It has been a while since Essential launched the first Essential Phone PH-1. For a brief moment, it seemed like the company could have been in trouble as it was suggested that they might not be launching a second handset, but recent tweets by the company revealed that they have a new device in the works.In fact, in several brand new tweets, Essential and the company’s founder Andy Rubin shared images of a device currently known as Project GEM. According to the tweet, “We’ve been working on a new device to reframe your perspective on mobile. It’s now in early testing with our team outside the lab. Look forward to sharing more in the near future!”
The photos shared show off a phone that looks more like a remote control than a smartphone that we know today. It sports a very thin-looking form factor and display, suggesting a new and unique way for us to interact with our devices. It is unclear if Essential plans for Project GEM to be its second smartphone, or if this is just a concept that they are testing.
If it were to be the company’s second smartphone, it would certainly be a rather daring endeavor on their end. While we can appreciate thinking outside the box, we’re not sure if Essential is in the position where they can mess around with new designs, although we suppose given that they’re still a relatively small company, one could also make the argument that now is a good time for them to experiment. Either way, we’ll have to wait and see if this actually becomes a reality.