Although the Essential Phone had a fairly rocky launch, frequent software updates and a substantial price cut have quickly turned the device into one of the most appealing Android handsets around for under $500. Essential recently pushed out another Nougat-based build while we wait for the Oreo beta to launch, and the two biggest changes include fingerprint sensor gestures and a fix for KRACK.
Fingerprint sensor gestures on the Essential Phone work just like they do on the Google Pixel and Pixel 2. Swiping down on the sensor will reveal your notification shade, and swiping up will dismiss it. It's a subtle change, but anyone that's ever owned a Pixel or other device with this feature knows just how useful it can be at times.
As mentioned above, the other big news here is a fix for the KRACK vulnerability that reared its ugly head in mid-October. In addition to this, the update also includes the latest October 2017 security patch from Google, improved performance, bug fixes, and better touch scrolling.
We're rolling out a software update (build NMJ20D) that includes improved touch scrolling, patch for KRACK vulnerability, and more.We're rolling out a software update (build NMJ20D) that includes improved touch scrolling, patch for KRACK vulnerability, and more.— Essential (@essential) October 30, 2017October 30, 2017
The update is rolling out now with a build number of NMJ20D and file size of 74.8Mb. The update will download in the background, and once it's ready to go, restarting your Essential Phone will install all of the new goodies onto your device. Users of the unlocked variant of the Essential Phone should already have access to it, but if you're using the phone on Sprint, you'll need to wait for the carrier to approve it before it gets pushed out to you.
