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Essential Phone PH-1 vs Google Pixel XL: How Do They Compare?
Paul Briden
18/08/2017 – 3:29pm
The Essential PH-1 Could DOMINATE Google’s Pixel handsets – but how do the specs compare?
Depending on how deeply you delve into the smartphone space there’s usually a bunch of phones doing the rounds that you may or may not have heard of.
Everyone has heard of Samsung and the Galaxy S8, for example, perhaps many are aware of what HTC, Sony, and LG have to offer too, and OEMs such as Huawei have surged in prominence in Western markets – most punters now know about the Chinese firm, if only in name.
The likes of OnePlus have a firm foothold, although that is primarily a dedicated audience that the firm interacts with directly on social media – does the average Joe in the street know who OnePlus is?
Likewise, while everyone knows who Google is and what Android is, not everyone was switched on about the firm’s Nexus range as it was very much the darling of the developer space; a somewhat niche audience. The Nexus series has now replaced by the Pixel range. Although Google wanted the Pixel to become a more mass-market consumer device, its debatable whether it is such a recognisable name just yet; Pixel specific app-activation stats would suggest that although it has sold reasonably well by Google’s own standards, it’s by no means the powerhouse to rival the likes of Samsung and Apple just yet.
The Nexus series has now replaced by the Pixel range. Although Google wanted the Pixel to become a more mass-market consumer device, its debatable whether it is such a recognisable name just yet; Pixel specific app-activation stats would suggest that although it has sold reasonably well by Google’s own standards, it’s by no means the powerhouse to rival the likes of Samsung and Apple just yet.
And then there’s the new Essential Phone, or rather the Essential PH-1 as it is officially called. Odds are that unless you’re a complete tech enthusiast with your fingers feverishly on the pulse of the industry you probably won’t have heard of this one.
The Essential Phone is the brainchild of Andy Rubin, who was one of the co-creators of Android back in the day and is considered by many to be the true “father” of the platform even though Google now firmly holds the reins of its global success. The Essential PH-1 is based on Android just like Google’s own Pixel and Pixel XL.
So how does Rubin’s challenger compare to the Google-backed Pixel and Pixel XL? Let’s take a look at the specs…
Essential PH-1 Specs
- Dimensions: 141.5 x 71.1 x 7.8mm [Titanium Body]
- Weight: 185g
- Display: 5.71in IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen 1312 x 2560 pixels (504 ppi)
- Processor: MSM8998 Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core (4×2.45 GHz Kryo & 4×1.9 GHz Kryo)
- GPU: Adreno 540
- RAM: 4GB
- Software: Android 7.1 Nougat
- Connectivity: 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Type-C USB, NFC, GPS, Fingerprint scanner,
- Storage: 128GB
- MicroSD: No
- Primary Camera: Dual-13MP, f/1.9 aperture, phase detection & laser autofocus, LED flash, Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panoramic capture 2160p video @30fps, 1080p video @60fps, 720p video @120fps
- Secondary Camera: 8 MP, f/2.2 aperture, 2160p video @30fps, 1080pvideo @60fps, 720p video @120fps
- Battery: 3040mAh
Google Pixel/Pixel XL Specs
- Dimensions: 143.8 x 69.5 x 8.6mm/154.7 x 75.7 x 8.5mm
- Weight: 143g/168g
- Display: 5in AMOLED capacitive touchscreen 1920 x 1080 pixels (441ppi)/5.5in AMOLED capacitive touchscreen 1440 x 2560 pixels (534ppi)
- Processor: MSM8996 Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 quad-core CPU “Kryo” 2.1GHz
- GPU: Adreno 530 GPU
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 32GB or 128GB
- Rear Camera: 12MP, f/2.0 aperture, phase detection & laser autofocus, two-tone dual-LED flash, 1/2.3″ sensor size, 1.55µm pixel size, HDR, geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, panoramic capture, video at 2160p; 1080p; 720p
- Front Camera: 8MP, f/2.4 aperture, 1/3.2″ sensor size, 1.4 µm pixel size, video at 1080p
- Software: Android 7.1 Nougat
- Battery: 2770mAh Quick Charge/3450mAh Quick Charge
- Colours: Silver, Black, Blue (select regions; NOT UK)
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Bluetooth 4.2 (LE), GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS, NFC, USB Type-C 3.0
- Other Harware: Fingerprint scanner, IP53 splash resistant