Essential

Here’s a hands-on look at Essential’s canceled ‘Gem’ smartphone [Video]

Ben Schoon | Jul 15 2024 - 11:05 am PT

Essential went under in 2020, with the company having only launched the PH-1, it’s first smartphone. But there were plans for a second device from Essential known as “Gem,” and now someone has sold a unit, offering insight on some new details about the device.

Back in 2019, Essential’s Andy Rubin shared images of a new, radically different smartphone. “Gem,” as it was called, was a fascinating concept with a super tall and super narrow display wrapped up in premium hardware. Teasers also hinted at some clever apps and a homescreen that used widgets to provide quick information.

Alas, the device never made it to the market, and was shelved when Essential shut down operations in early 2020.

But, recently, someone sold the Essential “Gem” and used it to give a new look at the fascinating little device.

Rob Wainwright, a software engineer at Nova Launcher, managed to spot and purchase the Essential “Gem” on eBay and shared a few details about the device online. In a video posted to YouTube, Wainwright shows off the hardware with its super, super narrow design. The display is then shown, with the OLED panel showing off Essential’s software concept in action. The homescreen is heavily customized with app integrations, but the Settings menu is close to stock Android.

It’s also rather neat how the device handles rotation, with the UI elements individually flipping to match a landscape view.

In further screenshots, “Gem’s” specs are shown off, with a Snapdragon 730, 4GB of RAM, Android 10, and a 2160×560 90Hz display. That’s pretty much in line with a 2019 leak of the device.

Interestingly, the app showing those specs also lists the device as “Essential PH-2.”

There’s no word on how much the device was listed for on eBay, but it’s really cool to know that not only are these still around, but they seem to more or less still function. Apparently, there’s another listing floating around too, but it’s not cheap.