RIP Essential Phone: Stock won’t return as focus shifts to ‘next mobile product’

Ben Schoon | Dec 28 2018 - 1:15 pm PT

The past year hasn’t been kind to Essential, the startup behind 2017’s PH-1. Now, the company has confirmed to 9to5Google that the Essential Phone won’t be restocked as the company shifts its focus to future products.

Earlier today it was noticed that the Essential Phone had gone out of stock at most retail locations including Essential’s own website. With recent fire sales, many suspected it was to clear out existing inventory. Now, the company has confirmed that it won’t be restocking the PH-1 after selling out over the holiday season. An Essential spokesperson states:

We are sold out of Essential Phone on essential.com and won’t be adding any new inventory. We are now hard at work on our next mobile product and will continue to sell accessories and provide speedy software updates and customer support to our existing community.

While it’s sad to see that the Essential Phone is now effectively discontinued, it shouldn’t come as much of a shock. The device was originally debuted in late 2017 and there’s been no clear path forward for a direct successor. Interestingly, Essential does say that it is “hard at work” on its next mobile product. Presumably, this points to the reported AI phone that we’ve heard some rumblings about. Adding some fuel to that fire too is the company’s recent acquisition of CloudMagic.

For those currently using an Essential Phone, though, the company reiterates that updates will continue. In the past, it’s been stated that the device will be updated to at least Android Q. Currently, it still holds the record for one of the fastest third-party major Android updates with its Pie OTA just hours after the Pixel.