Essential has started teasing a phone that looks like a remote because reasons

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Essential isn’t afraid to push the boundaries with its phones, but this new one is definitely… something.

Teased on Twitter by Essential founder Andy Rubin (Android co-founder and formerly at Google), the phone looks less like a smartphone and more like a smart remote. It’s thin, it’s shiny, and I’m honestly not sure how to feel about it.

Check out the Essential Project Gem phone

https://twitter.com/Arubin/status/1181688540540764160

In a series of tweets, Rubin shows off the phone’s interesting colors and very thin display. Obviously, it features a completely unique Android UI, as traditional layouts simply wouldn’t work on the device.

https://twitter.com/Arubin/status/1181688574975983616

Not much is known about the phone, but from images, we can see a camera on the back and what could possibly be a fingerprint reader below the camera. It will be interesting to see how things like Google Maps, Uber, and other standard smartphone apps function on this thin boi.

Not everyone is happy with this new phone, however, but much of that stems from reports of Rubin essentially being paid $90 million for allegedly coercing sex from an employee during his time at Google.

What do you think? Interested in this smartphone from Essential or is this a hard pass for you? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• A new report points to a 2020 iPhone SE2, iPad Pro, and AR headset release
• Apple wants to meld Music and Apple TV+ into one monthly sub, to the chagrin of record companies
• Google says there’s a serious security flaw that’s targeting Pixel, Samsung, and Huawei phones
• Uber is testing a feature that lets you bring pets along for the ride

Josiah Motley

Former KnowTechie editor.