The new smartphone from the creator of Android may start shipping in a few weeks
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In an email to potential customers who signed up for information on the device, Rubin says it'll start shipping "in a few weeks." Essential later tweeted the update as well.
Rubin originally said the Essential phone would launch in June, but missed that self-imposed deadline.
Since then, the company has lost its head of marketing and head of communications, a troublesome sign for a company that hasn't launched a product yet. Essential did not respond to multiple requests for comment in recent weeks.
The Essential phone starts at $699 unlocked and will be sold directly through the company's website. Sprint will be the only US carrier that sells the phone in stores. A few international carriers have also agreed to sell the Essential phone.
The new smartphone is just the first product on Essential's roadmap. It also plans to release a gadget called Home, which acts as a hub for your smart appliances and powered by a new operating system Essential calls Ambient OS.
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Here's what Rubin sent to potential Essential customers on Friday:
We've been working around the clock to get our first device in your hands. See this update from Andy. pic.twitter.com/bm5xm5XRKS
- Essential (@essential) July 21, 2017
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