I bought the Essential PH1 a week ago and my phone doesn't have any of the issues you talk about. All the software updates this phone has received since purchased has made this phone a beast. Best bang for the buck if you ask me and it's also the sleeper phone of 2017.
+denniebone626 Just my experience, and I've used a bunch of different devices this year. Agree that it's a great value if you can find it for $400 or so.
I Bought Essential PH1 month ago, I don't have any issues that you mention. Works extremely fast and smooth, quality can ask for better, highly recomend this phone to everyone
Got mine in my hand as we speak. Took 2 night time photos last night that was the best photos i'd ever seen of the phone. it really made me question phone reviewers. Tech-spec heads or for lack of better word, NERDS aren't what these companies are trying to please. Yes, Pixel 2 and iPhones have outstanding cameras, but if a phone has a lesser camera, it doesn't mean it's bad. This is more than enough. I haven't taken a bad pic yet, awesome build and i use my ENTIRE screen on every app by downloading (for free) "GMD IMMERSION" app. I slide up to go home , left to go back , and down to multitask by downloading "Edge Gestures" so I remove my navigation buttons from the bottom of my phone and use all of the screen like the iPhone X.
+John Rhymes Photos are usable, but having access to other devices with REALLY great cameras is when you can really see the difference. Of course, they are double the price, but something to keep in mind is that the comparison is natural since a lot of us use all types of devices and shortcomings are just more noticeable.
I wouldn't classify this camera as a "short-coming" and I have the same devices as you do. In a response to a comment below, you said you want to warn people, so my "warning" to people is to take their own photos and judge for themselves. An overwhelming amount of people who purchase the device come away not understanding at TH-cam reviewers saying the camera is so terrible now(after updates). If I didn't use my camera for music, I'd show the photos I've taken. No set-up or anything. Simply clicking pics at night of my dogs.
+John Rhymes I have to disagree. The dynamic range is extremely poor on the Essential PH-1. And if you compare these pics to what the Pixel 2 XL or iPhone X take, then it's really no contest. But again, it depends on what you're using your phone for. In some use cases, the camera is good enough. Take a few comparison shots of the devices you have and post em up. I'd like to see them to compare.
Which is the disconnect from a reviewer having tons of phones than the average consumer looking for a phone. They aren't looking at "dynamic range" they want a phone that points-and-shoots and takes good photos which tons of phones do especially flagship phones. No one is going to watch that video link and go, "these are terrible pics" , they'll simply think reviewers are nitpicking.
You know what's great about this phone ? It got such bad reviews when it first came out ( remember this is a new phone from a new company so there were going to be some slight problems) and they had to SLASH prices. Now essential is clearing up all these problems and we should see a brand new experience on 8.1. Remember now, this is a phone with the 835 and 128gb storage for 400$ in Canada its $460 and let's say the pixel or the s8 are around the $900 range ! That means it's half the price of these other phones hahaha there's no comparison !!!
The phone is a beast. Hopefully, you don't have any problems with it. Their customer service is the worst of any company I've ever had to deal with. I would buy the phone with the understanding that you are on your own.
Thanks for the informative review. Still waiting to get my hands on it to test it out myself. I also paid $399 and got the 360 camera with it. I am told you can return the camera, if you wish and receive a $109 refund, bringing the price down to $290! But I do wonder about your camera comments, though. Are you using the latest update? Did you use the Google HDR+ Camera App? Also, it is a pet peeve of mine when reviewers compare the camera to those on cameras costing double the price. As far as I can tell the camera is comparable to the One+ 5T, which is still more expensive based on deals you can get for the Essential. The camera is quite good, it is just not equal to the best ones on $700 - 900 phones.
+Sean Patrick Hi Sean! For the initial review, I didn't side load the Google camera apk. I planning doing more with the Essential PH-1 in the coming weeks. Also, the point of the comparison wasn't necessarily to point out that it's not as good as the more costly phones, but that the camera can be a deal breaker between buying this phone and going for something more expensive. I probably could have done a better job of clarifying that. I appreciate the comment! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video. So the take away from this video is if you find it sold for 400 USD then it's a no brainer, but if I only find it for 500 USD then I'm better off with a 5T. Is that right?
+tamboyistheman At a high level, I'd probably agree with that. However, I don't have the 5t to independently confirm, but based on features and reviews I've seen, at $500 the 5t is probably better for most people today. However, Essential has shown continued focus on improving software, and OnePlus isn't as committed to it. Something to be aware of.
It's not that great. I'll be refreshing my speaker comparison soon, and I'll probably do it "top 5 style" like I just did with my favorite smartphone video. Thanks for watching!
Complained about camera? That's old news. It takes good pictures now. The main issue is the touchscreen. It is not reliable and frustrating. Examples @ 1:004:21.
+PedHead I haven't noticed touch issues, the lack of feedback is probably more due to me trying to operate the phone while using it. Also, I'm not complaining about the camera, it's just my experience since it is my first week with the Essential phone. Regardless, it's a nice device but not one that is without multiple flaws. Thanks for watching!
I bought the Essential PH1 a week ago and my phone doesn't have any of the issues you talk about. All the software updates this phone has received since purchased has made this phone a beast. Best bang for the buck if you ask me and it's also the sleeper phone of 2017.
+denniebone626 Just my experience, and I've used a bunch of different devices this year. Agree that it's a great value if you can find it for $400 or so.
I haven't had any issues either. The camera has improved since I bought it. I have the Google Pixel 2 camera as aback up.
I Bought Essential PH1 month ago, I don't have any issues that you mention. Works extremely fast and smooth, quality can ask for better, highly recomend this phone to everyone
Got mine in my hand as we speak. Took 2 night time photos last night that was the best photos i'd ever seen of the phone. it really made me question phone reviewers. Tech-spec heads or for lack of better word, NERDS aren't what these companies are trying to please. Yes, Pixel 2 and iPhones have outstanding cameras, but if a phone has a lesser camera, it doesn't mean it's bad. This is more than enough. I haven't taken a bad pic yet, awesome build and i use my ENTIRE screen on every app by downloading (for free) "GMD IMMERSION" app. I slide up to go home , left to go back , and down to multitask by downloading "Edge Gestures" so I remove my navigation buttons from the bottom of my phone and use all of the screen like the iPhone X.
+John Rhymes Photos are usable, but having access to other devices with REALLY great cameras is when you can really see the difference. Of course, they are double the price, but something to keep in mind is that the comparison is natural since a lot of us use all types of devices and shortcomings are just more noticeable.
I wouldn't classify this camera as a "short-coming" and I have the same devices as you do. In a response to a comment below, you said you want to warn people, so my "warning" to people is to take their own photos and judge for themselves. An overwhelming amount of people who purchase the device come away not understanding at TH-cam reviewers saying the camera is so terrible now(after updates). If I didn't use my camera for music, I'd show the photos I've taken. No set-up or anything. Simply clicking pics at night of my dogs.
Here's a link I saw right after your video of someone taking random photos from good lighting to night time.
th-cam.com/video/RVW0nl2GIls/w-d-xo.html
+John Rhymes I have to disagree. The dynamic range is extremely poor on the Essential PH-1. And if you compare these pics to what the Pixel 2 XL or iPhone X take, then it's really no contest.
But again, it depends on what you're using your phone for. In some use cases, the camera is good enough. Take a few comparison shots of the devices you have and post em up. I'd like to see them to compare.
Which is the disconnect from a reviewer having tons of phones than the average consumer looking for a phone. They aren't looking at "dynamic range" they want a phone that points-and-shoots and takes good photos which tons of phones do especially flagship phones. No one is going to watch that video link and go, "these are terrible pics" , they'll simply think reviewers are nitpicking.
You know what's great about this phone ? It got such bad reviews when it first came out ( remember this is a new phone from a new company so there were going to be some slight problems) and they had to SLASH prices. Now essential is clearing up all these problems and we should see a brand new experience on 8.1. Remember now, this is a phone with the 835 and 128gb storage for 400$ in Canada its $460 and let's say the pixel or the s8 are around the $900 range ! That means it's half the price of these other phones hahaha there's no comparison !!!
I found one for $310. I'll take this over Samsung's bloatware
The phone is a beast. Hopefully, you don't have any problems with it. Their customer service is the worst of any company I've ever had to deal with. I would buy the phone with the understanding that you are on your own.
Small companies typically struggle w/customer service since they outsource much of it. Thanks for the comment, and appreciate your viewership!
Best Android phone ever made
Thanks for the informative review. Still waiting to get my hands on it to test it out myself. I also paid $399 and got the 360 camera with it. I am told you can return the camera, if you wish and receive a $109 refund, bringing the price down to $290!
But I do wonder about your camera comments, though. Are you using the latest update? Did you use the Google HDR+ Camera App? Also, it is a pet peeve of mine when reviewers compare the camera to those on cameras costing double the price. As far as I can tell the camera is comparable to the One+ 5T, which is still more expensive based on deals you can get for the Essential. The camera is quite good, it is just not equal to the best ones on $700 - 900 phones.
+Sean Patrick Hi Sean! For the initial review, I didn't side load the Google camera apk. I planning doing more with the Essential PH-1 in the coming weeks. Also, the point of the comparison wasn't necessarily to point out that it's not as good as the more costly phones, but that the camera can be a deal breaker between buying this phone and going for something more expensive. I probably could have done a better job of clarifying that. I appreciate the comment! Thanks for watching!
I wouldn't say the cameras aren't good, it's the software that's not good
Thanks for the video. So the take away from this video is if you find it sold for 400 USD then it's a no brainer, but if I only find it for 500 USD then I'm better off with a 5T. Is that right?
+tamboyistheman At a high level, I'd probably agree with that. However, I don't have the 5t to independently confirm, but based on features and reviews I've seen, at $500 the 5t is probably better for most people today. However, Essential has shown continued focus on improving software, and OnePlus isn't as committed to it. Something to be aware of.
I would like to here that it is out of stock due to so many people are taking to it I'm thinking of getting me one cause the 449 is a good price
+Pat Albert Hopefully! It's a good phone overall, especially for the price! Thanks for watching!
Should I go for Essential Ph-1, Note 8, OnePlus 5T or HTC U11+?
+Konrad Klawikowski What's your budget? Besides that, what will be the price for uses for your smartphone?
How would you rate the speaker?
It's not as loud as other phones is it?
It's not that great. I'll be refreshing my speaker comparison soon, and I'll probably do it "top 5 style" like I just did with my favorite smartphone video. Thanks for watching!
Nice video.
+Marcus Jones Thank you!
Complained about camera? That's old news. It takes good pictures now. The main issue is the touchscreen. It is not reliable and frustrating. Examples @ 1:00 4:21.
PedHead those were both problems with precision, on insta he clicked something else, on the home he wasn’t on the slidey part
+PedHead I haven't noticed touch issues, the lack of feedback is probably more due to me trying to operate the phone while using it. Also, I'm not complaining about the camera, it's just my experience since it is my first week with the Essential phone. Regardless, it's a nice device but not one that is without multiple flaws. Thanks for watching!