In the past, phones used to be phones and that was it. You could make calls, send text messages, and play some simple games, but that was pretty much it. This led to the creation of dedicated music players like the iPod, Zune, and so on. These days, digital audio players still exist but they’re typically aimed at the enthusiast. If you’re thinking of taking your audio experience to the next level, then perhaps the HiBy R8 II could be for you.
Design and build
At first glance, it’s very obvious that the folks at HiBy paid a lot of attention to the design of the R8 II. The device is made from a surgical-grade high-gloss stainless steel chassis. But what’s unique about the R8 II compared to other digital audio players is the use of Alcantara material.
This is a suede-like material that offers a soft and luxurious feel to the touch. If it sounds familiar, it is because Microsoft had previously used the same Alcantara material for some of its Surface devices.
The R8 II also looks very much like a smartphone too. It comes with a 5.9-inch touchscreen display. It is also built on Android 12, so if you’re an Android smartphone user, you shouldn’t have too much issue navigating the interface. In fact, it’s a good thing they chose to use Android as it is a more familiar experience as opposed to creating something entirely from scratch.
The HiBy R8 II is also quite a thick and heavy device. It measures 149x78x23mm and weighs 515 grams. It is not light by any means, but the heft does lend a certain feeling of durability to it. It is something you should definitely keep in mind, especially since you’ll be carrying it along with a pair of earphones or headphones as well.
