Engineering:Nextbit Robin
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| Manufacturer | Nextbit (owned by Razer Inc.) |
|---|---|
| First released | 16 February 2016 (Kickstarter) |
| Discontinued | January 2017 |
| Successor | Nextbit Phoenix (unreleased) / Razer Phone (indirect) |
| Dimensions | 149 mm (5.9 in) H 72 mm (2.8 in) W 7 mm (0.28 in) D |
| Mass | 150 g (5.3 oz) |
| Operating system | Original: Android 5.1.1 "Lollipop" Current: Android 7.1.1 "Nougat" |
| System on chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992 |
| CPU | Hexa-core (dual 1.82 GHz + quad 1.44 GHz) 64-bit custom CPU |
| GPU | Adreno 418 |
| Memory | 3 GB LPDDR3 RAM |
| Storage | 32 GB internal and 100 GB cloud storage(Support Ended) |
| Battery | 2,680 mAh |
| Display | 5.2 in (130 mm) 1080p IPS LCD, 424 ppi |
| Rear camera | 13 MP with phase detection autofocus, dual-LED dual-tone flash |
| Front camera | 5 MP |
| Website | nextbit |
| References | [1] |
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.[2]
The product and crowdfunding campaign was launched on Kickstarter on September 1, 2015.[3] 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,[4] and completed its $1 million goal within two weeks.[5]
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.[6]
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.[7][8] 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.[9]
Specifications
Hardware
The Robin was mostly made of polycarbonate with a matte finish and a Gorilla Glass 4 front panel.[10] The device weighs approximately 150 g (5.3 oz) and is 149 mm (5.9 in) tall, 72 mm (2.8 in) wide, and 7 mm (0.28 in) thick. The display of the device is a 5.2 in (130 mm) IPS LCD with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and pixel density of 424 ppi.[1]
It is powered by a six-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 (MSM8992), with a 2 + 4 custom processor configuration (2x 1.82 GHz Cortex-A57 + 4x 1.44 GHz Cortex-A53) and 3 GB of LPDDR3 RAM.[11]
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.[10] Shortly after being purchased by Razer, Nextbit shut down the cloud storage feature on March 1, 2018, with data accessible until April 1, 2018.[12]
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.[13] The smartphone also stored the user's photos in the cloud in the default resolution appropriate for upload, until the user specified the resolution.[2]
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.[14] The phone stopped being produced in January 2017, following the companies acquisition by Razer Inc.[8]
Known issues
The Robin had suffered performance issues upon launch, including lag and slow performance of the camera.[15] These issues were marked as resolved by Nextbit by releasing software updates in March and April.[16] 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.[17]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Nextbit Robin - Rating and Specs". Graphiq, Inc.. http://smartphones.specout.com/l/4226/Nextbit-Robin.[yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Nextbit's Robin looks to merge phone and cloud like never before". Mobile Nation. September 2015. http://www.androidcentral.com/meet-nextbit-robin.
- ↑ "Nextbit reveals Robin, a smartphone that's nestled in the cloud". AOL Inc.. 1 September 2015. https://www.engadget.com/2015/09/01/nextbit-robin/.
- ↑ "Nexbit Robin surpasses Kickstarter goal in under 12 hours". Mobile Nations. 1 September 2015. http://www.androidcentral.com/nexbit-robin-surpasses-kickstarter-goal-under-12-hours.
- ↑ "Nextbit's Robin passes $1 million in funding in just 2 weeks". 9to5. September 2015. http://9to5google.com/2015/09/16/nextbits-robin-passes-1-million-in-funding-in-just-2-weeks/.
- ↑ "Nextbit will begin shipping the Robin smartphone next month". Designtechnica Corporation. 6 January 2016. http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/nextbit-robin/.
- ↑ Lunden, Ingrid (2017-01-31). "Razer acquires Nextbit, the startup behind the Robin smartphone". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/30/razer-acquires-nextbit-the-startup-behind-the-robin-smartphone/.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Razer buys smartphone manufacturer Nextbit, shuts down sales" (in en-us). Ars Technica UK. https://arstechnica.co.uk/gadgets/2017/01/razer-buys-nextbit/.
- ↑ "Razer Phone officially announced: This phone is a beast!" (in en-US). Android Authority. 2017-11-01. https://www.androidauthority.com/razer-phone-811735/.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Nextbit Robin hands-on". 10 January 2016. http://www.phonearena.com/news/Nextbit-Robin-hands-on_id77322.
- ↑ Sascha Segan (1 September 2015). "Hands on With the Nextbit Robin Phone". Ziff Davis, LLC. PCMag Digital Group. https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2490289,00.asp.
- ↑ Ong, Thuy (9 January 2018). "Nextbit is shutting down its Smart Storage cloud service for the Robin phone". https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/9/16867380/nextbit-smart-storage-cloud-service-shut-down-robin-phone.
- ↑ "Hands-on: Nextbit's Robin is a cloud-first smartphone that gets smarter with use [Video"]. 9to5. 2 November 2015. http://9to5google.com/2015/11/02/hands-on-nextbits-robin-is-a-cloud-first-smartphone-that-gets-smarter-with-use-video/.
- ↑ Statt, Nick (2015-10-21). "Nextbit's Robin smartphone is available for preorder starting at $399". https://www.theverge.com/2015/10/21/9589612/nextbit-robin-preoder-cloud-first-smartphone.
- ↑ Nextbit Robin review: serious performance issues (Wired UK)
- ↑ "What's new in March and April Updates". Nexbit. http://community.nextbit.com/t5/Announcements/What-s-new-in-March-and-April-Updates/m-p/12207#U12207.
- ↑ Nextbit Robin Bend Test FAIL - Durability test (JerryRigEverything - YouTube)
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