The Forgotten Nextbit Robin - 2024 Review

[@91Tech]

The Nextbit Robin formed the foundation for the Razer Phone 1 & 2 - and as such, was quickly forgotten in smartphone history. So today, wanted to show it some love- anyone actually own the Robin at some point? Join the discord! - discord.io/91tech

[@11SanicYT]

Hi 91 Tech

[@hemantthkessani9324]

Can you please pin the link to buy it on ebay

[@tomielcapodeamnesia]

Oh man! This sure brings me back. Personally, I think 2015-2016 was one of the greatest times for phones. Quirky and unique design for hardware and software was at its peak. Great review, as always…. Loved the “courage” montage 😂

[@chriswright8074]

LG

[@johnphillips4783]

Yup, I miss my Huawei P9 lite :/

[@SAHATK]

​@@johnphillips4783🫵🏽🫵🏽🫵🏽🫵🏽😟🫵🏽😟🫵🏽😟🫵🏽😟🫵🏽😟🫵🏽🫵🏽😟😟🫵🏽😟😟🫵🏽😟😟🫵🏽👏

[@samholdsworth420]

Windows phone!!!

[@pepito69]

HTC One M9

[@vintagewander]

I still remember this phone and dreamt of owning one some day, but I guess I'll never have a chance anymore 😂. Back then I honestly like how lovely it looks with the minimal design, slim size bezels and pastel colors.

[@estherstreet4582]

Seeing it today I still think it's absolutely gorgeous, I love the pops of colour in a minimal design.

[@Tommymad1]

I love phones with color. I wish more phones looked like that

[@hmst5420]

The same!

[@ventilate4267]

It was the opposite for me. I thought, "yeah, I'll never own that" and ended up with one a year later because I lost my previous phone, and it was only about $130 at the time.

[@SeyyenYT]

What a blast from the past! I had one of these puppies.

[@dougroe4042]

Seriously though I remember looking at this phone in the phone store when I was way younger and I remember being baffled at the whole cloud concept.... It's crazy how times have changed

[@emilsecker7881]

How the hell did you live with 32GB of non expandable storage? 🤣🤣

[@kotaktapak5919]

@@emilsecker788132 was amazing. 16 was ok back then.

[@glossymouse7712]

​@@emilsecker7881IIRC I had to put up with that on my iPhone SE. And it was the better model, standard was 16GB! I guess you just gotta learn to take less photos.

[@tamwilfred]

@@emilsecker7881 At that time I think most phones had only 32GB as the norm.

[@EliSantana]

I loved mine. Everyone who saw it immediately wanted to know more about it since it was so unique. Wish fun plastic phones would make a comeback.

[@pepito69]

When I think of plastic phones I miss, I think about my galaxy S3

[@kindofanmol]

CMF just launched a really cool plastic phone! Also the Nothing Phone(2a)!

[@PinotNoir_]

i really like that candy bar design, boxed square phone with a tiny bezel should be the way! no notch, teardrop, or punch hole!

[@LeMassiveNoob]

Love seeing you explore these old, obscure devices. Absolutely love the Robin's design, makes me miss the chonky bezels a bit.

[@jejunamja]

I remember this phone. I had it for a little while though. The cloud concept didn't really work very well but I also wanted the black one but they were sold out by the time I got to it so I took the white and green one. But hey, thanks for checking out! The phone and remembering back when phones were interesting and new and changed

[@Rainquack]

I *just now* realized that it's light blue - basically exactly the shade of a Robin's egg! No idea how that never clicked, even tho I was a bit interested in it, back when it was new.

[@realkeqing]

I still have mine as well as a Razer Phone 2, loved the design. I got it a year after release for $300 and installed a custom rom as soon as I got it, so I never bothered with the cloud feature. My only gripe was that the battery life was pretty bad

[@JayTechZM]

This was one of the first tech products I did a video on in my early KZbin career. What a blast from the past

[@Bort_Simpson]

Ur fired

[@justjake8095]

One feature i like is the offset charging port, would be handy when you wanna use phone while its charging and the cable wouldnt be annoying in the one handed or if you have it sideways and wanna comfortably hold it with both hands

[@MrRicearonie]

My friend had one in high school and he loved it. Although the plastic did crack on him :/ His next phone would be the Essential phone which was also pretty neat

[@kindofanmol]

Never knew I needed tech-nostalgia until I found this channel

[@Photo0021]

Only thing I remember of this is JerryRig snapping it like a candy bar lol

[@TamaraGirodie]

This was SUCH a cool phone. I desperately wanted it but couldn’t afford a new one, and if memory serves it was GSM only whereas I used CDMA. Thanks for the in depth look back!

[@Jezee213]

I kept thinking the bottom speaker is the home button haha. I remember this thing, a bit ahead of it's time what with iCloud and Google Photos.

[@exturkconner]

I had a Robin. I enjoyed it pretty well. When the cloud functionality ended it was a bit of a drag. I liked the squared off design. I ended up sometime later getting a v20. The v20 served me well for a lot of years.

[@joeykickassery]

v20?

[@exturkconner]

@@joeykickassery LG V20. The last flagship spec phone with a user replaceable battery.

[@sanjanphukan]

I had this phone. I absolutely loved the software and the design. Ended up selling it after using it for quite a while. Very disappointed that the company shut down and we didn’t get a successor.

[@fantasytky28]

"Ended up selling it" literally explained itself

[@t.t.3753]

Thanks for the video. I'll never forget the nextbit robin. It was such a nicely designed phone. I actually was one of early-backers of the phone at kickstarter, but I cancelled my order and decided to buy a One Plus 2. In hindsight, it was the wiser decision. The OP2 was a great phone and the nextbit lost it's cloud only after 2 years. This cloud feature of the robin was just too early at a time for you had hard limits on mobile data and there was no 5G.

[@valleymykel-mq7gw]

This was my phone when I reached adulthood with my first income. I don't really remember how long I had it but It lasted quite a while. Was definitely one of my favorite phones. The design was really nice and it was the first product I wasn't just dreaming about on KZbin and could actually buy it. Definitely brings back some memories. It broke though

[@Tommymad1]

I had a razer phone 2, honestly really liked it. Plus it was built like a tank. I also miss my pixel 5, best phone I've ever had

[@JulioOther]

Android actually has a feature that lets you combine your internal and external storage, like a microSD card. I remember when the Nextbit Robin came out, and I was like, 'Why don't they just add more storage to the phone?' It's weird that Razer gave up on making smartphones. Like, the Asus ROG Phone is a beast of a gaming phone.

[@sihamhamda47]

You can even move apps you download to the SD card, but that feature got killed when Android 8 comes out

[@glossymouse7712]

​@@sihamhamda47seriously? I had everything on the SD card on Android 6. Then the card died. Maybe it was a good idea to remove it after all... SD cards don't like rewrites a lot. Or being used at all for that matter.

[@donotatme]

@@sihamhamda47 @glossymouse7712 It still exists, just works a little differently. Instead of just moving the app, you have to format the card as internal storage. You won't be able to transfer that card to another device after that though.

[@lillexus5589]

@@glossymouse7712 I have a cheap 32Gb card that has been going strong for almost 10 years now, I don't know how. And it gets used quite frequently, had my whole Spotify library downloaded on the thing as well as all my photos.

[@StephenFasciani]

@@glossymouse7712 That's exactly why the feature got canned. hard to find a flagship android phone with sd storage these days.

[@syn010110]

I had one of these. It felt SO fragile. And 32GB was cramped even in 2016.

[@Gemdation]

*JerryRigEverything moment*

[@justjake8095]

I remember working with someone who had one of these phones, looked pretty cool imo

[@Bai183]

i was so obsessed with this phone in 2016 when i was 10-11 years old

[@Valenslays]

This was my first phone and absolutely loved it

[@dougroe4042]

Thanks for bringing me back to the Golden age of smartphones❤

[@BearRava]

I had the kickstart colour variant nextbit Robin electric dark blue which kept the mint colour ends. I ran as a daily driver from 2016 to October 2019 until the battery gave out. Love the phone was great and really stood out at the time. One thing you didn't mention was how they did something different with the widgets. It had a really cool second skin for the widgets where you'd pinch the screen and you'd have your widgets as a separate layer that would go straight onto. I didn't mind it being plastic if anything I preferred it because it was so light so it was nice and easy to carry, pocket and handle.

[@Longgerlongsing]

I remember this phone, I saw it in Jerry rig everything's video.

[@JemZard]

I didn't expected to hear Ice Cap Zone to be played as a background music lmao

[@eirinym]

The Razer Phone 2, I had. It had a really nice screen, and speakers. But yeah... killed by zero support going forward. They just killed it not long after I bought it.

[@jFiire]

I agree with you 100%. What a shame 😢

[@TeraByte38]

I still remember the JRE durability test of the Nextbit Robin. It bent. Once.

[@VinnieGillespie-pq3pt]

Had one from 2017 to 2018. Was an awesome/weird device. Everyone always asked about it when i pulled it out. The performance for the time was good too!

[@nithpro1385]

Ica Cap zone from sonic 3 is such a peak background music lol

[@LawrenceFreimann]

There's actually a few photos of an unreleased "Nextbit Robin 2" on the internet. Supposedly they were working on a new release before being bought by Razer in early 2017. I remember on 2020 seeing on a Chinese website a seller that had for sale displays that matched perfectly with the prototype design (of course he didn't sold any), probably there are still around some of those prototypes in random websites. I really loved that squared design. Beautiful concept.

[@TuneTamasha]

i remember it, i even contributed to it and have merch lol, they were chill people

[@docyagamikiko]

These retro tech revisits are ok... But i think we NEED a retro console revisit 91tech style!

[@NehemYah810]

Crazy cause I never had this but still think about it. Mainly cause of videos of it snapping in half 🤣

[@SchnoekerOriginal]

Seeing it now it actually looks great, most old phones feel cheap these days because the round corners don´t fit with the corners of the screen. But this one looks like a piece of art. For me, it can easily keep up with the newest phones actually. Imagine this being made out of aluminum in blue and white.

[@fantasytky28]

"Most phone feel cheap these days"- no, they literally looks cheap since the past due to this reason, most people just lack of a taste on design

[@Garrettdx1988]

Whenever I think about this phone, I always think about that Jerryrig video. It folded like paper. Despite that, very cool phone.

[@Andrew982_]

I remember this as the first time I saw JerryRigEverything have a phone fail his test

[@chickeneaster]

LOVED those inserts of "courage" 😂😂 Laughed more than I thought I would

[@FennecTECH]

Im still in love with the physical appearance of the next bit robin

[@abdelrahmanaref8868]

The way I was introduced to this brand was with Jerryrig snapping it in half

[@tobinstech8185]

Man, it's been a while since I've seen one of your videos. Getting hacked really set your channel back a lot, but the content is just as good as ever! I respect the dedication!

[@catfan5618]

He got hacked?

[@tobinstech8185]

@@catfan5618 Yeah a while ago. It was really too bad for his channel, he had over 1 million subs before he was hacked.

[@CASSXD03]

I think some people will disagree, but to me this phone has always looked a lot like an Xperia from 2014-2015, agree to disagree :D

[@gehadsheha4775]

I agree a lot haha. I immediately thought it was a Sony Xperia clone from 2015 as well.

[@CaseyDarwin]

That Play Music icon, damn I miss it!

[@CardozaCreativeMinds]

I owned the red one. Gave it to my friend. It was nice for its time.

[@Daiarthaine65]

I still have a working Robin. It’s a fun little brick.

[@mt.sefuri3909]

8 years later, I think the design is pretty revolutionary. I mean some phone brands TODAY have kinda followed some of the design

[@ImpracticalJkrs]

I can't believe I'm seeing the nextbit in 2023

[@JlandelMoncada1]

I miss using my LG Nexus 5. That was the best phone I ever had.

[@ACBR_Robotics]

I had one of these! It was an awesome phone, and I was sad when it finally died. It was the best!

[@LadiesMan.217.]

Literally the only android phone I’d ever get and still want. But resellers don’t seem like they wanna sell it with those hefty high prices

[@viralpromax3748]

Design was literally nextbit 🔥

[@ibawon]

Thanks for taking us down memory lane

[@SApcProSergijAleksovski]

This phone really looks like a mix of the design from Sony and HTC phones. Pretty cool design!

[@HNMusic13]

I also remember JerryRigEverything's video where he effortlessly snapped it in half

[@B0B4]

i was OBSESSED with this phone as a kid. I thought it was the coolest phone ever

[@AmpheonELC]

I had one for a couple years in highschool but me dad and I hacked the firmware to upgrade the android version 😊

[@holderofallknowledge604]

my friend had a nextbit robin. I liked the way it looked and thought it was cool.

[@pidiameter8917]

Can we get an Essential Phone video?

[@thekakan]

Nexbit Robin was 8 years ago?! God damn, man. 😭

[@thetruejay20]

It definitely looks nice, I would take a phone that looks like that with today's specs in a heartbeat.

[@Friday_V7]

I wanted one of these so bad back in the day

[@namithm128]

I bought one used, it for almost 2 years, battery backup was terrible, but UI was pretty good

[@zidviziouz]

I used to to do tech support for Razer when they took over Nextbit and launched the Razer Phone. Occacionally people would reach out for support as they were still in warranty. The policy for Nextbit support was to refer them to a Nextbit support address that everyone knew would not get answered or had no resources to actually provide any support. The Razer phone itself was plagued with some core issues and quickly phased out. The funniest was that if you would set it down on your razer wireless mousepad for their wireless charging mouses, you would fry both devices and not covered by warranty since they put a sticker on the cable saying not to do so...

[@tylern6420]

Why didnt they just make it shutoff power when it detects unusual current draw Theres no way a mouse draws more than 1A

[@zidviziouz]

@@tylern6420 same reason it took them 10 years longer than everyone else to add memory to their mouses so you can have custom profiles without running Synapse. Razer is a fashion company, not a tech company.

[@zidviziouz]

because then they would have to put some effort into it. @@tylern6420

[@TechMa-iv8bm]

I had bought one or two on Ebay for $108 brand new, greatest value ever.

[@solidrecord7288]

this ALMOST was my first phone, never forget

[@AbsolA7Seven]

i have like 3 robins 2 in .... disrepair and 1 that i still use and both razer phones i love collecting phones esspecially quirky story phones

[@Raptor777_]

I remember this phone it’s been a long time

[@SpyroTheGerudo]

The only reason I remember this phone was because of how quickly Jerryrigeverything folded it in half 😂

[@Fr3ud]

Still have mine somewhere in my drawers. Love that phone but sadly the battery is almost toast at this point

[@baritonemonke4273]

This was my dream phone back in the day. Really wanted one😔😔

[@avinandanmondal]

Hey 91tech please make more old phone reviews from 2014-2018 era

[@windoak2113]

oh hey, i remember this thing! I remember Jerryrigged got his hands on one and it just crumbled.

[@MrPenriquez]

I remember when this came out and had wanted it but couldn’t afford it at the time (even though it was pretty cheap really)

[@animedudevid]

I own a nextbit for about 2 years. It was a good phone for what it was. But due to the plastic only base it was starting to bend in my pocket.

[@MultiTelan]

Yeahhh...keeping stuff on someone else's computer has never set well with me. I did have a Razer Phone 2 and that was solid. It really needed a headphone jack.

[@armandovasquez6718]

I still have the Razer Phone 2, the charging port always gave me problems, by now is just only chargable by wireless.

[@piyushv8026]

The only thing I remember about the next bit robin was the bend test fail in jerry rig everything’s channel lol

[@Nicolasmlago]

I remember when this lunch I thought it was so beautiful at the time

[@limaxmusic533]

I recently found this phone at the flea market for 2 bucks but unfortunately it has the screen cracked and the touch screen is not working. It's such a shame that i can't find anywhere a replacement display

[@ravioli0239]

I remember really wanting one of these when it was released

[@catfan5618]

i really liked its unique mint design back then and I still do. I have to disagree with your point about the SD card slot though: The cloud storage was its whole gimmick, if it had an SD slot it would have been a boring phone from, an unknown manufacturer that no one would have talked or even knew about back then and certainly not today either. But yeah, only 2 years cloud storage is pretty disappointing.

[@blip-hn6is]

one of the companies killed by jerryrigeverything

[@reuploadboi]

a video on the essential phone would be good too, it also seems to be forgotten

[@dikkado]

I just remember how JRE break this without a sweat, even the breaking sound so crunchy. But i don't know Razer bought the company, the irony when I have razer logo as my pfp.

[@unboxeverythingwithkuku]

Thinking to buy this in jan 2024😍such a beauty😍

[@ComeAtMe]

I remember watching Jerry rig everything snapping it in half like a pretzel

[@lanerj]

I bought one of these brand new when they were popular and accidentally dropped it face first onto concrete. First phone I ever bought brand new :(

[@karttavaya]

When it came out I was like 14 and I wanted it so badd !!

[@sp1cychilli985]

Razer phone was my non ironical favorite smartphone of all time. Even when i changed it because of battery life i kept it as my desk notification display and pc web cam . In a world of ugly shaped phone this straight beauty was a blessing

[@carlosordonez4363]

I loved that phone. It had to things a don't like: the screen brightness and low volume.

[@stormchaser1971]

I still have it and use it as of December, 2023

[@zambe811]

I had one of these phones! It’s was fun!

[@Windows98R]

I have the gamer-fied cousin of this phone around that is the Razer phone 2.

[@nevadaxelizabeth]

i almost got this phone on late 2016 when they were practically giving it away as the company got pulled from the business. i missed on the opportunity.

[@MoggyGang77]

91 Tech 2023 >>>