Essential ceases operations; ends all software support for Essential Phone

Essential made its grand entry into the market back in 2017 when it released the Essential PH1. It was supposed to deliver the 'ultimate' Android experience like never before. The company was, after all, headed by none other than Android co-founder Andy Rubin. The phone didn't take off thanks to a slew of bugs that plagued its software. It took Essential several updates to bring the PH1's software to usable levels, and at that point, it seemed like a lost cause.

However, the company did a commendable job of keeping the device up to date with software updates. There were several rumors centered around its successor, but it looks like we'll never get to see it, as the company just announced that it is shutting shop for good.

In a blog post published earlier, a company spokesperson stated that Essential will cease operations. If you happen to own an Essential PH1, now would be a very good time to look for custom ROMs as it will no longer receive security updates. Thankfully, there is a vibrant developer community centered around the PH1, so you should have a relatively easy time going about it. Essential has even posted the PH1's vendor image on its Github page, allowing third-party developers to tinker around with its innards.

The closure also marks the end of what Essential called Project GEM. Based on what little information the company divulged about it, the project had something to do with a weird-looking phone that looked like a TV remote. Essential-owned Newton Mail will continue to operate until April 30th of this year. Let us all collectively press F to pay respects to Essential.