Nextbit, the makers of the cloud-focused Robin smartphone, has been acquired by gaming peripheral company Razer. The acquisition suggests the company, which until now had been focused on making high-end gaming accessories, is looking to make smartphones in the near future.
With this development, Nextbit has stopped selling its Robin phone and all of its available accessories in the market. However, the company promised it will continue to provide support for the device for another six months. In addition, it will be rolling-out software updates and security patches through February 2018.
“More than anything we want to preserve the community we’ve built on our forums and our social streams, we’re really proud of what we’ve accomplished together,” says Nextbit’s Tom Moss.
Although financial details of the deal aren’t known, Nextbit explained it will continue to operate as a separate company under its own management within Razer, with a focus on mobile product design and experiences. “In order to reach a wider audience and continue our mission, we decided to join with a larger brand,” Tom Moss, Nextbit Systems Inc. co-founder and CEO said in a statement.
Even though Razer has acquired Nextbit, the next-generation smartphone aka Robin 2 isn’t coming anytime soon. Nextbit co-founder Tom Moss told CNET that a Robin 2 is not in the cards, at least not for now. “As for future products, I’m strictly forbidden from breathing a word about them,” Moss said.
Nextbit was founded by former members of Google’s Android team, along with the former design head at HTC. Robin was powered by Nextbit OS, a custom version of Android. It’s biggest selling point was that it integrates with cloud-based services and functionality. In fact the company claimed the phone “intelligently archives” your content and learns how you use the phone.
You may still able to purchase the Robin smartphone in India. Flipkart is selling the phone for Rs 19,999. But it’s not clear if the cloud services will be available after the support ends.
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