Rumor: Essential is working on ‘ai phone’ with small screen and voice control

According to information from Mark Gurman, who usually has reliable sources within tech companies, the company behind the Essential Phone is working on a device that revolves around artificial intelligence. It would have a small screen and voice control.

Gurman cites anonymous sources with knowledge of Essential’s plans in his article on Bloomberg. The idea behind the new device is that it revolves around the AI ​​software from Essential and that it automatically responds to incoming emails and messages, for example. It must also be able to make agreements independently. The information does not show what degree of autonomy the software will have. Users must also be able to make calls with the device.

The control of the phone would mainly be via voice commands, so that the device can handle a small screen. It would therefore not resemble a standard smartphone. According to Bloomberg, Andy Rubin, founder of Essential and founder of Android, has previously hinted at a similar idea, talking about a phone that becomes a virtual version of a person, where people can trust the device to act for them.

The current project would have replaced a speaker, which Essential has stopped developing. That speaker had in turn replaced a successor to the Essential Phone, which the company presented halfway last year. In May, Bloomberg claimed that Essential was no longer working on a successor and was considering selling itself.

According to current Bloomberg sources, a prototype of the new device should be ready by the end of the year and Essential wants to show the device to partners at the upcoming CES fair in January.