This a Gem, or Essentially a future flop in the making?

Pooh
Pooh Member, Beta Tester Posts: 674
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Determined not to be a one and done manufacturer, Essential, Andy "Android" Rubin's baby is determined to shake off the failures of the first Essential Phone and has announced the next one - The Essential Gem.

The devices seems to be running off a fork of Android, and won't come with GApps as a result. Maps may be powered by Open Street Maps for example, rather than Google Maps. What's more worrying is that the device will be using code from MicroG to allow it to still use Google's API calls.

Why is this worrying? Oh, I dunno, perhaps this statement from the MicroG GitHub Wiki...



How one's meant to type on something that's essentially the dimensions of a Cable-box remote control is a bit of a mystery. Perhaps it's mean to use the new fangled AI Driven voice input?

More here: https://www.xda-developers.com/essential-next-device-early-testing/
People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.
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Comments

  • Marc
    Marc Moderator, Beta Tester Posts: 3,178
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    Is that a camera on the back?  That lens looks huge. Voice commands for using the phone?  People barely use Siri in public, much less any other voice interactions short of a call, especially in crowded areas.  My take, Fail!  I really don’t understand what that guy is thinking lately, between his last phone failure and this...
    Thats Daphnee, she's a good dog...
    kltaylor
  • kltaylor
    kltaylor Member, Beta Tester Posts: 1,231
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    I'm definitely a gadget guy, so this looks interesting for sure!
    "There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
    -Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain