Yesterday we learned about the new phone from Andy Rubin's new company, Essential. I expect much will be written about the new phone, but what I think is interesting is that Rubin's company appears to be trying to launch a new ecosystem in which the phone plays but a part.

The company is also developing a new software assistant, or what is now being called an Ambient OS. Like Google Assistant, Essential's will be available on their phone and in an in-home appliance. 

I am curious about why Rubin is choosing to develop their own assistant rather than use Google's, as they are doing in using Android. How can Essential have access to the same data as Google, and can they really write software better than Google? 

The key might be in what Rubin said during The Verge's Recode conference, where he said that the problem Amazon's Echo and Google's Home is the UI. Essential might be developing a different interface that rides on top of Google Assistant, although The Verge says it is more akin to IFTTT. 

What I am most excited by is his comments regarding IoT integration. He acknowledge the "multiple hub" problem of IoT that I've written of before and claims to be trying to provide a fix. If Essential's home appliance can eliminate the need for a Philips, SmartThings, and Harmony hub in my home, I will be a happy camper. 

Rubin's past success in creating the HipTop and Android warrant taking him seriously, but he is claiming to do some bold things that might prove too difficult to overcome. Still, I am rooting for him!