Android

Andy Rubin's Essential phone runs Android, according to Eric Schmidt

by Michael Heller / Mar 29, 2017, 7:11 PM

Andy Rubin's Essential phone runs Android, according to Eric Schmidt

To be fair, we're not sure that anyone on Earth expected that the first smartphone from Andy Rubin's new venture would be anything but Android, but now we do have confirmation. Andy Rubin created the Android OS (not to mention the original Sidekick!) but eventually Rubin left Google because he wanted new adventures. After some time working on robots, Rubin's new project is a smartphone and that phone will run Android.

Google's Eric Schmidt tweeted the confirmation that Rubin's Essential phone will run Android while linking to Rubin's tweet that teased the near bezel-less phone that he has in the works. As we noted, there was little surprise in finding out that the Essential phone will run Android, but confirmation from Schmidt himself would seem to imply that the phone will include the Google Play Store and Google services. There had been some worry that Rubin might fork Android, but it looks like it will be a proper Google-filled Android.

The question does remain whether Rubin's team will be skinning Android or how much modification will be done. One would assume that as the previous head of Android, Rubin would want to ensure fast updates to his first piece of hardware, but at the same time we have to assume that Rubin wants to provide a new experience beyond what stock Android would offer on nice hardware.

The tweets from Rubin and Schmidt make it sound like the phone will be announced soon enough, so we may not have to wait too long to get answers to these questions though.

source: @EricSchmidt

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8 Comments

1. toukale

Posts: 668; Member since: Jun 10, 2015

What os were people expecting it to run? iOS. Beside there is no chance of a 3rd taken off now, that boat sailed a while ago, ask BB and Microsoft.

posted on Mar 29, 2017, 7:29 PM 3

3. PryvateiDz

Posts: 445; Member since: Jul 31, 2011

Exactly. Some wanted another OS, and it's like, that's cool and all for a niche and for those consumers, but no start up smartphone company can survive off of a new OS. People live on their apps, WindowsPhone is a perfect example of why that wouldn't work.

posted on Mar 29, 2017, 7:45 PM 1

5. joey_sfb

Posts: 6794; Member since: Mar 29, 2012

Windows Phone does not work because of Microsoft poor execution. They know they are behind iOS and Android so they rush to release Windows 10 Mobile in a broken state. After a year, there are still bugs surfacing and it really piss off average consumer. You really need to be a Microsoft Fan to stick with them thick and thin and end up being discarded. Ask those that has their phone struck at WP7.5, WP8.1 their essential services discontinued. Microsoft are just not doing things that meet user and fan's expectations. To them, its either a successfully iOS close eco-system alternative or they are not interested. Microsoft are not competing with Android nor interested to provided another open platform alternative.

posted on Mar 29, 2017, 11:11 PM 1

2. ibend

Posts: 6747; Member since: Sep 30, 2014

what a twist.. I though it will run BlackBerry OS :-/ /s

posted on Mar 29, 2017, 7:36 PM 0

4. SleeperOne

Posts: 370; Member since: Feb 25, 2017

Well, what better to buy an Android directly from the person who invented it? I'm sure Rubin doesn't appreciate how various OEM's treat Android as an open platform.