On November 28, a report from The Information came out claiming that Andy Rubin – the co-founder of Android – had engaged in an "inappropriate relationship" during his time at Google. Rubin promptly took a leave of absence from his new startup, Essential, following this claim, and less than two weeks later, he's already made a return.
It's now being said that Rubin announced his leave of absence on November 27, but according to one representative from Essential, the leave actually started earlier in the month.
Essential and Rubin still haven't confirmed the reason for the leave of absence, but we'd advise not holding your breath for a further explanation anytime soon. Rubin's spokesperson denied claims of the inappropriate relationship almost immediately after The Information's report came out, and for the time being, that appears to be the end of this mini-controversy.
The Essential Phone is still available for purchase for its lower price of $499, and in the near future, we should see the release of a new color variant and a charging dock that'll act as the second modular accessory for the device.
