Nextbit Launches Robin on Kickstarter: Cloud-Based Android Smartphone

[dgstorm]

Nextbit just unveiled an odd little device called the Robin. It's actually a unique looking smartphone with some decent internal hardware specs:

• 5.2-inch 1080p screen
• USB-C port
• Qualcomm's hexa-core Snapdragon 808 chipsets
• 3GB of RAM
• NFC
• Front-facing speakers
• Tiny fingerprint scanner on the side
• 13-megapixel camera

The hardware obviously isn't what makes this phone unique. What distinguishes it even more than its pastel colors and blocky shape is the software. In fact, that's what the designers purposefully focused on. Supposedly, the main focus of the phone is to make it a cloud-based device.

According to the description of the device, it uses 100 GB's of cloud-based computing to offload rarely used apps to the cloud so it can save space on the 32GB storage on the phone. The concept of the phone according to the folks at Nextbit is that you shouldn't have to delete things from your phone when you start running out of space. They also leave the bootloader unlocked so that folks can tinker with their devices.

The one problem we have with the concept of this device is that it seems to try to solve our personal storage problem by coming at the cloud storage solution backwards. Whether you are off-loading your apps to the cloud, or your content to the cloud, aren't you still using the cloud? This phone won't really solve the problem of folks who don't want to use the cloud...

Share your thoughts, and check out more info on the Nextbit Robin here: Robin. The smarter smartphone. by Nextbit — Kickstarter

 

[Jonny Kansas]

I have no problem using the cloud for things, but I'm on a limited data plan, so I'm curious what kind of settings the user has control over.

The sell here is that it learns how you use the device & automatically shifts things to & from the cloud, which is all well & good, but even my photo backup apps are under strict instructions to only upload via WiFi while charging.

While that would work for apps too, then you're left to download that app over mobile data when you're away from WiFi & need it.

I hope they do some serious compression when transferring to & from to save data...

 

[UrbanBounca]

After reading the description, I'm not exactly sure how this is any different from any other phone, other than automatically moving unused applications to the cloud.

Frankly, being on a limited data plan, I'm not interested in putting anything in the cloud.

 

[dgstorm]

Yeah... it seems like it tries to tackle the problem by coming at it from the opposite direction, but the end result is still the same.

 

[kodiak799]

Given how cheap storage is, this seems like a really dumb solution. For $10, they could put in an SD card and then there's no real selling point here, is there?

It's trying to capitalize on the trickle of storage options, but in reality many devices still have SD slots and the phones that don't are offering more internal storage.

 

[Jonny Kansas]

Unless you're on an unlimited plan, you're trading limited storage space here for limited data.

I recall reading about this device months ago & apparently nextbit was originally a software company that did... Drum roll, please... Cloud stuff.

Can't find that article for the life of me now amongst all the stories about this new device. I think their app was for ios anyway.

 

[kodiak799]

If I'm going to use cloud storage, there's really no need for this. 32gigs of storage - which pretty much any decent phone has now - is more than sufficient for apps and such. If I want to put my music/photos/videos in the cloud, then there are already many good options without this.

 

[xDMONEYx]

Don't really see the draw or the advantage of the cloud-based OS myself, especially on a smartphone where a lot of things can be made cloud-based if you choose, as others have said. Although, I do really like the design and look of this phone. I think I would honestly buy it for the design, and flash a different ROM to it. The hardware isn't bad for the price at all, and the OS can be switched very easily. All in all, doesn't seem like a bad phone in my opinion.

 

[Jonny Kansas]

Don't really see the draw or the advantage of the cloud-based OS myself, especially on a smartphone where a lot of things can be made cloud-based if you choose, as others have said. Although, I do really like the design and look of this phone. I think I would honestly buy it for the design, and flash a different ROM to it. The hardware isn't bad for the price at all, and the OS can be switched very easily. All in all, doesn't seem like a bad phone in my opinion.

$300 gets you one on their Kickstarter if they make their goal. Not a bad price. Over 600 units left at that discounted price when I was checking it out earlier.

BTW, whether you're interested in this device or not, watch the video on the Kickstarter. Pretty funny.

 

[RyanPm40]

This seems like a very silly concept in an age where unlimited data contracts are dwindling down everywhere.

 

[Amagine]

Unless they are also offering their own virtualized Cell service (Project Fi, Virgin Mobile, Boost) with unlimited LTE data this is concept is DOA.

 

[Jonny Kansas]

Aha! I found their app that I was talking about yesterday! It's a cloud-sync solution. They really are ALL about the cloud...

Baton - Android Apps on Google Play

 

[franciskim]

32GB on the phone is double my Sony Z3! But I already have 1TB of cloud storage