By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
One of the advantages of the Essential Phone PH-1, sold exclusively in Canada by Telus and subsidiary Koodo, is that it runs on Pure Android.There's no carrier or phone manufacturer bloatware and this ensures quick adoption of the latest OS updates and features.
Designed and created by Android founder Andy Rubin, the Essential Phone's promise was that it would receive the latest Android updates when these were rolled out by Google.
This promise has been fulfilled by allowing Android P Beta on the device early and by rolling our the finished Android Pie update the same day it was made available globally. Except in Canada.
Carriers famously withhold software updates and features on devices to force users into ugrading to new handsets or models they would rather support. There's no evidence that this is the case here. Essential has guaranteed at least two years of software updates for the Essential Phone.
Android Pie was released on August 6. Telus has made it available to the Google Pixel devices.
Telus has held on to the Android P update (as well as some critical firmware updates). Many Telus and Koodo customers have taken to Twitter to ask Essential and Telus what the hold up is. Essential says that Telus is testing the update. Telus has responded as follows.
Hi, we test the updates to make sure they meet our quality standards before making them available for our customers. Stay tuned.
— TELUS Support (@TELUSsupport) August 20, 2018
Instead of giving its customers answers, Telus is obfuscating by pointing them to a software update page which doesn't even address the Essential Phone.
Essential Phone users the world over are running Android P as well as the latest security updates. When asked about the Telus holdup on Twitter, Essential responded as follows.
Hi there - TELUS reviews and approves all updates before releasing to their customers. We've been told it won't be much longer.
— Essential (@essential) August 16, 2018
Telus had exclusivity of the Essential Phone in Canada last year. It was actually one of two carriers in North America to carry the device at launch.
Due to poor sales, the Essential Phone reached end-of-life status sometime in May (Ironically, at around the same time that firmware updates improved many aspects of the device). The Essential Phone is being sold at heavily discounted rates on sellers like Amazon.ca. Even if these are sold unlocked, they won't get the updates if you're using a Telus SIM card.
@TELUS @TELUSsupport Hi, what's happening with the security update for #essentialphone July past away no update from you guys and now August as an update for Android Pie and security! Not here yet??? If you don't support a good and fast phone company... don't sell there phone!!
— Stephane Lemire (@lemire_stephane) August 23, 2018
Hey @TELUS and @koodo are you seeing this? If you're reviewing this update because you want to protect me - stop. Your making me upset. I bought an essential phone because I appreciate their promptness. (Not your tardiness) https://t.co/iLkV413noW
— Brendan Quigley 🐒 (@quigley_brendan) August 20, 2018
It seems as Telus has moved flagship products (The Huawei P20 being the one with top billing now), focus on updating products like the Essential Phone falls by the wayside. Stay tune as this story unfolds.