You probably shouldn’t sideload Essential Phone updates with the included cable

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Essential has been on the up and up lately, with their monthly AMAs and their dedication to bringing Android Oreo with Project Treble support to the Essential phone. If you want to try out the Android Oreo beta, you simply have to sideload it via ADB, though according to the official Essential Twitter account, it’s recommended that you not do so with the official USB-C to USB-C cable provided with the device.

Some users have reported issues when flashing or sideloading using a USB 2.0 cable. The cable included with PH-1 is USB 2.0 and is primarily intended for charging. If you’re flashing or sideloading PH-1, we recommend using a high-quality, spec-compliant USB 3.0 (or higher) cable. — Essential (@essential) January 19, 2018

Granted, this isn’t a big deal as many laptops and computers still don’t have a USB-C port to directly connect to the Essential Phone, with most people opting to use a third-party USB-A to USB-C cable, but it’s still problematic for those who can use the included cable. What’s more, it’s also strange that these issues can only be rectified with a USB 3.0 cable, given that many devices in the past (and present) actually only support USB 2.0 and can sideload updates without issues.

For those affected who may want to flash or sideload an update on their Essential Phone, the company advises using a different cable or you may face issues when flashing an update. It’s important to note as well that the cable is apparently “primarily intended for charging,” given that the included cable will also be the only way for people to transfer data from their phone, assuming it’s their first USB-C device.

If you need a new cable, many places online sell USB 3.0 USB-A to USB-C ones. The official update to Android Oreo on the Essential Phone should be coming out soon, so if you can’t find a new cable then maybe hold off on sideloading the beta updates for now and wait for the official release.