As reported last week, Android creator Andy Rubin’s new Essential smartphone has missed its expected launch date and the company has yet to explain why.
Announced in May, the Essential Smartphone features an edge-to-edge screen, a titanium-and-ceramic case and dual cameras.
At the time of the initial reveal for the device, Andy Rubin promised that it would be in the hands of customers within thirty days.
Forty-one days have now passed, with customers who pre-ordered still yet to receive their phones or receive any concrete update on why the smartphone was delayed.
It’s a silence that’s got journalists worried. The Verge‘s Nick Statt says that “a missed deadline is not that big of a deal, especially not for a device from that didn’t publicly exist until just 40 days ago (and from a startup, and not a big-name manufacturer, no less). But Essential’s silence is more worrisome, as it suggests the problem may be more complicated then a simply manufacturing delay.”
“Perhaps the phone is ready to ship in the coming days, and Essential is just deploying a hands-off marketing approach to the delay. Still, for those eager to put down nearly $700 for a device, the lack of clarity on a ship date is not reassuring.”
GameSinners‘ Violet Little is a little more optimistic, saying “it is too early to say that Essential is not able to keep its promise.”
“The company probably had more smartphones pre-ordered than they would have thought. This could be a possible explanation for the delay. Manufacturing a great number of devices does take a long time, especially if they are as great as the Essential Phone.”
In the US, the phone is being carried by telco Sprint while an unlocked version is being sold through Essential directly.
Speaking to Business Insider, a Sprint spokesperson was unable to shed any light on the delays beyond confirming that the handset was due for release sometime in 2017.
Australian availability and/or pricing is still unknown at this time. However, a strong launch for the Essential phone within the U.S. market will likely see the brand expand internationally.
