Andy Rubin’s startup Essential made its debut a few weeks ago, and needless to say, we’re all pretty excited for the company’s first smartphone to hit the market. Quite a few US buyers of the device may have been disappointed to learn that the phone would be a carrier exclusive to Sprint in the States, and now our neighbors up north are facing a similar issue — TELUS has just announced it will be the exclusive carrier of the Essential Phone.
As confirmed in a press release this morning, Essential’s first smartphone will be an exclusive release on TELUS for Canadian customers. Pre-orders will kick off next month with availability later this Summer. By contrast, the phone is expected to go up for sale in the US sometime in the next few weeks.
It’s unclear at this time if Essential will be offering its phone unlocked for interested buyers in Canada, as the company has yet to reveal anything regarding that matter. For now, it seems that sales are completely locked to TELUS. The phone will be available unlocked in Canada via Essential’s website.
Pricing is unknown at this time, but it will likely be higher than the $699 price tag for US buyers given conversion rates and such. TELUS also plans to sell Essential’s 360-degree camera accessory in store.
We’re excited to announce that the new @Essential Phone will be available only from TELUS! https://t.co/ZyKn2SSNQn https://t.co/xgERv3U5Xe pic.twitter.com/NTaGFyWVyz
— TELUS (@TELUS) June 15, 2017
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