Android founder Andy Rubin announces first smartphone on Tuesday

Android founder Andy Rubin will present his first smartphone with his new company Essential next Tuesday. The device has thin bezels and reportedly a port to expand the functionality of the device.

The company has started tweeting from its own account and the first tweet is a reference to “something big” that the company will announce next Tuesday. The second tweet is a shadow of a phone-shaped device with something on top.

It’s the second time Rubin’s company has shown the upcoming phone in a teaser. With a team of forty people, partly from Apple and Google, the Android founder wants to develop various devices. The smartphone plays a central role in this, together with artificial intelligence. The phone may have a screen larger than 5.5″. For the outside of the phone, Rubin’s team would conduct tests using materials such as metal for the edges and ceramic for the back.

In addition, the Essential team is developing its own connection, which serves both to charge the phone and to expand its functionality. For example, various extensions can be added to the device via a magnetic system, for example a 360-degree camera that Essential develops itself. The device under development should be priced close to that of an iPhone 7, although that could change. The iPhone 7 cost at release 769 euros for the cheapest variant.