Local storage must be managed carefully on certain mobile devices, but sooner or later every user has to decide what stays and what gets deleted. More and more manufacturers are removing the microSD slot from their products, and with the premium pricing of some models, the user's problem becomes even bigger. One possible answer comes from Robin, a smartphone with the ability to automatically place data in the cloud, turning it into a much more natural extension.
A Different Smartphone in a Saturated Market
How can you make a smartphone that is different in an age of brutal competitors and constant demands? There is no doubt the market is saturated, and the strategy of the big names based on launching cumulative models is losing value quickly. On the other hand, it is those same names that fail to decipher emerging markets. You have to be pretty crazy to ignore the potential of Latin America, India, and China, but any plan in those regions must be backed by a lower cost, something that has not yet been fully achieved. One possibility for the future is that mobile devices depend more on the cloud, just as Chromebooks do these days. The new Robin smartphone, developed by the folks at Nextbit, aims to be one of the pioneers.
How Robin Frees Up Space
The main goal of Robin is to eliminate the problem of local storage. The smartphone has 32 gigabytes of internal capacity, but with the help of special software running on Android, content that is not frequently used is intelligently loaded to the cloud, freeing up space. This synchronization happens at specific times, for example, when there is a stable WiFi connection and the device is charging. If you need to download something, a simple tap on the screen brings it back.
- SoC: Snapdragon 808
- 3 GB of RAM
- 5.2-inch 1080p display
- 13 MP and 5 MP cameras
- NFC support
- Fingerprint reader
- All the classic connectivity options
- 100 GB of free online storage (free from the start)
Availability and Pricing
Robin is available through its Kickstarter campaign, which comfortably surpassed the original half-million dollars. The initial $299 option is already sold out, but if you want one, the price is $349, ready to use with complete freedom regarding carrier and bootloader. International shipping is limited, though it covers a good part of Europe, and Spain appears on the list (not the case for Latin American countries). If everything goes well, the first deliveries will be made in January 2016.
