We’ve all been there, that sinking feeling of having to delete data because your phone has finally run out of storage. San Francisco-based startup Nextbit aims to eliminate that problem altogether with the Robin, its first smartphone offering. The phone, which launched on Kickstarter today for the discounted price of $349, automatically adapts to how you use the phone, removing apps and infrequently accessed data to the cloud so it doesn’t take up space on the phone itself.
If you tap on the app that’s been removed, it’ll be installed fully again on the spot. Robin is built on Android and plans to ship it running Marshmallow, though it’ll be interesting to see how long its adaptions take to squish into future versions of the operating system.
In terms of specs, the Robin is pretty similar to the “flagship killer” OnePlus 2. The handset is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 808 processor and has 3GB of RAM. The 2.3-inch display is full 1080p HD and it has a 13MP rear-facing camera. Unlike the OnePlus 2, though, Robin is equipped with a fingerprint sensor, NFC (so it will be Android Pay-ready) and supports quick charging via its USB Type C connector.
As for the design itself, the Nextbit Robin is nothing extraordinary. The corners are rounded but only enough to not be sharp—it’s basically a box. The colored top and bottom pieces are plastic, while the middle section is metal. On the back of the device is the Nextbit logo and a few LEDs. When the phone is transferring data to the cloud, the lights will turn on to let the user know something is happening.
Nextbit CEO, Tom Moss, was previously Worldwide Head of Business Development and Partnerships for Android, CTO, Mike Chan, was an engineer working on Android power management and Chief of Product, Scott Croyle, worked on hardware at HTC.
The company is also backed by Google Ventures, so it’s a little odd that the phone is launching on Kickstarter. The team told Quartz that it’s because it wants to gauge the reaction first, which is becoming a fairly common marketing technique. Early adopters who back the Nextbit Robin early can grab the phone for just $299, while it’ll retail for $399 when it launches early next year. The goal of the Kickstarter is $500,000 and it has 30 days to reach that goal.
