First Essential smartphone (developed by Andy Rubin) could be announced next week

Ex-Google chief engineer and entrepreneur Andy Rubin, seen by many as the father of Android, will soon announce a brand new high-end smartphone that's supposed to compete with the likes of Apple iPhone and Google Pixel.

The new smartphone is developed under the umbrella of an equally new company founded by Rubin and called Essential. Today, Essential announced - via its first Tweet ever - that "something big is coming May 30th." It's very likely that the company will officially showcase its first handset on this date, especially since Andy Rubin already revealed a teaser image showing the upcoming device - you can see it for yourself above.

As previously reported, the first Essential smartphone should run Android, though we assume that it's going to be a customized version of Android. The handset seemingly features thin bezels around its display, but it doesn't look like we're talking about a curved screen (à la Samsung Galaxy S8). For now, the device appears to be resembling the LG G6 to some degree.

Rumors have it that the first Essential smartphone sports a 5.5-inch display with an unusual 1312 x 2560 pixel resolution, and is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 - the very same chipset that's found inside flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S8 or HTC U11. Other features could include at least 4 GB of RAM, a 12 MP rear camera, and an 8 MP front-facing camera. 

We're excited to discover what Andy Rubin and Essential have been cooking up, so we're obviously looking forward to seeing what the May 30 announcement will bring. Stay tuned!