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Out with the old, in with the new: LineageOS cut support for Android 9 Pie earlier this year, and to make up for the loss, the open-source project has just released version 18.1 based on Android 11. It comes with official support for about 60 phones and tablets.
LineageOS is the most popular custom ROM around, as it has extended the life of many phones and tablets that would have otherwise been abandoned. Even for phones still receiving software updates from the original manufacturer, Lineage can sometimes work better than the stock software, and it's a popular option for 'de-Googling' Android devices. Since our last roundup, several more phones have been added to the official Android 10 build roster (and a few have been removed).
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After months of anticipation, the popular LineageOS custom ROM finally released a version based on Android 9 Pie last month. The project has already updated 30 devices to Pie, but now a few more have been added. Also, two phones now have official Oreo builds.
The last time we covered the LineageOS custom ROM, official Oreo builds for the Fairphone 2 and Huawei Honor 4X went live. The Lineage community doesn't seem to take a rest, as multiple new devices have been added to the build roster since then - including the Nextbit Robin and Lenovo Yoga Tab 2 Plus.Without further ado, here are all the new LineageOS 15.1 devices:
The Nextbit Robin launched in 2016, and one of its unique features was 'Smart Storage.' Nextbit offered 100GB of cloud storage with every phone, where users could offload unused apps (along with the app data) to the cloud, and then easily restore them later. Support for the Robin has been winding down over the past few months, so it should come as no surprise that the cloud functionality will soon stop working.
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The Nextbit Robin, much like the legendary HP TouchPad, became a much better device after the price dropped. The cost has continued to fall over the past few months, and now you can buy one for just $109.99 on eBay - the lowest we've seen it drop.
When Razer purchased Nextbit last year, fans were understandably concerned that the company might be gobbled up by the gaming-focused brand for its intellectual property and engineering talent, without explicit intent to produce another smartphone. Well, those concerns can (obviously) be laid to rest: Razer built a phone. And by Razer, I mean the former Nextbit team working inside Razer. It's called the Razer Phone. Creative, I know.
All the way back in January, Razer acquired smartphone startup Nextbit for an undisclosed amount. Nextbit's only product to date was the Robin, so the natural assumption was that Razer wanted to get into the smartphone business. The company is expected to announce something big on November 1, and a new leak seems to confirm that a smartphone will be revealed.
The Nextbit Robin has been popping up for next to nothing on eBay and Amazon lately, which isn't surprising as the company behind the funky little smartphone has been swallowed up by the glowing green maw of Razer. Nextbit has been winding down support for the Robin as it moves on as a Razer subsidiary. Today, support for the Robin is officially ending. Bummer.
How little can you spend on a phone in 2017 and still have a good experience? Companies like Lenovo-owned Motorola and BLU are pushing the envelope when it comes to the budget segment in the US. But, even a dated flagship can outcompete almost everything in the current entry-level market, and right now you can pick up one of 2016's most overlooked examples, the Nextbit Robin, for around 0 from Amazon. We think that deserves a second look.We already reviewed the Robin once back when it came out, but with how fast the price has fallen recently, it's not the same phone it was. The perspective on a piece of hardware drastically changes with the cost, and we felt that, at this new low price, it really deserved a re-examination. Since we already reviewed it, don't expect things to be too in-depth, but I will cover details when needed.
The Nextbit Robin was a good value when it was released, and an even greater value for those who have bought it on sale recently. Many, including myself, didn't expect to see major software updates once Nextbit was purchased by Razer, but the phone is surprisingly now receiving an update to Android 7.1.1.
After earning $1.3 million on Kickstarer, the Nextbit Robin was released to the public to mostly good reviews. Earlier this year, Nextbit was acquired by Razer, seemingly putting an end to the Robin lineup. On the bright side, the Robin has continued to drop in price, and now you can find it for just $129.99 on eBay.
Since LineageOS rose from the ashes of the ever popular CyanogenMod custom ROM at the beginning of the year, the community has been hard at work releasing incremental updates on a bi-weekly basis. Each one brings new features and support for more devices. The previous update to LineageOS 14.1 arrived with support for 9 further devices, including the Moto Z Play and Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5. The latest changelog includes additional support for just 1 extra device, the Nextbit Robin, which has been re-added. It also announces that the Nexus 4 will no longer be officially supported.
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It's hard for a startup to get into the competitive world of smartphones, but Nextbit made a go of things for a while. The Robin was a good phone, but the company was acquired by Razer early this year. Nothing much has changed since then, but now the Nextbit community site has been taken offline. It simply redirects to the Razer home page.
The Nextbit Robin was released to the general public last year, after it finished its Kickstarter campaign at over $1.3 million. It was an interesting phone, and over the past few months, we've seen it drop lower and lower in price. Now you can get the Robin for just $136.99 - a $163 discount from its current MSRP.
Nextbit started testing out its Android Nougat update last November through a closed beta program that required users to sign up. Today, a few months later, the final Nougat build is starting to roll to everyone, no beta sign-up needed.
Finding phones with flagship-level specs for mid-ranger prices isn't too difficult nowadays (ahem, OnePlus 3T), but it's less of a breeze to get a good deal on a mid- to high-end device for the price of a budget handset. It's only been around a year since the Nextbit Robin first arrived in the hands of Kickstarter backers, but you can already pick one up for just $139.99.
It's rare to see a new maker come out with a smartphone that's actually competent, but that's what Nextbit did with the Robin in 2015. It wasn't a perfect phone, but it was neat and stylish. There's been no word on what Nextbit's next move was after the Robin, and now we know why. Nextbit has been acquired by Razer. Yes, the maker of all those gamer-oriented keyboards and mice (and other things). The financials of the deal are not available at this time.
The Nextbit Robin came out a little over a year ago, and it was a pretty good phone. It's actually amazing when you consider Nextbit had never made a phone before. It's also an undeniably funky device, so good on them for that. The price has been coming down as it gets older, and now the Robin has reached an all-time low price on Amazon—just $139 with Prime shipping.Both the mint and midnight colorways are included in the sale, but I'm personally partial to mint. This device has a 5.2-inch 1080p LCD, a hexa-core Snapdragon 808, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage. There's also a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and front-facing speakers.The Robin runs Android 6.0 out of the box, and Nougat is in testing. Nextbit's claim to fame is a cloud backup system that stores your photos and apps as you run short on space, then restores them automatically. It's not a game changer, but yeah, it works. The current $250 default price is a little high, but $139 is hard to pass up if you're in need of a cheap phone.Source: Robin Mint, Robin Midnight
Well, here we are with another deal for you. Amazon has the Nextbit Robin for $145, which is a savings of $105 off the MSRP. If you want to get technical, it's only $35 off the price we have seen more recently for the device. Regardless, it's on a good sale.The Robin was successfully crowdfunded and then released earlier this year. It received favorable reviews, even though it tries new things with software and storage. The phone itself sports a 5.2" FHD display, a Snapdragon 808 SoC, 13MP/5MP cameras, a fingerprint sensor, USB-C, and a unique design. Overall, for this price, it's a great phone for most people — especially with the Nougat update just on the horizon.If you pay attention to these things, you will note that this was Amazon's lightning sale yesterday. It would appear that the retailer is just trying to get rid of stock, so we all get to reap the benefits. Honestly, I have half considered picking up one of these for myself. I always like to try new devices, especially those that give the user a little something different than what we're used to.This deal is good on both colors of the Robin (I am partial to the Midnight, myself). It is also eligible for Prime, so you can still get it before Christmas.Source: Amazon