Android Co-Creator Andy Rubin Teases His New Bezel-Less Smartphone

Andy Rubin, one of the co-creators of Android OS, is building his own smartphone. He also shared a photo teasing the new handset and it looks like it’s going to take on big-name manufacturers.

Rubin shared a teaser photo of the smartphone on his Twitter page. The photo itself doesn’t show much, but it does confirm that it will have little to no bezel. All there is to see is the top right corner of the device, but it clearly shows it only has small bezels.

Another noticeable thing is that the device appears to be running a skinned version of Android. The notification area and the clock both look very similar to most other Android phones, as pointed out by BGR.

The last thing that can be seen is what looks like a physical button on the side. Judging by its size and location, it could possibly be the device’s power button.

The smartphone seems to be a bit reminiscent of Xiaomi’s Mi Mix smartphone, as pointed out by 9To5Google. However, we have no idea what the lower portion of the phone will look like. The Mi Mix has bottom bezel where the front-facing camera is located.

Rumors suggest the Andy Rubin new Android smartphone will have a display that’s larger than 5.5-inches, but the device itself will have a smaller footprint thanks to its bezel-less design. The Andy Rubin phone is also believed to have a pressure-sensitive 3D Touch display.

The upcoming Android creator's smartphone is said to have a proprietary magnetic connector for charging and for other accessories. Lastly, the device is rumored to come with metal edges, while the back will be ceramic.

The new smartphone is being developed by Essential Products Inc., a startup company created by Andy Rubin when he left Google. The smartphone is said to be manufactured by Foxconn and may launch in the middle of 2017 with a price tag that’s in the $649 range.