Essential, the mobile device company backed by former Android boss Andy Rubin (pictured), ended speculation over its future after releasing images of its next device, Project Gem.

In tweets by Rubin and the official Essential account, the company showed off the device, featuring four different colours. In what could be considered an unconventional design for a smartphone, the company said it had been “working on a new device to reframe your perspective on mobile”.

The company stated the device is currently in early testing and it would release more details in the future.

Rubin highlighted the “radically different form factor” of Project Gem, highlighting the slimline design and a new user interface.

The images also show that the colours of the devices change when viewed at different angles, from a green to yellow and blue, for example.

https://twitter.com/Arubin/status/1181688574975983616?s=20

Rubin will hope its Project Gem device fares better than its previous efforts.

Essential entered the market in May 2017 but struggled to gain a foothold in what was already a fiercely competitive sector. At the start of the year, it sparked speculation over its future after clearing stocks of its PH-1 smartphone without outlining plans for a successor.