After much delay, Andy Rubin’s long awaited Essential Phone has finally started shipping out to customers who pre-ordered it.
However, at this time only the Black model is being sent out. And there’s another caveat to conisder, one might put a damper on the whole Essential experience from the get-go.
You see, while the Essential website clearly states the device is compatible with all major carriers, the truth is that Verizon certification is still pending. Customers who ordered an Essential received an email which contains this tidbit:
“Essential Phone is ready to operate on Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T. Certification with Verizon, however, is not yet complete, though will be soon. If you wish to be notified about Verizon certification, please sign up here.”
So what does it mean, exactly? Fortunately, it’s not as bad as you’d think. So, if you’re a current Verizon subscriber who is planning to use the Essential Phone on your current Verizon SIM you should be OK.
But problems might arise for people who want to use the Essential Phone on Verizon’s network but don’t have a Verizon SIM or who are new Verizon customers. In that’s your case, it’s recommended you call Verizon’s customer service and see if they can help you activate it.
AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint customers, on the other hand, needed worry about such issues. However, new Verizon customers will have to think twice before purchasing the Essential Phone, especially since the carrier couldn’t specify a time-frame for when we can expect the certification process to be complete.
