Android co-founder Andy Rubin has charted the news for a host of reasons recently, though on the smartphone front his name is likely most synonymous with the Essential Phone; a smartphone designed to bring Android back to basics that ended up pleasing almost no-one.
While the Essential Phone was hardly a success – given camera mishaps and its unusual take on a modular form-factor – Rubin took the wraps off yet another smartphone that we might expect from the company in the near future. The plot twist? It’s taller and narrower.
If you’ve held a recent Galaxy S model or any device since the advent of the notch, it’s been apparent that smartphones have been able to shed some weight thanks to the (sometimes near) Univisium format most modern displays have adopted. The end result is a phone that feels taller and leaner, and Essential’s Project Gem is (apparently) the next step in that direction.
Project Gem apparently runs a heavily customised version of Android, replete with card-like apps that take advantage of its long and narrow form factor. The device also brings a unique ‘Colorshift’ finish, which is highly reflective and changes hues in different light.
…still dialing in the colors pic.twitter.com/4gEpFU7mpZ
— Andy Rubin (@Arubin) October 8, 2019
In terms of specs, it’s alleged that the device will run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 chipset, though we know surprisingly little about what other hardware the device might offer in its final retail form – should it go to market.
If anything, the revelation is an interesting twist on the changing shape of smartphones. Where foldable smartphones have given us wider and flexible displays, Essential seems to think that the future of stable smartphones might be a narrower and leaner display.
What are your thoughts? Could you use a Project Gem smartphone? Let us know in the comments below.
