Andy Rubin’s startup Essential produced a gorgeous first device in the PH-1, but it’s been plagued by camera complaints and high pricing since launch. At one point, it was believed by some that only 5,000 units had been sold, but the actual number is about ten times that…probably.
Backing up a bit, the Essential Phone launched exclusively with Sprint as its carrier in the United States alongside sales through the internet for an unlocked model of the phone. It was quickly revealed that only 5,000 units of the phone had been sold which surprised many, but that was actually just sales at Sprint itself.
Now, we’re getting a slightly clearer look at how many Essential Phone units are actually out on the market today. Revealed on the Play Store listing for Essential’s camera application, it appears that about 50,000 units of the phone have been sold (via Android Police).
This is just a rough estimate, though, as these numbers can be slightly inflated. For one, someone buying the phone and later selling it to another user who signs in would count as another “download” on the app’s listing, so take that number with a grain of salt. It’s important to note, though, that this 50,000 figure is essentially the minimum number of PH-1 units on the market today.
Obviously, 50,000 units isn’t a groundbreaking success, but it’s not too bad for a startup that has done zero advertising beyond reviews. With the steep price cut and improvements to its software and camera application, though, we can hope Essential sees a bit more interest in its device in the first bit of 2018.
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