The Essential Phone 2 will feature a ‘better’ camera. (Image of Essential Phone for representation)
Essential has acknowledged that its first-generation flagship smartphone had a lackluster camera. In an interview with Business Insider, Essential’s head of industrial design Linda Jiang says the company is listening to the feedback from its customers and will look forward to improving the camera on the second-generation Essential Phone.
“In general, one thing that we got hit hard with was the quality of our camera, and we’re really looking forward to improving that with our next-gen, making sure that we’re listening to our customers and their pain points …We’re going to make it better for you,” says Jiang.
Jiang didn’t reveal when the company plans to launch the Essential Phone 2, though there’s a chance to see the launch happening in May. She, however, did confirm that any accessory bought for the Essential Phone will work with the next-generation model. According to Jiang, the company is looking at different types of coatings and textures to make the Essential Phone 2 less slippery and prone to fingerprints.
Also read: Essential Phone ‘Halo Gray’ colour option launched with Amazon Alexa built-in
The Essential Phone has been considered as a major flop in the market. According to a tweet by IDC research director Francisco Jeronimo, the phone shipped about 90,000 units in 2017. That sales estimate is rather grim for a phone that was initially seen as an alternative to the iPhone. Even though the phone was well-received, its camera was panned by most critics. Essential, the start-up founded by Android creator Andy Rubin, released its smartphone in 2017.