It can be said that the first Essential Phone was ahead of the trends. First smartphone from Essential series created by Andy Rubin (one of the creators of Android) was the first phone that received notch, a solution later disseminated thanks to the iPhone X. Essential Phone didn't sell very well, which made Rubin's company to stop production of the first model, but firm immediately announced that it’s not the end of the brand and another device from the Essential series will appear on the market. Everything indicates that next Essential's phone will again receive an unusual solution regarding the front camera.
Recent reports indicate that Essential Phone 2 will receive a front camera placed under the screen. This camera would be assisted by light sensors, and display would become transparent when front camera would have been activated. This unusual solution would allow for using full available area of screen without need to apply a special notch on the front panel. In addition to the front camera, Essential Phone 2 probably will have also a fingerprint reader under the screen.