Insights For Success

Strategy, Innovation, Leadership and Security

Essential Phone

Essential now has an Android 8 Oreo beta porogram

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Android 8 Oreo is the next thing for Android devices and everybody is working hard to bring it to their phones. Now Essential has implemented a special Oreo beta program for owners of its beautiful Essential Phone. Where Samsung allows you to install the Oreo beta (on the S8 and S8 Plus) via OTA update, Essential will force you to use ADB.

Essential does provide clear instructions but this can be seen as a natural filter that disqualifies anyone that doesn't really understand how Android works or understand what a beta is.

You will find, using the above link, a build for NM181C (for Sprint and Telus) and NMJ32F (for the other carriers)

Warning !

Remember this is a beta and you will experience issues and bugs. Known bugs already include: high battery drain, Android Auto issues and app instability.

Essential phone get's another $50 price drop at BestBuy

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

I wrote a short article about the merits and issues with the Essential phone here. I wrote that review because dozens of readers wanted to know if the phone was worth it at its newly reduce $499 price. 

Another day and another discount for the struggling Essential phone. Now BestBuy is kicking in another $50 off (bringing the price to $449.99).

For $449, you can buy a beautiful unlocked Android smartphone with the latest specs including:

  • Snapdragon 835
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 128GB of storage
  • Dual cameras

If you read my review, there are some shortcomings but at $449, it is hard to complain. You are getting alot of phone for very little money.