Android creator's new smartphone was doomed from the beginning

The Essential phone got a $200 price drop, just two months after its launch.
It's a sign that sales are very weak as competition for the high-end smartphone market tightens. Samsung and Apple released their new phones around the same time.
The Essential phone had challenges from the beginning, and always seemed doomed to sell poorly.
Android creator Andy Rubin's latest project seems to be a flop.
On Saturday, the company announced that it was slashing the price of its first product, a