Andy Rubin's company, Essential has been recently valued at roughly $1.2 billion, but its first product might be considered a flop if we take into consideration the latest report coming from research firm BayStreet.
BayStreet is known for tracking shipments of phones in the United States. According to the research company, only 5,000
Essential Phone units were sold in the country since its launch.
The number is ridiculously low, but not impossible to “achieve.” The Essential Phone should have been released on the market back in June, but it only started shipping earlier this month. Moreover, the smartphone is exclusive to Sprint in the United States, although the
unlocked model can be picked up from Best Buy and Essential's online store.
The
Essential Phone is priced at $699.99, while the 360-degree camera add-on is up for purchase for $200. Sprint customers can buy the Essential Phone for $14.58 a month over 18 months, and $0 down.
Our own Maxwell R. tested the Essential Phone and found that it “misses some of the fundamentals altogether.” Even though the Essential Phone is a beautifully crafted device, “beauty is only skin deep,” is one of the conclusions of
our full review.
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