Apart from battery life, storage is probably the next big concern when using a smartphone. To address the latter, makers turned to microSD card and even cloud solution. Just when we thought those two works out well, a San Francisco startup, Nextbit, think storage crunch can be dealt with more effectively with their cloud-first smartphone called Robin. The secret that’s going set Robin apart from the horde of Android-powered devices is in the software. First off, the outfit is offering users with 100GB of cloud storage and the device’s custom software will learn the apps you use and the data that are not actively used and pushes them into the cloud. In another word, it manages your space for you and ensure you will always have the space required.
Deleted apps’ data will remain intact and are shown as an image on Robin’s home screen. A touch on any of this ‘ghost’ app will pull it back down to Earth, into your device. I have admit, Nextbit’s solution sure sounds like a win-win for smartphone users, especially those who are too lazy to be bothered with housekeeping. The downside is probably data and battery usage, but according to Nextbit, it will only do the transfer (or backup) when the device is plugged it and has WiFi connectivity, unless otherwise set. A set of LED at the back of the device let you know if Robin is in the process of archiving. In addition, you can prevent Robin from deleting an app by pinning it on the home screen.
Well, that’s the software promise and as for the hard-spec, Robin gets a Snapdragon 808 chip, along with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. There’s no microSD card slot though and in its place, users will get free 100GB cloud storage. Other details include 5.2” 1080p IPS LCD, Gorilla Glass 4, 13MP with phase detection AF camera and dual-tone flash, 5MP front-facing camera, dual front-facing stereo speakers, fingerprint sensor, a 2,680 mAh, plus the usual serving of connectivity and sensors.
The Robin Smartphone by Nextbit is currently on Kickstarter for the next 28 days where you can pre-order one for $349-$399. But before you jump onto it, you have to know that Robin is only available to select countries and it will only be delivered in February 2016.
