Android creator Andy Rubin's new phone has a radical design
What's the story
After seeing smartphones in a range of designs and form factors (including the foldable ones), Essential, the company started by Android co-creator Andy Rubin, has set out to bring 'Project Gem'. The project revolves around a phone that looks extremely beautiful but is radically different, in both shape and size, from any device you may have seen before. Here's all about it.
Details
What is Project Gem?
First unveiled by Rubin, who left Google after being accused of sexual misconduct, Project Gem phone hosts a profile longer and thinner than normal cellphones, appearing more like a chocolate bar. Its elongated display sports a punch-hole cutout for the front camera while the back has been crafted from a shiny 'colorshift' material that changed shades when viewed from a different angle.
Interface
A custom 'elongated' UI
Though Rubin didn't give specific details about the phone, the images and videos shared by him and Essential indicate that the device will bear a new UI for the radically different form factor. It shows apps in an elongated avatar with big buttons, much like those you see on a smartwatch. Plus, the multitasking menu arranges apps like cards sitting in a row.
Twitter Post
Here's the tweet from Essential
We've been working on a new device to reframe your perspective on mobile. It's now in early testing with our team outside the lab. Look forward to sharing more in the near future! #ProjectGEM pic.twitter.com/BnVy7yM2Kj
— Essential (@essential) October 9, 2019
Launch
No details on launch or pricing
The new device from Essential takes a new angle at the whole idea of smartphones, which have only been growing bigger and better with improved hardware and larger displays. However, as of now, it is only in testing stage and neither Essential nor Rubin has said anything about when this phone would be available in the market or how much will it cost.
Possibility
Will this be a largely voice-controlled device?
Last year, Rubin suggested tackling smartphone addiction by developing a phone that uses small screen and largely answers voice commands. Now, it is unclear if Gem would be that device, but code snippets dug by XDA Developers indicate the fingerprint sensor at its back might have a 'walkie talkie mode' for enabling one-touch voice control. The phone will reportedly run on Snapdragon 730.