Chapter 1: A Unique Encounter

In 2016, I accompanied a friend to an Apple Store for her Apple Watch purchase. While she discussed options with a sales associate, I took out my phone to check for messages. It was a striking device, distinctly different from the iPhones and Samsung models that dominate the scene. The sales associate's attention quickly shifted to my phone, intrigued by its appearance. Once my friend selected her watch, she leaned over and remarked, “I bet you loved every minute of that.” She was spot on; I've always enjoyed gadgets that spark curiosity. This particular device, the Nextbit Robin, was a phone that perhaps arrived too early, missing its chance to leave a lasting impression.

Chapter 2: The Cloud Concept

I recall following the Robin's journey from its Kickstarter inception. The promise it held was straightforward: each Robin came equipped with 32 GB of internal storage and an additional 100 GB of cloud backup via the Nextbit Cloud. What set this apart from standard backup solutions was its capability to store apps alongside files. Once the phone's internal storage approached capacity, it would automatically back up apps to the cloud, allowing users to archive them and free up space for photos, documents, and music.

In today’s landscape of rapid WiFi and 5G connectivity, this concept appears timely. In an era where expandable storage is becoming rare, leveraging cloud solutions aligns perfectly with how we currently use smartphones. Just five years ago, when the Robin debuted, Marques Brownlee noted that while the cloud backup was a clever idea, it couldn't entirely replace the microSD cards ubiquitous in Android phones at the time. Fast forward to now, and many smartphone users have abandoned microSD cards for monthly cloud subscriptions from services like Google and Apple, alongside online photo backup options such as Google Photos.

Essentially, the Robin proposed a method to shelve apps temporarily, allowing users to step away without complete removal—an idea that resonates with anyone who has taken a break from the myriad of captivating mobile games. Additionally, the Robin was among the first phones to offer a compelling user experience at the $400 price point, a legacy carried forward by devices like the iPhone SE and Google Pixel 4a.

The Forgotten Nextbit Robin - 2024 Review

This review explores the Nextbit Robin's innovative features and its early vision of cloud-based storage solutions.

Nextbit Robin Review

An in-depth analysis of the Nextbit Robin's capabilities, design, and impact on the smartphone market.

Chapter 3: Design Aesthetics

The Nextbit Robin boasted a design that was strikingly unique for its time, a quality that remains apparent even today. Its boxy shape made even the Sony Xperia feel rounded, while its color scheme—a mint green and white combination inspired by robin eggs—stood out against the dull hues of that era. This design was a bold departure from the drab iPhones of the day, which favored muted colors and rounded edges. The Robin's fresh aesthetic remains appealing, even years later.

The device included features that have since become standard in many popular smartphones. It had dual front-facing speakers for superior audio quality at a time when mono speakers were the norm in iPhones and Galaxy devices. The Robin also introduced USB-C charging while many competitors were still using micro-USB. Furthermore, it featured a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a design choice later adopted by brands like Samsung and Sony.

Constructed with a full polycarbonate shell, the Robin was not the most durable device, as highlighted by durability tests. However, credit is due for opting for polycarbonate rather than merely a glass finish, a trend that has re-emerged with recent models like the Galaxy S21 and Pixel 4a 5G. These features, along with its cloud-centric software, made the Robin feel ahead of its time.

Chapter 4: A Short-lived Legacy

Despite these forward-thinking innovations, Nextbit never produced a second phone. The harsh reality of consumer electronics is that small innovators often get acquired by larger companies eager to eliminate competition. This pattern has been observed with tech giants like Apple, Google, and Facebook, who have absorbed companies like Shazam, Fitbit, and Oculus to enhance their offerings. Nextbit's story was no different; Razer, known for gaming laptops, purchased Nextbit less than a year after the Robin's release to enhance its own mobile device initiatives.

This acquisition led to the creation of the Razer Phone and Razer Phone 2, which retained the Robin's hardware design but shifted focus away from cloud features to high-refresh-rate displays and liquid cooling for gaming. Although the Razer Phone resembled the Robin, it came with a flagship price of $700, overshadowing the Robin's value proposition of $400.

Ultimately, after two generations, plans for a third Razer Phone were scrapped, and the Nextbit cloud service was discontinued in 2018, just a year after the acquisition. The Robin's legacy has largely been overshadowed by a larger company's ambitions. If the Robin had been introduced today, its success could have been vastly different, especially in a market increasingly reliant on cloud solutions and affordable, well-designed smartphones.

In the current smartphone landscape, devices like the Google Pixel 4a, OnePlus Nord N100, iPhone SE, and Nokia 7.2 echo the spirit of the Nextbit Robin. On its Kickstarter page, Nextbit envisioned a "cloud-first" future—a sentiment echoed by tech leaders like Google and Microsoft. The essence of Robin's concept remains relevant, and it is unfortunate that its contributions are not more widely recognized.

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