Essential, a smartphone startup founded by ex-Googler Andy Rubin, is going through a tumultuous time even before the product is released. The company’s head of UX, Liron Damir, has apparently left Essential and joined Google to lead the Google Home design team. The Essential Phone, as it is known, packs a pretty attractive hardware specs sheet, and a design to rival even the best in the industry. This is the third major executive departure from Essential after Brian Wallace, VP of marketing and Andy Fouché, head of communications left the company. It is quite unusual for three top level employees to leave the company before the product has even been launched. The Essential Phone has a lot of critical hardware attributes, and the camera is one area where the company expects to leave a mark on the industry. The dual-camera on the back of the Essential Phone consists of a monochrome and a standard color sensor. This particular arrangement has been used by multiple manufacturers, primarily Huawei, with its Leica branded sensors. The company recently mentioned that the Essential Phone will start shipping in a few weeks. The handset was announced a couple of months ago for $699.
