Essential Phone Release Date Will Be Exclusive To Sprint

Several mobile networks have had an odd response to Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone since it launched in late May. That was likely because Sprint will be the only carrier to offer the phone in full support.

Essential President, Niccolo de Masi confirmed to USA Today Sunday that Sprint will have sole compatibility over the smartphone and its special features, including HD voice and built-in video calling. The carrier will also sell the Essential Phone in stores, though price and availability details have not yet been revealed.

Read More: Essential Phone Release Date May Not Have Full Carrier Support

While the Essential Phone is to be unlocked and universal to GSM and CDMA networks, not all carriers are obligated to market devices if they have no deal with the OEMs. In addition to Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile confirmed that the Essential Phone would work on their networks, but likely not to its full capacity. So far, AT&T has not commented on about the Essential Phone.

De Masi told USA Today that the Essential-Sprint collaboration came about due to both companies having a deep focus on the future. The Essential Phone is not yet on sale in Sprint stores, but consumers can pre-order the device directly from Essential, for $699. Its 360-degree camera accessory is available for $50.

Read More: Andy Rubin Essential Phone Release Date: PH-1 Pre-Order, Specs Revealed

Specs for the Essential Phone include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip, a 5.7-inch flat screen with no bezels, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, a 13-megapixel dual-camera setup (with a 360 degree camera accessory) and an 8- megapixel front camera, as well as a USB-C port, a rear-facing fingerprint scanner and the Android Nougat 7.1.1 operating system.

Design-wise the Essential Phone includes no 3.5mm audio jack nor extraneous branding. Its external frame is made of titanium and ceramic and it will come in black moon, stellar gray, pure white and ocean depths (green and gold) color options.