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Essential Phone PH-1 UK Release Date Pegged Inside Q4 2017
Paul Briden
18/08/2017 – 1:55pm
The Essential Phone will arrive before the close of the year, likely as a carrier exclusive
Have you heard of the Essential Phone, aka the Essential PH-1, as it’s officially known? You’d be forgiven if you haven’t. It’s a brand new handset that has come straight out of left field, although delving into things it does actually have quite a pedigree as it’s the brainchild of Andy Rubin.
Rubin was one of the co-creators of Android and is considered to be the “father” of the platform, and his Essential Phone is based around the very same software that he helped build.
In the US, the unlocked version PH-1 has been up for pre-order with local retail firm Best Buy since the start of August, and the same retailer is now taking pre-orders for carrier-locked models for the Sprint network where it will be an exclusive.
Sprint itself has also begun taking pre-orders, which it has said will begin shipping on August 28. Previously Best Buy said it would ship from September 1.
Customers who’ve bought the phone direct from Essential already have now received emails confirming that it will begin shipping within the next seven days.
However, while the phone is definitely coming to the UK market, there is currently little information about exactly when. The Financial Times has managed to dig up details which suggest it will arrive by the end of 2017.
There is some indication, though, that it will be locked to certain carrier exclusives in the UK, according to FT’s report, Essential reps met with their counterparts from UK networks, EE was specifically mentioned but it is implied others were also in talks with the phone maker. Quite which firm will get the deal remains to be seen, although EE and Carphone Warehouse have a habit of snapping these things up.