Here is our comeback with the details of pretty good mobile which is to be launched early next year.
The
smartphone space is quite cluttered right now. It might not seem like it
in major markets, since Apple and Samsung dominate the smartphone industry, but
there are dozens of companies around the world fighting for space in consumers’
pockets. Different companies use different strategies to try to separate their
products from the pack, but by and large, most companies hit the same notes.
Since Samsung and Apple dominate the high end, other companies compete on
price.
Interestingly,
no smaller smartphone makers have made a real effort to break through by
addressing one of smartphone users’ top pain points in a new and creative way…
until now.
Nextbit
has been buzzing over the past few months and we all knew something fun was
coming, but I’m not sure anyone expected the Robin. This sleek but unassuming
smartphone isn’t an iPhone killer or a Galaxy killer, and it won’t kill any
other smartphones on the market. Instead, it’s a problem killer, and it has its
sights set on what is constantly listed near the top of smartphone users’ chief
complaints with their phones: Storage space.
How many
times have you gone to capture a video on your iPhone or Android phone and seen
that dreaded storage full message? How many times have you tried to transfer
new movies or music to your phone ahead of a trip and had to clear out space
before you were able to?
Most of
us have run into issues with free storage on our phones, and that’s why storage
is consistently listed along with battery life as a top complaint in
studies that look to determine users’ biggest problems with their phones.
Using
some cloud-based software wizardry, the Robin solves the problem of
storage in a brilliantly simple way. Well, it’s simple for the end user, but
it’s a wonderfully complex engineering feat behind the scenes.
Nextbit calls the Android-based Robin the word’s only “cloud-first” smartphone, and that’s an accurate description. The handset ships with 32GB of internal storage, but that memory is completely dynamic and is supported by an additional 100GB of cloud storage.
Here’s how it works: you have apps, movies, music, photos, videos and all sorts of other files on your phone, but you don’t ever need to access all of that data at once. So, when your phone is nearing its 32GB local limit, the Robin begins intelligently deleting apps and files from your device to make room for new data.
But “deleted” isn’t the right word. Everything pushed off of your device is backed up to the cloud, complete with all user data and settings. So, for example, if the Robin removes Angry Birds from your phone to clear space as you capture some video at your daughter’s soccer game, you can pull it back down from the cloud on demand and you’ll be able to pick things up right where you left off.
The Robin also learns as you use it, so apps and files you use often will be kept on the device, while other items you rarely use will be the first to be kicked off to the cloud when you need more storage.
This smart solution effectively allows Robin owners to forget about storage space and just… use their phones. And in a meeting ahead of the phone’s debut, Nextbit was careful to point out a number of times that the magic behind this innovative cloud solution was designed with data caps in mind.
Data is used as sparingly as possible, and WiFi is favored heavily by
Nextbit’s software. Since the handset backs up data frequently while connected to WiFi, it can delete unchanged apps, videos or photos on the fly without having to back them up on the spot when a WiFi network isn’t available. That said, it is not yet clear exactly how much cellular data Nextbit’s solution will use in practice.
The first 1,000 Robins will be made available at just $299, and then the phone will be $349 for the duration of Nextbit’s 30-day campaign. When the phone launches early next year, it will cost $399.
The phone
comes with a simple design that uses concave circles and color accents to
separate itself from the pack. There is also a set of LED's on the back to
let you know when Robin’s cloud magic is working.
Then, the
software is unmistakably Android.The software has a very “pure Android” look
and feel that enthusiastic Android fans will love.Moreover the design of this phone is what that makes it interesting.Here are the specs.
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 • Memory: 3GB RAM / 32GB onboard / 100GB online
• Screen: 5.2in IPS LCD 1080p, Gorilla Glass 4
• Rear Camera: 13Mp with phase detection autofocus, dual tone flash
• Front camera: 5Mp
• Battery: 2680 mAh
• Dual front facing stereo speakers
• Fingerprint sensor
• NFC
• Quick charging
• Bluetooth 4.0 LE
• Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac
• Dimensions: 149x72x7mm
• Weight: Approx. 150g
• GPS enabled