Andy Rubin, one of the creators of Google’s Android software, has launched his own high-end smartphone – Essential Phone.

Mr Rubin left Google in 2014 to create Playground, a technology investment company. Essential is one of the companies it funds – and the Essential Phone is its first product.

The device runs the Android operating system and has gone on sale in the US for $699.

However, it will be difficult to break into the huge market dominance of established brands.