more swiss biased results). 

There are a tone of reasons why I used this little trick:

  • Accessing Google.com results when terminating a VPN in another country
  • Travelling to a European country that skews results (right to be forgotten) and wanting "real" information returned
  • and much more

In a blog post, Google announced that results will now be customized based on the user's location (without regard for the country ccTLD input in the URL). So if I am in France and try to access American results by using the Google.com site, I will still get french results.

Google explains that 1/5 searches are location dependent (therefore detecting and using the user's actual location makes sense).  If I am traveling to Paris and search for pâtisserie, the logic motivation is that I am searching for a pâtisserie in Paris, not Toronto (my home city). 

You can still search for results in another location but the process is much more complicated now (you can still go into settings and select the correct country service you want to receive.) 

“It’s important to note that while this update will change the way Google Search and Maps services are labeled, it won’t affect the way these products work, nor will it change how we handle obligations under national law. ”
— Google blog post

Source: Google Blog