Featuring a modular design, the Essential Phone PH-1 is an appealing smartphone built to help you do more. It features a brilliant edge-to-edge display, dual rear cameras, flagship Qualcomm processor, and USB-C port.
Where to Buy Essential Phone PH-1
Jumia Nigeria – See Offers | Jumia Kenya – See Offers
Essential Phone PH-1 Key Specs & Features
- 5.71-inch LPTS Display, 1312 x 2560 pixels (503ppi)
- Octa-core 10nm-class chipset (Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
- Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) with 4GB RAM
- 128GB Built-in Storage
- Dual 13MP Rear Camera (Colour + Mono) and 8MP Front Camera
- Fingerprint Sensor (Rear)
- LTE Data
- 3040 mAh Battery with Fast Charging
Design and Display
Anyone who sees the Essential Phone will agree at once that this is a premium device. It has a body made of ceramic and titanium. Essential Phone also flaunts a svelte profile at only 7.8 mm. But, rather sadly, the Essential phone seems not to be water resistant.
There are magnetic pins on the rear, key parts of a modular system. These enable you snap on add-ons for improved capabilities. The 5.7-inch display wraps around the selfie camera, leaving negligible bezels. It has a resolution of 1312 x 2560 pixels. There is Corning Gorilla Glass 5 atop the display.
Camera
The Essential Phone PH-1 offers you dual rear cameras, each of which has a resolution of 13 megapixels. As usual, one of these shoots in colour while the other takes shots in black and white. This setup further enhances low-light images.
The 8 megapixel front camera is set in a position many selfie addicts will like – at the centre. Like the main shooter, this one records 4K videos. There is also a 360-degree camera available as a modular accessory to improve your shot-taking ability.
Hardware and Software
On paper, the Essential Phone is built for flagship level performance. It carries an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor that you will find on popular high-end rivals. This runs at speeds up to 2.4 GHz. Its supporting cast are an Adreno 540 GPU and 4 GB of RAM.
Onboard storage is highly generous at 128 GB. It is not known if you will be able to expand this. The Essential Phone ships with Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) and you get updates for two years.
Other Features
A 3040mAh non-removable battery supplies power to the Essential Phone PH-1. This supports fast charging. You can also use the reversible USB Type-C port at the base for topping up. The device has a fingerprint scanner on the rear. It supports 4G LTE networks. Connectivity options also include NFC, Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi with MIMO.
Pricing and Availability
Essential Phone PH-1 is now available in the United States starting at $746. The Essential Phone is not yet available in Nigeria. Essential Phone price in Nigeria should start at around 280,000 Naira if and when it arrives in the country.
Essential Phone PH-1 Specs
Here are a few specs of the Essential Phone PH-1:
General Features
- Platform: Android 7.1.1 (Nougat)
- Processor: Octa-core Processor: 2.45GHz quad-core and 1.9GHz quad-core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 835)
- GPU: Adreno 540
- Memory: 4GB RAM
- Colours: Black Moon, Pure White, Stellar Gray, Ocean Depth
- Dimension: 141.5 x 71.1 x 7.8 mm
- Weight: 185g
- SIM Type: Nano-SIM
- SIM Count: Single SIM
Display
- Display: 5.71-inch LTPS Display, 1440 x 2560 pixels (503 ppi), 500 nits
- Screen Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Camera
- Rear Camera: Dual 13MP Camera (RGB + Mono), 4K Ultra HD 2160p Video 1080p @60fps, 720p HD Video @120fps
- Rear Camera Features: Phase Detection + Laser Autofocus, LED flash, OIS, Auto HDR, Geo-tagging, Touch Focus, Face/Smile Detection, Panorama
- Front Camera: 8MP Camera, 4K Video
Storage
- Built-in Storage: 128GB
- Memory Card Support: –
- Bundled Cloud Storage: –
Network Support
- 2G GSM: Yes, 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
- 2G CDMA 1X: Yes
- 3G WCDMA: Yes
- 3G CDMA EVDO: Yes
- 4G LTE: Yes, LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 20(800), 28(700), 29(700), 30(2300), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500), 66(1700/2100)
Internet & Connectivity
- GPRS: Yes
- EDGE: Yes
- 3G/WCDMA/HSPA: Yes
- HSPA+: Yes, up to 42.2 Mbps
- CDMA EVDO: No
- 4G LTE: Yes, up to 600 Mbps
- WLAN: Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct
- Wi-Fi Hotspot: Yes
- Bluetooth: Yes Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE
- NFC: Yes
- Infrared Blaster: No
- USB Port: Yes, USB Type C
Messaging
- SMS/MMS: Yes
- Instant Messaging: Yes
- Push Emails: Yes
- Email Protocol: –
Entertainment
- Music Player: MP3/WAV/eAAC+/Flac player
- Video Player: Xvid/MP4/H.264 player
- FM Radio: –
- Loudspeaker: Yes
- 3.5mm Jack: Yes
Navigation
- Navigation: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS
- Maps: Yes
Sensors & Control
- Digital Compass: Yes
- Accelerometer: Yes
- Proximity Sensor: Yes
- Light Sensor: Yes
- Barometer: Yes
- SpO2: Yes
- Pedometer: No
- Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
- Gyroscope: Yes
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes (Rear)
- Iris Scanner: Yes
- Face Unlock: –
- Intelligent Digital Assistant: Yes, Google Now
- Motion Sensing / Gesture Control: No
- Voice Control: Yes
Other Features
- Video Streaming: Yes
- Active Noise Cancellation: Yes
- Wireless Charging: –
- Built-in Mobile Payment: –
- Water Resistant: –
- Dust Resistant: –
- Image Editor: Yes
- Video Editor: Yes
- Document Viewer: Yes
- Document Editor: No
Battery
- Battery: 3040 mAh Li-ion Battery (non-removable)
- Talktime: –
- Standby Time: –
- Fast Charging: Yes
