Essential PH-1
- S
- Sumeet
- R04
- 14 Sep 2022
Anonymous, 19 Jan 2022Hands down the best phone I ever had over the years. The de... moreHi I am using this phone from last 1 year and one of the best phone i should say so far, i got this phone used just to try what this phone is all about, but by far great design and feel and works pretty smooth, as i understand lot of other users mentioned now battery started to drain pretty fast. Last update i got was for Android 10. I came across some comments somebody mentioned they are using Android 12 on this phone. Kindly update what needs to be done in order to get Android 12 on this phone.
Thanks
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- rarson
- kaw
- 11 Jul 2022
Just broke my screen the other day, which was fortunate because my battery was getting really bad. I contemplated buying a new phone, but really did not want to do that for a number of reasons. Instead I bought a battery and screen for about $50. The phone is really easy to take apart and work on, but annoying the way it's glued together. I would prefer a screwed-in solution like the iPhone, so that I wouldn't have to rely on adhesive to put it back together.
We've reached the point where even midrange phones are good for 3+ years (hell, I got 3 years out of the Blu Vivo Air). All the more reason why manufacturers should switch back to removable batteries. The SoC inside this is still powerful enough to easily run the latest version of Android and it's not the phone's fault if poorly-optimized apps and ad-laden games sometimes lag. I just couldn't see myself spending another $400 (or even $300) for a new phone when this one still works perfectly well AND has several qualities you can't even find in a new phone anymore. Things I like:
1. Aspect ratio is better fit for handheld operation, unlike the stupid 20:9 phones that everyone now makes. Better for maps, screen mirroring, or anything else where you need to see a large image that isn't very narrow. Also better for typing (I still use Swype) without rotating the phone. 20:9 screens are yet another stupid phone trend that no one asked for that manufacturers are inexplicably adopting.
2. Fingerprint sensor exactly where it should be, right in the middle of the back of the phone. I don't want it built into the screen, that's not a natural place for it. Side sensors never work accurately enough, either. The sensor in this phone has always been fast and accurate. No problems with it ever. Not sure what that other person was talking about.
3. Completely flat. No camera bump. The phone sits flat when I set it down, instead of sliding off surfaces. If having no camera bump means that the camera is slightly lower quality, I'll take that tradeoff every time. Of course, manufacturers COULD just make the whole phone a little thicker and that would give them more room for bigger, removable batteries, too.
4. Stock Android. Essential was great about releasing quick updates when they were around. I wish more companies would worry more about this and less about adding custom bloatware to an OS that doesn't need it (Samsung lost me as a customer after the Galaxy S6). I'm still on Android 10, but honestly I am starting to get sick of Google changing things around that don't need to be changed anyway.
5. Strong as hell. The screen WILL break if you drop it at the right angle on the right surface, but I've dropped this thing so many times and the frame (the titanium and ceramic parts of it) is indestructible. I never put a case on any of my phones and this thing can take more abuse than any other phone I've used.
6. Fast charging and long battery life. After a year or so of continual battery degradation to the point where the phone would shut off anywhere between 15-40% left, or about an hour of use from a full charge, I had completely forgotten how good the battery life was originally. This was the first phone I had to start leaving off the charger overnight because it would charge from completely dead to full in about 30-40 minutes and last for 2 whole days.
All of the stuff mentioned above seriously impacts usability in a positive way.
Things I don't like: no headphone jack (the audio adapters are garbage), USB-C port (sucks for phones in general), no SD card slot (mitigated by the 128GB of storage which is still plenty for me). And of course the big one is no removable battery. But that's about it.
Anyone who says this phone is garbage or a terrible design doesn't know what they're talking about.
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- Dean Simmons
- YiQ
- 12 Jun 2022
It only has one speaker, but it's still an okay phone by today's standards. It won't run the latest games, and it'll likely have an aging battery and will need to remain tethered to a charger, but it makes a pretty decent background device.
The Pixel 3A and LG G8 have better speakers by far and weigh much less/the weight is much better distributed, but the 10nm processor of the Essential phone runs pretty cool/efficiently. The cameras aren't bad! = )
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- EePee
- Fv1
- 04 Jun 2022
I remember when this phone made waves in the community, phenomenal bit of tech. But it is one of the ugliest phones ever ahaha
- geko95gek-XDA
- nUh
- 25 Feb 2022
Still use my Pure White PH1 as a backup device, fantastic phone even by today's standards! Although I think my battery is dying slowly.
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- Lakay
- jmK
- 06 Feb 2022
This phone works great without the fingerprint. It is one of the best!
- Whackcar
- uZH
- 20 Jan 2022
Never got to use this one (maybe I'll grab a used one if i see a good deal online), but I've seen it. The build quality & materials are far better than what you get with most flagships even today. Really high-quality stuff. Even software support was good (3 OS updates officially). They really should've made more products like it...
- ?
- Anonymous
- kWS
- 19 Jan 2022
Hands down the best phone I ever had over the years. The design is awesone, the quality is great, and the hardware is more than capable by today's standards (although I couldn't care less about games, so that's not a factor for me). I just updated it to Android 12 (custom ROM), and it's running buttery smooth and fast, with no issues. Just need to replace the battery, since it's quite worn out.
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- Anonymously
- Mgn
- 12 Dec 2021
Anonymous, 06 Dec 2021Phone was straight garbage what are you talking about? I wa... moreWell I can tell you didn't spend alot of time with it. I can say without a warranty it's serviced nearly 3 years of constant abuse drop on face on concrete didn't and hasn't killed it yet. I've spilt water it numerous times. Only thing I can say that is bad about this phone is the charger cords don't last very long but not a bad thing I can say. Even when the hard drives fill completely up it's still a beast. Still has years left in it so no complaints.
- ?
- Anonymous
- g4b
- 06 Dec 2021
Kuba, 17 Nov 2021quality of that phone was beyond any other phone on the mar... morePhone was straight garbage what are you talking about? I was not even one of the first people to buy it so they had time to fix their flaws.
Tough sensitivity bad on the edges of the screen
Bezel was uneven
Front speaker grill was a piece of paper
Fingerprint reader failed half the time(compared to other devices at the time)
The only reason this phone sold anything at all is because users shilled the hell out of it like it was the best thing ever when in reality it was just a mediocre phone with poor QC, kind of like old Xiaomi phones
- K
- Kuba
- uN{
- 17 Nov 2021
quality of that phone was beyond any other phone on the market. they should have simply made a sequel with same square design and simply update specs like RAM and camera. it would be straightforward success. clean android with high quality build and square (iphone 12/13) design! what a dream!
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- Didi
- Nv$
- 12 Oct 2021
My phone blacked out after using a car phone charger. I dint know this phone was weak. I need someone with a phone for parts only so I can repair mine. Parts only (that work) at a cheap price.
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- appleEcosystemsucks
- 803
- 07 Oct 2021
Android 7.1 upgradeable up to 10. It means 3 software updates. This the first phone with 3 years support for upgrade the software.
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- FlarosOverfield
- anC
- 30 Sep 2021
This phone singlehandedly started the absolute worst design trend in the history of tech.
- L
- Lakay
- jmK
- 19 Sep 2021
Anonymous, 17 Sep 2021This phone is the best phone have ever used, but suddenly t... moreJust download a different camera software.
That will solve the problem.
My essential phone still going strong
I love it.
- ?
- Anonymous
- Nue
- 17 Sep 2021
Kingslayer, 29 Aug 2018Essential's reception issues on T-Mobile (USA) is generally... moreThis phone is the best phone have ever used, but suddenly the camera started to malfunction. Anytime I put on my camera for like 2sec it stop and shows the camera has encountered a fatal error, if this error persists, restarting your phone will fix the problem. Actually am from Nigeria and I don't know what to do, if anybody could tell what to do I will be very happy. For any information on who wants to help me out this is my phone number (07039526721).
- ?
- Anonymous
- kv0
- 25 Aug 2021
Anonymous, 08 Jan 2021I've had this phone for 3 years. The hardware is still... moreget lineageos
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- Anonymous
- IhQ
- 18 Aug 2021
Anonymous, 18 Apr 2021Apple started notchironically posted on a page for a phone that was announced and released before apple announced a device with a notch.
- Macaulay Culkin
- IbE
- 08 Aug 2021
My second favorite smartphone of all-time only behind my Google Pixel 3. Even after 2 years having it, performance hasn't degraded one bit.
Still fast as the first day I got it. Not bad for a 2017 phone. Even my battery life has held up pretty well with only a slight hit. I try to never charge it over 80%. Keep it at the 40-80 range.
I've considered buying a Pixel 1, 2, 3a, or 4a. Why bother! My Essential Phone is equal to the 2 and 4a and superior to the 1 and 3a. Even SD 835 is very near the SD 765G the 5 has.
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- FunnyGuy
- JFi
- 10 Jun 2021
Anonymous, 18 Apr 2021Apple started notchJust read my name.
We had a good one,with that comment