The long-awaited mystery smartphone from Andy Rubin is closer to being unveiled. And from the looks of it, the handset will give the iPhone 8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 a run for their money.
The official Twitter account of Essential Products, the startup founded by the former Google Senior Vice of Mobile and Digital Content, announced that "something big is coming May 30th." Silhouettes of the smartphone were also leaked with one showing what seems to be a 360-degree camera. This runs in line with Rubin's announcement that Essential is working on 360-degree video recording.
According to Tom's Guide, Rubin will be in attendance at the Code Conference in Southern California. The Android co-creator has been giving out hints on his much-hyped secret smartphone. Rubin started things off with a tweet in March showing a handset held tightly by someone in blue jeans.
The image shows the upper right portion of the handset which interestingly has very slim bezels and a bigger display. The lack of larger bezels on the top portion of the mysterious device will not have an earpiece long that area. The handset also lacks the curved screen seen on the Galaxy S8.
The leaked image also shows the time and the status of the device's connection. BGR noted that the clock and notification area seems like a "skinned version" of Android.
His tweet also came with the caption, "I'm really excited about how this is shaping up." Rubin, who resigned from Google in 2014 to start Essential, also said in the tweet he is "eager to get it in more people's hands."
Little is known about the obscure smartphone though speculations have been surfacing left and right since Rubin's tweet. One rumor indicates that the device will be pressure-sensitive. This may mean that it will have 3D Touch capabilities similar to the feature used in the iPhone 7. Another rumor says Rubin's handset will have wireless charging.
The most interesting of the rumors is perhaps the one that says Rubin's smartphone will have a feature for augmented reality. If all rumors prove true, Rubin's dream smartphone could indeed be a nightmare for Apple and Samsung.
