The startup team over at Nextbit have finally launched their first glimpse of their first smartphone, the Nextbit Robin, or simply the Robin. This new smartphone will be powered by a pure version of Android Lollipop (with Marshmallow in the works) and will have a unique blend of cloud storage and on-device storage. The reality is that we all access cloud storage on our devices anyway. Nextbit’s point is why not leverage that to its fullest. That’s exactly what the San Francisco company wants to do with their first smartphone.
To that end, you won’t find massive amounts of storage built into the Nextbit Robin – 32GB. But it comes with 100GB of cloud-based storage with apps designed to help you keep track of just how much storage you are using. Plus, it dynamically moves apps (not your personal data) to the cloud storage when you have not used that app for a long time. That way you can free up space on your phone but instantly get that app back on the device. Its a slick concept.
Delve into this cloud storage concept of the Nextbit Robin a bit more and think about a game or other app where you have a lot of progress made or data related to it. That data stays on your phone and is there so when you decide to use the app that you haven’t used in a few months, it will still be there. So you don’t lose your progress on the game.
Spec wise, the 5.2″ screened Nextbit Robin is certainly reasonable for a mid-to-high end device.
Nextbit Robin
| Display | 5.2-inch 1080×1920 IPS LCD |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 hexa-core processor |
| Storage | 32GB on device, 100GB cloud |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Rear Camera | 13MP phase detection autofocus, dual-tone flash |
| Front Camera | 5MP |
| SIM | Nano SIM |
| Cellular | HSPA+: 850/900/1800/1900/2100 LTE (cat 4) bands: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/20/28 |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 80.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, USB-C |
| Fingerprint scanner | Side-mounted power button |
| Speakers | Dual front-facing speakers with dual amplifiers |
| Battery | 2680 mAh |
The phone, which will be available in January 2016, will ship directly to those who purchase, a la OnePlus, without getting the carriers involved. That means that there will be no bloatware and will be a very clean install of Android and Google apps.
You can support the Kickstarter for the Nextbit Robin at an introductory $299 while the phone will retail for $349 when it is available.
