U-Andy Rubin umemezele eminyakeni embalwa edlule ukuthi ubesebenza kwi-smartphone ehlukile kunaleyo ebesingayithola ngaleso sikhathi emakethe. Lowo mkhiqizo kwakungu- I-PH-1 ebalulekile, i-smartphone engakutholanga ukuvunywa kwabezindaba ngakho-ke, kubasebenzisi, yingakho yethule imodeli eyodwa kuphela emakethe.
Kepha ngaphezu kokwehluleka kwesihlobo kwe-PH-1, ngaphandle komsebenzi uRubin abewufakile kulowo mkhiqizo, inkampani iqhubeke nokusebenza nge-smartphone entsha ehlukile ebizwa nge-GEM. I-GEM yayiyi-smartphone eyamenyezelwa ngo-Agasti odlule kodwa ekugcineni ayikubonanga ukukhanya futhi ibiyisipikili ebhokisini lenkampani.
I-GEM isibonise i-smartphone inde futhi incane ngalo, futhi, uRubin wayefuna ukuguqula imakethe. Lo mqondo, ngokungafani ne-PH-1, wawungumcimi-mlilo futhi awuzange wenze mqondo kulomhlaba wamanje wezingcingo, lapho imakethe isabhekiswe ezibukweni ezinkulu ezinamafreyimu amancane futhi amancane, nalapho isikrini esivulekile nesincane singenzi lutho umuzwa odlula i-niche ethile (mhlawumbe kuzoba khona).
I-Essential PH-1 yethulwa ngoFebhuwari 2017, futhi yaba i-smartphone yokuqala ene-notch emakethe (I-iPhone X yethulwa ngoSepthemba walowonyaka ofanayo). Lesi siginali besilokhu singesokuqala, kokubili ngo-2018 nango-2019, ukuvuselelwa kuzinguqulo ezintsha ze-Android, ngoba ungqimba olwenziwe ngokwezifiso alukho nhlobo.
I-smartphone izoqhubeka nokusebenza ngaphandle kwenkinga, kuphela lokho ngeke usathola noma yiluphi uhlobo lwesibuyekezo futhi, noma ukuphepha kwanoma yiluphi olunye uhlobo. U-Andy Rubin, umsunguli we-Android, ushiye iGoogle ngo-2008 wazinikela ekuthuthukiseni i-hardware, i-Essential kungumkhiqizo wokuqala omkhulu awusungule emakethe.