I'm really excited about how this is shaping up. Eager to get it in more people's hands... pic.twitter.com/LRzQCFSKTm — Andy Rubin (@Arubin) March 27, 2017

The new device comes from Rubin's company, Essential Products Inc., which is focused on creating tablets, smartphones and mobile software. Essential's flagship phone will serve as the foundation for a lineup of connected products, according to early reports about the company's movements. A handful of its smartphone prototypes are larger than an iPhone 7 Plus, featuring bezel-free screens and ceramic backings. Rubin and co. are apparently working on a proprietary version of Apple's 3D Touch and they're playing around with magnetic charging accessories.

The image Rubin shared today is reminiscent of Xiaomi's Mi MIX concept phone, which has an edge-to-edge 1080p LCD and a ceramic body. However, with such a small portion of the hardware exposed in this single tweet, it's hard to say where the similarities truly begin (and end).

Essential's flagship smartphone is expected to drop in mid-2017.