Essential – the smartphone start-up headed by former Android chief Andy Rubin – is seeking to expand beyond the US with launches in western Europe and Japan.

The company recently discussed exclusive deals with operators in the UK, Financial Times (FT) reported. While the newspaper singled EE out of the pack when revealing the talks, it did not state whether Essential sealed a deal or pinned down a launch date in the country.

Rubin, who left Google in 2014, took the wraps off the company and the Essential Phone in May and the company followed up in June by signing an exclusive deal with US operator Sprint, thus giving Essential a US retail presence.

However, the partnership raised some eyebrows, given the exclusivity of the deal with Sprint arguably limited the reach of the company in the US. Shipments in the country have yet to commence, FT noted.

Essential, which has raised $300 million to compete with Apple and Samsung in the smartphone market, priced its first smartphone at $699 in the US.

Niccolo de Masi, Essential’s COO, told FT the device is designed for “trendsetters and technology seekers”, and its launch in the US is now imminent.

Essential aims to differentiate from mass-market smartphones by offering modular elements which can be attached to the phone, such as a 360 degree camera as well as future audio, fitness and VR offerings. The device runs a stripped down version of Android, with no apps preloaded.

“Consumer choice has declined due to Apple and Samsung,” de Masi told FT.

Although the FT report listed potential launches in the UK, no additional details on Essential’s plans in the remainder of western Europe or Japan were revealed.