Andy Rubin's Essential Products, which raised $330M to build smartphones and was valued at $1B, says it is ceasing operations
The smartphone company founded by Mr. Rubin, a former Google executive, struggled to win over customers. — SAN FRANCISCO — Essential Products …
New York Times
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Discussion
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@cassidyjames
Cassidy James
on x
A company getting this far with a product (and extremely slick marketing materials!) and then folding points to extreme mismanagement. But *damn* that GEM phone looks really interesting. I would have loved to see it come to market. https://www.essential.com/...
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@androidcentral
@androidcentral
on x
No more Essential Phone sequels. Andy Rubin's Essential is shutting down https://www.androidcentral.com/ ...
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@carnage4life
Dare Obasanjo
on x
The fact Andy Rubin's startup to create the next great phone failed after raising $330M likely indicates that a big part of Android's success was because Google acquired it. Food for thought as FTC decides to revisit old acquisitions by big tech companies. https://9to5google.com/…
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@msurguy
Maks Surguy
on x
Wow, feels like General Magic part II... Especially for Andy Rubin (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/ ...). Wonder what went wrong with the vision and financials. https://twitter.com/...
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@dcseifert
Dan Seifert
on x
it's very weird that the meaningful result of a phone company shutting down is that I'll have to find a new email app to use https://www.essential.com/...
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@tapbot_paul
Paul Haddad
on x
I hate to speak ill of the “dead” but wow those videos make this device seem truly awful. This is not a good form factor for a touch screen device. https://www.essential.com/... https://twitter.com/...
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@alex__rubel
Alex Rubel
on x
@Techmeme @unpositive Still using PH-1 after 2 years. Such a great phone
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@daiwaka
Daisuke Wakabayashi
on x
We updated our story on Essential. A few companies had expressed interest in buying Essential in 2018 including Amazon and Walmart — but ultimately the interest disappeared because of “headline risk” with Andy Rubin. https://www.nytimes.com/...
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@rquandt
Roland Quandt
on x
Gem's dead. And so is Essential. This is the end of the road for Newton Mail, too. And the weird stick-phone. https://www.essential.com/...
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@saschasegan
Sascha Segan
on x
Phone company Essential shuts down. Betting the farm on Andy Rubin, a deeply flawed personality, turned out to be fatal. https://www.essential.com/...
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@hunterwalk
@hunterwalk
on x
essential first to market with the folding smartphone.... https://twitter.com/...
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@mgsiegler
M.G. Siegler
on x
Inessential, as it turns out. https://twitter.com/...
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@danprimack
Dan Primack
on x
Essential, the Andy Rubin-led phone startup that just shut down, had raised $330 million from a giant list of backers. They include Tencent, Foxconn, Amazon, Redpoint, and Rubin's own Playground Global.
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@stevekovach
Steve Kovach
on x
$330 million in funding for one phone that didn't sell very well. https://twitter.com/...
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@s_m_i
Stacy-Marie Ishmael
on x
so much waste. https://www.nytimes.com/...