The Essential Phone is finally shipping (without the 360-degree camera)

Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone is finally shipping. Back at the end of May, the Android founder promised that the device would come out within a month but that deadline sailed by and subsequent delays have pushed it into August. Then the company promised the phone would reach customers within a week — more than ten days ago. Regardless, it’s finally shipping. Kind of.

The black version of the Essential Phone is going out now, but those that pre-ordered the white version are still weeks away from getting their phone. The white version isn’t even showing up on the order page yet, so who knows when it’ll see the light of day.

Also, to make things just a little bit worse, the modular 360-degree camera that customers could pick up in a pre-order bundle isn’t shipping yet either. Essential hasn’t clued us in on when the camera will ship, so those magnetic pins will go unused for now. The Essential Phone is one of only a handful of current devices that offer modular attachments, along with the Moto Z2 lineup. Rubin has stated that it’s Essential’s goal to put out one new accessory per quarter, with a docking station already under development.

Despite the delays, hype around the Essential Phone is still pretty high. During our hands-on time with the Essential Phone, we found that despite its small chin, it truly feels like you’re holding a phone that’s all screen. One thing’s for sure, the design is definitely on trend, but with strong competition and limited distribution channels, Essential has its work cut out.