The Essential Phone's lack of logos is unusual compared to other high-end smartphones.
Apple slaps its logo right on the center of the phone. Samsung places two different logos on that back of its Galaxy phones. Google places a small but noticeable "G" on the back of the Pixel.
But Jiang says Essential eschewed branding from the beginning, and wanted "the design to be the brand."
Instead of logos, Jiang says, Essential made design choices like adding magnetic connectors for accessories like Essential's 360 camera. Essential's goal was to make the phone look different enough from the back that people would know who made it.
Plus, Jiang says she thinks logos aren't what's best for consumers.
"Sometimes it’s not fair to the customers to have this giant brand slapped on the back of the phone," Jiang said. "They're basically just walking advertisements — 'whether you like it or not, you’re doing to be advertising for us.'"