Android co-founder's smartphone line might start selling in India
According to media reports, the Essential Phone PH-1 smartphone, from Android co-founder Andy Rubin, is expected to start selling in India by late March or early April this year. It was originally launched in the US in May 2017. The smartphone will reportedly be sold exclusively on the Amazon India website at a price of Rs. 24,999. Here is more on it.
The phone will feature Amazon's virtual assistant Alexa
As per the reports, India will receive Essential Phone PH-1's latest Halo Gray variant that features built-in support for Amazon's virtual assistant, Alexa. In the US, this variant is priced at $449 (approx Rs. 29,000). The other three variants of the smartphone in the US market include Copper Black, Ocean Depths, and Stellar Gray.
Will the phone fare well in the Indian market?
At the price of Rs. 24,999, the phone will compete in the upper mid-range segment in India, with other smartphones like Moto X4 and Honor View 10. The Indian market also has established players like OnePlus and Xiaomi offering more hardware for a lesser price.
The phone has 5.7-inch display, triple camera setup
The smartphone features a 5.7-inch QHD edge-to-edge display, 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The smartphone offers a triple camera setup with a 13 MP dual RGB + 13 MP Mono cameras at the rear and an 8 MP camera at the front. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor.
The phone so far has mixed reviews
Essential Phone PH-1 is unique in look and design. It features modular accessories, uses exotic materials like titanium and ceramic, and has an almost bezel-less display. However, the phone has faced heavy criticism primarily for its camera performance in the past.
