After months of delay, Andy Rubin’s Essential has finally provided customers who pre-ordered the handset with a confirmed shipped date. The email from Essential says that their pre-ordered Essential Phone is ready and will be shipped out to them within 7 days.
For now, the company is only shipping the Black Moon color of the device to customers who pre-ordered it, with shipping for the Pure White version still a couple of weeks away. To avoid further frustration, Essential is also offering users the option to change their Pure White Essential Phone pre-order to Black Moon.
If you did not pre-order the Essential Phone, you can still purchase it directly from Essential’s website. You can purchase it unlocked and outright for $699. The handset can also be purchased via Amazon and Best Buy, with financing options bringing its price to $29.13 for 24 months.
Below is the email that all customers who pre-ordered the Essential Phone have received over the last 24 hours:
Great news! Essential Phone (Black Moon) is starting to ship. As shipment of your Pure White device is still a couple of weeks away, we want to give you the option to change your order from a Pure White to a Black Moon device, which will ship within 7 days. If you want to be one of the first to have an Essential Phone in your hands please contact our support team at [email protected] to change your order.
Sprint is the only carrier in the US to carry the Essential Phone officially. The carrier is expected to start shipping the handset on August 18 or later.
As for the Essential 360 camera, it is still not clear when the modular attachment would start shipping.
By sending out this email, Essential has at least been able to stick to at least one of its self-imposed timeframe regarding the Essential Phone’s shipping.
