The Robin’s hardware isn’t much to get excited about: it’s largely similar to other mid-range Android phones released in the past few months. It has a 5.2-inch 1080p display that’s plenty sharp, but a bit washed out compared to a Samsung Galaxy handset or an iPhone. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor and 3GB of RAM, which is enough for decent, if not face-melting performance. Its 2,680mAh battery is good enough to get me through a full day of use without worry, and the dual front-facing speakers make for a nice sound experience when watching video or playing games. The Robin’s camera is a 13-megapixel sensor with dual-LED flash, and there’s a 5-megapixel selfie camera up front. It also has a fingerprint sensor embedded in the side-mounted power button and a USB Type-C charging port on the bottom.

In short, the Robin offers exactly what I’d expect from a $400 Android phone in 2016. It’s not as fast as a flagship, like the Note 5 or Nexus 6P, nor is it frustratingly laggy or slow . The biggest disappointment comes with the camera, which is slow to shoot and doesn’t capture pictures that are anywhere near as good as I can get with an iPhone, Galaxy, or Nexus phone. Taking pictures of a moving subject, such as a child or pet, is an exercise in frustration.

The design of the phone is another story altogether. Instead of rounded edges and metal or glass finishes, the Robin is all sharp angles and matte plastic that’s soft to the touch without feeling cheap or flimsy. Its pastel colors stand out among the sea of grey, gold, and silver smartphones, and they are refreshing to look at, while still being attractive to the eye. Nextbit is also selling snap-on plastic cases in complementary colors to the Robin; I’m particularly fond of the coral one.

There are little touches throughout the Robin that eagle-eyed design aficionados may appreciate. Some of them work well: the circular front camera, sensors, and speaker grilles echo the circular camera and flash on the back and volume buttons on the side and provide contrast to the Robin’s sharp rectangular shape.

The Robin's design is pleasant and refreshing to look at

Other details feel like misses: there’s a tiny notification light on the bottom edge of the phone that took me days to realize it was there, while a row of LED lights on the back of the phone are used only when the phone is backing up or restoring information to the cloud. I almost never see them illuminate because the phone is often face up in my hand or on my desk. A smarter use for those lights might be for notifications or to quickly show battery capacity with a tap on the back of the phone.

I’m also not a fan of the fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button: it’s not as fast as the iPhone 6S or Nexus 6P scanner, and I have to depress the button to make it work, as opposed to it just waking the phone when I rest my finger on it. The bottom speaker is also dimpled in such a way that my thumb gravitates toward it, even though pressing it does nothing. Still, these complaints are largely minor, and I’m a big fan of the Robin’s overall look and aesthetic appeal.

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