Essential Products, the smartphone maker founded by Android creator Andy Rubin, has cut about 30 percent of its employees, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. The reductions affect staff in the company’s hardware, marketing, and sales divisions. The company has about 120 employees, according to its website.
The cuts come several months after the company canceled plans for a second version of its smartphone and paused development of a smart home device. Bloomberg reported earlier that Essential has shifted its focus to creating a new AI-based phone that can manage basic tasks on behalf of the user.
An Essential spokeswoman said the company would help the affected employees find new work. "We are confident that our sharpened product focus will help us deliver a truly game changing consumer product," she said.
