Nextbit cancels Verizon and Sprint variants of the Nextbit Robin
And there it is, folks. After lengthy delays to April and an uncertain future, Nextbit has decided it’s not worth pursuing the launch of the CDMA variant so many had asked for. Re/Code reports Nextbit has decided to cancel plans to launch the phone on Verizon and Sprint.
As mentioned in a statement issued by the company, they didn’t foresee some of the financial and logistic hurdles that had to be overcome in order to get their device approved for use on networks like Verizon’s and Sprint’s. CEO Tom Moss said in a statement that an expectation of “weeks” became “months,” and “hundreds of thousands of dollars” became “millions.”
“We were not sufficiently doubtful of what we were told given everything we already knew from our experience at previous companies,” said Moss. “We were too optimistic, too bullish, and, as a result, we have to deal with our biggest fear, disappointing you, our supporters. This is bad for you, and this is bad for us.”
It certainly was an ambitious undertaking by Nextbit. Many independent or startup companies like this opt to stick with world phones that can work on any GSM network, provided it has the necessary radios, and it’s likely because of this very reason. This sort of stuff has long been the major downfall for folks on CDMA networks, and with Nextbit’s attempt, it’s safe to say that hasn’t improved much at all over the years.