Wondering if Andy Rubin's Essential Phone will ever launch?

Well, we now have a new release date, according to The Verge. In an email to customers, Rubin said the phone will start shipping “in a few weeks". That means the phone should arrive sometime in August. It was supposed to release in June in the US, but it missed that date, obviously. Rubin has explained that the Essential Phone is currently going through testing with US and international carriers.

He also said his is “working long hours” to get the device shipped:

"I personally wanted to thank you for putting your name down for our first phone. We've been hard at work getting everything ready and the good news is that we’re now going through certification and testing with multiple US and international carriers. You might be getting impatient to get your hands on your new Essential Phone (and I’m also impatient to get it to you!) but rest assured that you will have a device in your hands in a few weeks. In the meantime, give us a shout out using #thisisessential to show the team that sweating the details and working long hours to get this device shipped is worth it. Andy."

Keep in mind the Financial Times claimed last week that Essential executives are already planning to release the phone internationally in Europe and Japan. They are in talks with UK carriers, including EE, and are now negotiating a launch date.

For more details on the phone, check out our guide.