Essential, a tech startup founded by Android co-founder Andy Rubin, released its first phone – the Essential PH-1 – last year. While the device boasted of flagship specifications and a revolutionary design, the camera left a lot to be desired. When critics gave the camera scathing reviews, the company did its best to push improvements via software update, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.
Now, in a recent interview with Business Insider, Essential’s head of industrial design Linda Jiang, has promised a better camera for the company’s next device. Jiang was quoted saying:
“In general, one thing that we got hit hard with was the quality of our camera, and we’re really looking forward to improving that with our next-gen, making sure that we’re listening to our customers and their pain points…We’re going to make it better for you.”
As of now, Essential hasn’t revealed any information about its next-gen device, nor has it revealed a possible release date. However, the company is expected to release a new device this summer, considering the trend followed by other premium smartphone manufacturers.
Other than the camera, Jiang didn’t reveal much about other changes that might be included in the next-gen device from Essential, although she did reveal that the company was looking into coatings and textures to make the device less slippery and prone to fingerprints. Additionally, Jiang added that the next-gen device will also feature the proprietary connections, which will support the 360-degree camera that the company released with the PH-1. “Once you spend money on accessories, you’ll be able to use them on future phones”, Jiang was quoted saying.
