This UNRELEASED Phone could have Changed Everything - Essential Project Gem
0 up · 0 down · 0 ratings
Description
Game your way and
Promos
check out the NYXI Flexi wireless gaming controller using our link: bit.ly Bell loves phones, but he especially loves WEIRD phones. From phones with chins, foreheads, and notches to folds, flips, and spins, having a quirky little device in your pocket is always cool, yet today we have something extra special that Bell has been waiting for for almost SIX YEARS now... the Essential PH-2 (or Project Gem.) It's skinny, it's tall, it's... well, not the easiest to use, but maybe this phone could've achieved what the future trend of "Dumb phones" has been trying to do for a while now. Want us to unbox something? Make a suggestion at lmg.gg ► GET MERCH: lttstore.com ► GET A VPN: piavpn.com ► GET EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ON FLOATPLANE: lmg.gg ► SPONSORS, AFFILIATES, AND PARTNERS: lmg.gg CHAPTERS --------------------------------------------------- 0:00 Bell's back with something special 0:23 Hand feel and design impressions 2:49 Sponsor - NYXI 3:25 The home screen (and trying niagara launcher) 4:30 Specs, naming weirdness, and other cancelled Essential Phones 5:59 The keyboard and camera 7:17 Watching YouTube and listening to Crab Rave 8:23 Weighing it 8:57 Doomscrolling social media, reading books, gaming, and maps 11:27 Overall thoughts 12:12 Outro
The video opens with Bell reappearing from retirement to examine the Essential Phone PH2, a long-awaited prototype from Project Gem that never released. The host describes the device as unusually compact and tall, with a 5.3-inch OLED display and a distinctive iridescent pink back that is visually striking but fingerprint-prone. He notes the hardware is purpose-built for one-handed use, featuring side buttons, a single USB-C port, a front earpiece, and a rear camera with a missing fingerprint sensor because the device is a prototype. The discussion then pivots to how Essential announced this phone in 2019, but the company shuttered in 2020, leaving many features incomplete and unlaunched. Despite that, the host highlights the design language as quintessentially Essential, praising the brand’s emphasis on aesthetics and form even in late-stage concept work, while acknowledging the absence of Google Play Services complicates software usability. He also reflects on the physical ergonomics, comparing it to other compact devices and stressing that reachability of the top icons is a key design consideration for a one-handed device.
Topics · technology · design · mobile_devices · electronics
Questions answered
- What is the Essential PH2 Project Gem and why is it notable?
- The Essential PH2 Project Gem is a prototype of a slim, tall Android phone announced in 2019 but never released due to Essential shutting down in 2020. It is notable for its distinctive design, compact form factor aimed at one-handed use, and the fact that many features remained unfinished or unreleased.
- What are the main hardware characteristics mentioned in the video?
- The device features a 5.3-inch OLED display, a single USB-C port, a rear 12 MP camera, a front punch-hole camera, and a design emphasizing one-handed usability. It runs Android 10 with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, with a small 1000 mAh battery, and it lacks Google Play Services.
- Why did this phone not reach market according to the video?
- According to the video, Essential shut down in February 2020 before the PH2 Project Gem could be released, leaving the project halted and the hardware non-finalized.