Andy Rubin smartphone startup Essential Products shuts down

Rubin was a co-founder of Android, which Google bought in 2005. — AFP Relaxnews

SAN FRANCISCO: Smartphone startup Essential Products, launched by one of the co-creators of Android mobile software, announced Feb 12 that it was shutting down.

Former Google executive Andy Rubin founded Essential to much fanfare in the industry, but struggled to gain traction in a crowded market, especially after its 2017 launch of a handset that did not catch on.