CustomDroid
Essential

Essential PH-1

Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835released Aug 2017up to android 15latest android is 17
ro.product.devicemata
Essential PH-1
photo: LineageOS Wiki
Actively maintained

Released Aug 2017, newest ROM build 2 days ago (3 ROMs still current). A phone that still gets updates keeps going long after its manufacturer stops.

Hardware

SoC
Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835
CPU
Kryo
GPU
Qualcomm Adreno 540
Architecture
arm64
RAM
4 GB
Storage
128 GB UFS 2.1 2-LANE
Screen
5.71" · 1312x2560 · IPS LCD
Battery
3040 mAh
Network
2G GSM · 2G CDMA · 3G UMTS · 4G LTE
Released
Aug 2017

Sensors & features

  • Accelerometer
  • Compass
  • Essential Accessories
  • Fingerprint reader
  • Gyroscope
  • Hall effect sensor
  • Light sensor
  • NFC
  • Proximity sensor

Specs from the LineageOS wiki (CC BY-SA 3.0).

ROMs · 04

The Essential PH-1 (codename mata) has 4 tracked custom ROMs on CustomDroid — including LineageOS, LineageOS for microG, /e/OS and 1 more, running up to Android 15. Each listing links to the project's own download and install guide, and was last checked against the projects' catalogues on 21 Sept 2026.

Tick “compare” on two or three builds to see them side by side.

Show

RSS feed — subscribe to get new Essential PH-1 builds in your reader · JSON

Before you flash

Flashing generally means unlocking the bootloader, booting a custom recovery, wiping, then installing the ROM. Exact steps differ per device and ROM, so follow the Install guide for the one you pick, and back up first. Check what can break (banking apps, DRM, carrier features) and how to get back to stock before you start. Why flash a custom ROM · All guides

Custom recovery for this device: TWRP. Flash the one your chosen ROM's guide asks for — common recovery errors.

This is a Qualcomm device, so on Windows you'll want the Google USB Driver (and QDLoader 9008 to unbrick) before your computer will see it in fastboot. Which USB drivers you need.

LineageOS publishes a step-by-step install guide for this device: wiki.lineageos.org/devices/mata

Timeline

  1. Jul 2026
    LineageOS, /e/OS first tracked
  2. Sept 2026
    LMODroid, LineageOS for microG first tracked

Dates show when CustomDroid first indexed each ROM for this device, not when support originally launched.

ROM availability and links come from each project. CustomDroid indexes builds, it doesn't mirror them — always download from the official project, verify the file's hash/signature, confirm it matches your exact codename, and back up before flashing.