Andy Rubin co-founded Android Inc, before the company was bought by Google. He continued working at Google until late 2014.
Now he’s reportedly planning to unveil a new company called Essential Products which is working on hardware, software, and artificial intelligence that creates an ecosystem shared by multiple devices.
Bloomberg reports that Rubin was at CES earlier this month, discussing one of the company’s core products with executives from mobile wireless carriers. That product? A smartphone.
Andy Rubin (image credit: Joi Ito)
There aren’t a lot of specifics, but the phone is said to have a large, bezel-free display and it’s expected to be a high-end device. The company is allegedly testing a variety of features, including a pressure-sensitive screen and a physical design with metal sides and a ceramic back, although it’s not clear if either of those things will be included in the finished product.
It may also have a proprietary charging connector that also lets you connect third-party accessories such as 360-degree cameras.
After leaving Google, Rubin founded a startup incubator called Playground Global which focuses on artificial intelligence, and it’s likely that AI will somehow play a role in Essential’s new phone. It’s not clear at this point if Android will.
via GSM Arena
