Category: Nextbit Robin

The final supported feature of the Nextbit Robin will be going away March 1st.  The Nextbit Cloud storage solution offered Robin owners 100GB of storage online to keep older apps and files just a tap away.  This was offered over an expansion slot on the device, which came with 32GB of storage.  The idea was simple:  Apps you don’t use a lot and their associated data would be moved to the cloud and the icon for them would be grayed out on your Robin.  If you needed them again, just tap the icon and it would be restored with all its data to the phone.

Now that is going away as part of Razer’s acquisition of Nextbit last year.  Owners were notified yesterday of the impending turn down of the cloud storage service with all users being automatically signed out on March 1st.

Today’s Deal is on the fun and solid performing Nextbit Robin.  Today, over at Amazon you can still pick up the Nextbit Robin for $129 in either Mint or Midnight colors.   I reviewed the Robin a few months ago and at the time I said it was a pretty good deal at $299.  At $129, it is one of the best deals on a phone with these specs out there right now.  The phone has been down as low as $149 over the past few months so this is a further savings on a phone that is now running Android Nougat 7.1.

For those that don’t recall, the Nextbit Robin has some great features and offers a unique device-meets-cloud storage solution.  It has 32GB of onboard storage merged with 100 GB online storage, so you always have the space you need. Robin seamlessly backs up your apps and photos, intelligently archives the stuff you’re not using, and easily restores items when you need them.  The idea is that you never run out of space.  Those less used apps are backed up into the cloud but then are instantly available when you want them.  You’ll know an app has been backed up into the cloud as it will be grey on your Robin.  You can read my review of the Robin to see all my thoughts on this great little phone.  I also think it is perhaps one of the most underrated phones of 2016.

Over at Amazon you can still pick up the Nextbit Robin for $149.   I reviewed the Robin a few months ago and at the time I said it was a pretty good deal at $299.  At $149, it is one of the best deals on a phone with these specs out there right now, especially for a phone that runs Android Nougat.

For those that don’t recall, the Nextbit Robin has some great features and offers a unique device-meets-cloud storage solution.  It has 32GB of onboard storage merged with 100 GB online storage, so you always have the space you need. Robin seamlessly backs up your apps and photos, intelligently archives the stuff you’re not using, and easily restores items when you need them.  The idea is that you never run out of space.  Those less used apps are backed up into the cloud but then are instantly available when you want them.  You’ll know an app has been backed up into the cloud as it will be grey on your Robin.  You can read my review of the Robin to see all my thoughts on this great little phone.  I also think it is perhaps one of the most underrated phones of 2016.

Over at Amazon you can still pick up the Nextbit Robin for $149.   I reviewed the Robin a few months ago and at the time I said it was a pretty good deal at $299.  At $149, it is one of the best deals on a phone with these specs out there right now.  Over the holidays the phone was $169 on Amazon so this price drop makes it the lowest price the phone has ever been available.

For those that don’t recall, the Nextbit Robin has some great features and offers a unique device-meets-cloud storage solution.  It has 32GB of onboard storage merged with 100 GB online storage, so you always have the space you need. Robin seamlessly backs up your apps and photos, intelligently archives the stuff you’re not using, and easily restores items when you need them.  The idea is that you never run out of space.  Those less used apps are backed up into the cloud but then are instantly available when you want them.  You’ll know an app has been backed up into the cloud as it will be grey on your Robin.  You can read my review of the Robin to see all my thoughts on this great little phone.  I also think it is perhaps one of the most underrated phones of 2016.

Nextbit has dropped the long awaited beta 3 of Android Nougat for the Robin today.  The update comes some 8 weeks after the release of the 2nd beta, a point at which the Paranoid Android team joined up with them to get the beta built.  This new build is expected to be the last beta as the team has indicated their is just one blocking bug that is preventing it from going public.

The Android Nougat beta is a closed beta for those who have a Nextbit Robin.

The fact a beta came out for the phone is a great sign, especially in light of Nextbit being acquired last month.  It was stated at the time that software updates would continue to come until February of next year and this is a good early indicator that the phone is not abandoned.

As for changes, they are pretty significant in this new build.  First, the build has the January Android Security Bulletin patch so it is relatively up-to-date from that regard.  Multiple bugs and stability issues have been fixed, particularly around Wi-Fi and overall system stability.  Power management has also been improved which should help battery life while running the beta.

Nextbit was acquired by Razer today, ending the company’s independent status as well as ending the sale of their only phone, the Nextbit Robin.  In an announcement today, Nextbit will become an operating unit within Razer going forward.

While we have stopped selling Robin and all accessories through our official channels, we are still dedicated to supporting all of you. We will continue to fulfill warranties for 6 more months. And as promised, we will continue to provide software updates and security patches through February 2018.

The news isn’t entirely a surprise but still interesting given that the Robin has been a solid Android option that has nice specs at an affordable price.  What this means for Nextbit’s next phone, if there is one, remains unclear.