Razer, a startup that makes computers, mice, and keyboards, has acquired Nextbit, which built a smartphone that stood out thanks to its green case and its emphasis on cloud storage. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
The Nextbit Robin phone came out last year, but it’s unclear how well it sold. Now it won’t be sold anymore, although Nextbit will provide software updates and security patches between now and February 2018, according to a blog post from Nextbit cofounder and chief executive Tom Moss.
“Nextbit will operate as an independent division inside Razer, focused on unique mobile design and experiences. To put it simply, we’ll be doing exactly what we’ve been doing all along, only bigger and better,” Moss wrote.
The company was started by Google and Motorola veterans and appeared promising — based on its team alone — its product lead, Scott Croyle, previously worked at HTC.
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The Robin phone got its start with a Kickstarter campaign.
Given its $400 price point, the Nextbit Robin phone did pack in a lot — performance-wise it was “a pleasure to use,” as my colleague Evan Blass wrote in his review of the device.
Razer acquired audio pioneer THX a few months ago.
Nextbit was founded in 2012 and based in San Francisco. Investors include Accel and GV.
