Nextbit Robin

The Nextbit Robin was an Android smartphone manufactured by Nextbit (bought by Razer Inc.). The phone was marketed as "Cloud-first" where it utilized cloud storage to store data which wouldn't be used for a long period of time, thus saving space in the device's local storage.

The product and crowdfunding campaign was launched on Kickstarter on September 1, 2015. Twelve hours after it was launched, the phone reached its funding goal of US$500,000, much earlier than the expected goal of 30 days, and completed its $1 million goal within two weeks.

It was launched on February 16, 2016, where 1000 units of the GSM variant was shipped to its backers on Kickstarter, and an additional 2,300 units were sold through its official website.

In January 2017, Nextbit was bought by Singaporean-American videogame hardware manufacturer Razer Inc. Sales of the phone were halted almost immediately after the announcement. On March 1, 2018, the cloud storage feature was shut down by Nextbit. 10 months after the acquisition, in November 2017, Razer released the Razer Phone, their first game-centric smartphone, with the overall design based on the Robin.

Specifications

Hardware

The Robin was designed with a distinctive aesthetic, primarily constructed from durable polycarbonate material that features a smooth, matte finish. This design choice not only provided a premium feel but also helped in reducing the overall weight of the device, making it comfortable to hold and use. The front of the Robin is protected by Gorilla Glass 4, a toughened glass known for its resistance to scratches and minor impacts, which helps maintain the clarity and integrity of the display over time.

Weighing approximately , the Robin strikes a balance between sturdiness and portability. Its dimensions— in height, in width, and in thickness—contribute to its sleek profile, making it both pocket-friendly and ergonomic for one-handed use. The device is equipped with a IPS LCD screen, which offers vibrant colors and wide viewing angles. The display resolution is set at 1920 x 1080 pixels, translating to a pixel density of 424 ppi, ensuring crisp and clear visuals whether you're watching videos, playing games, or browsing the web.

Under the hood, the Robin is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 (MSM8992) chipset, which is known for its efficiency and robust performance in mid- to high-end smartphones. The Snapdragon 808 is a hexa-core processor featuring a custom 2 + 4 configuration: two high-performance Cortex-A57 cores clocked at 1.82 GHz and four energy-efficient Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.44 GHz. This architecture allows the device to handle both demanding tasks and routine activities with ease, optimizing power consumption without compromising on speed.

To complement the processing power, the Robin is equipped with 3 GB of LPDDR3 RAM. This amount of memory ensures smooth multitasking, allowing users to switch between apps and manage background processes without significant slowdowns. Whether it's gaming, streaming, or simply navigating through the user interface, the combination of the Snapdragon 808 processor and 3 GB of RAM delivers a reliable and responsive experience.

Additionally, the device's hardware supports a range of connectivity options, including LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC, making it versatile in various environments. The inclusion of dual front-facing speakers also enhances the media consumption experience, providing clear and balanced audio directly towards the user.

Storage

The Robin comes with a built-in 32 GB of internal storage, but does not feature microSD card expansion. Instead, the smartphone utilized cloud storage. It had 100 GB of usable cloud storage offered by Nextbit out of the box, which is integrated within the phone's software as an additional "external" storage. Shortly after being purchased by Razer, Nextbit shut down the cloud storage feature on March 1, 2018, with data accessible until April 1, 2018.

When installed applications, for example, were not used by the user for a long period; the smartphone automatically detected them and archived them into the cloud to reduce internal storage usage. It also adapted to the usage patterns of the user and performed the backup process whenever applicable. The smartphone also stored the user's photos in the cloud in the default resolution appropriate for upload, until the user specified the resolution.

Reception

Sales

Pre-orders after the Kickstarter campaign began in October 2015, with shipping set to start in February 2016. During the preorder period, the Nextbit Robin had estimated arrival time of February. The phone stopped being produced in January 2017, following the companies acquisition by Razer Inc.

Known issues

The Robin had suffered performance issues upon launch, including lag and slow performance of the camera. These issues were marked as resolved by Nextbit by releasing software updates in March and April. However, issues persist for many users. The smartphone was also quite easy to bend with both hands due to its all plastic housing, as was tested by Zack Nelson on his YouTube channel JerryRigEverything.Nextbit Robin Bend Test FAIL - Durability test (JerryRigEverything - YouTube)
/ref>

References

{{reflist

External links

Kickstarter Campaign

Android (operating system) devices
Discontinued smartphones
Kickstarter-funded products
Mobile phones introduced in 2016