The Essential Phone was finally shipped today (UPDATE: Or maybe not)

The last we heard about Andy Rubin's Essential Phone was that it would ship within seven days. That was on August 16th. But the good news today is that the device has finally shipped, which means that some of those who pre-ordered early should soon receive confirmation that their Essential Phone is on the way. The orders are not all being shipped at the same time, which means that if you do not receive a shipping notice, don't panic. You might receive it in the next day or three.

UPDATE: Several PhoneArena readers have reported to us that the Essential Phone did not ship yesterday as earlier reported. If you have received a shipping confirmation today, you can let us know by dropping a comment in the box below.

Some customers were upset because the company charged their credit cards without providing some form of shipping confirmation. Most retailers and manufacturers don't charge a credit card used for a pre-order until the phone is shipped. One Essential Phone buyer sent us an email the other day to tell us that his card was charged even though the phone he paid for was not shipped. He complained about the customer service and wrote that no one seems to know what's going on at Essential.

One other thing to consider. The delay in shipping the handset could be due to some issues with the device. Hopefully, everything works perfectly now that the Essential Phone is being shipped.

Thanks for the tip!