Share This article

A new team of ex-Android developers and HTC’s former head of design have built a new smartphone that could eliminate smartphone storage woes — once the company can iron out some kinks. The company, Nextbit, has launched a Kickstarter to fund its new “Robin” smartphone, with a campaign target of $500,000. Robin, pictured above, is a rectangular 5.2-inch device with a Snapdragon 808 SoC, 32GB of storage, 3GB of RAM, and a 1080p screen. The specs are solid, if not overwhelming, and the device should compete well against the other Snapdragon 808 devices, like the LG G4, already in-market.

What sets Robin apart, however, isn’t its hardware, but its software stack. Instead of pouring energy into building a custom UI skin or non-deletable applications of dubious value, Nextbit has created what it refers to as an integrated cloud OS.

The idea behind Robin is this: Instead of constantly shuffling data on and off the phone, why not let the phone track what information you need and when you need it? According to its Kickstarter page, Robin monitors how you use applications and then backs up your apps and photos to its own cloud service. When your phone runs short on space, the device will intelligently transfer the least-used apps to the cloud, then delete them from your phone to save space. If you need to run an application again, Robin downloads it and shifts something else to the cloud to make room for the new software. Apps that have been transferred to the cloud remain on your home screen, and applications can be pinned to the home screen to prevent them from ever being deleted.

It sounds as if the end-user in charge of which applications do or don’t get transferred to the cloud. Backed-up applications preserve progress or personal preferences.

Users who don’t want to use the cloud often, or prefer to keep a specific set of applications backed up in that fashion, still get 32GB of storage with the base device, along with the 100GB of cloud storage that Nextbit is promising all users. The company has stated that it will not charge users additional fees to buy more storage capacity — if enough people are closing in on 100GB, Robin will simply raise the limit for everyone.

The pros and cons

There are some definite advantages to a system like this. Robin’s reliance on cloud-based storage could provide an answer to consumers who are frustrated by the lack of microSD slots on modern devices, or those who constantly run out of space. The company is promising to embrace the modding community and claims users will be allowed to unlock the bootloader without voiding the warranty. Nextbit wants to make the cloud a seamless component of your smartphone, rather than something you grudgingly use when you have no other choice. There are also some nifty features on the handset, with USB Type-C support (at USB 3.0 data levels rather than USB2). Dual front speakers, NFC, and a 13MP camera are also included.

There are also going to be some downsides to this approach. Offloading data to the cloud sounds great in theory, but downloading and uploading significant amounts of data could quickly chew through wireless data plans if you have to use a cellular network. There’s always going to be a time delay associated with downloading all but the smallest applications, and the algorithm that determines which applications get shunted to the sky will need to understand which apps are often used in concert with each other.

Integrating cloud storage capability is common these days, but few companies have approached the problem the way Nextbit has, or built an entire device around the concept of a cloud-connected smartphone. The hardware is supposed to ship later this year, provided the Kickstarter hits its funding targets, with an off-contract price of $399.