Best Buy now offering Kin One free, Kin Two for $50 on contract
By Sean Hollister 
posted May 31st 2010 11:15PM
posted May 31st 2010 11:15PM
[Thanks, Sean T.]
posted May 31st 2010 11:15PM
A look back on popular stories from today in a specific year.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
Would not buy. Not for $20.
@Schmerzlichtod
its a crime . . . no matter how cheap this phone is you're still paying too much monthly and you'd have to be REALLY good at tricking yourself to not see that.
@Schmerzlichtod even stevie wonder wouldnt buy that phone cuz its too ugly
@MoreGoogleAds
Look, I love microsoft. But the truth is that these phones just suck. The sidekicks were popular because they did the following perfectly; 1) aim, yahoo and chat clients ... 2) perfect form factor... 3) they didnt look like camel turds!!!!! Just because it does not look like android, iphone etc is a lame excuse.. I am not a fanboy of google or apple (check my posts) im a troll and i flame about MS but this phone is sh*t!!!!! Sidekicks were popular in the hood because they did things perfectly. These phones are garbage!
@Schmerzlichtod
microsoft, robbie bach, steve...whoever is in charge. peep this
there's no way you can justify a device like this, costing as much per month on data as a droid, incredible, pre plus, touch pro 2, etc...you can't download apps, you can't use it as a wifi hotspot, you can't do a lot of things that you can do w/ devices that can do the full web. and dont give people that BS about syncing to the cloud, because google, and even YOU (myphone.microsoft.com) do this for free (though in a much more limited [basically less flashy] fashion). Cut the total bill down to 59.99 or 54.99 and you might be able to work something out here. Hell, if you want, cut the minutes down to 250anytime/1000 for 30 bucks. And if they want more, let them pay for more. most kids and even younger adults dont talk nowadays anyways
@Schmerzlichtod
Charge $100 bucks for one of these is fine. Throw in 2 years of free data and I would buy it; even $5 a month for data would be justifiable.
As it is now this phone just isnt worth the data plan, its just too limited in functionality to be worth buying.
The KIN is the ipad of phones = garbage.
@bolezhinkov I wonder if they can create data plans for this, Rogers has this Unlimited IM and social networking plan for BlackBerries for $15, if there was something similar for the Kin it would sell like hotcakes.
@Schmerzlichtod
Why is Best Buy offering the discounts. Shldn't it be Verizon. I thought they were the ones offering these douches.
@beachballofdeath I don't think they will ever lower the price on the kin data plans. There isn't enough reason/logic to, I know many will clamor about how the logic is they aren't desirable in their current pricing. However, long-term there is to be some merger between Kin and w7p, which means MS doesn't care to put their muscle behind trying to use their clout and the contracts are set.
From Verizon's pov, they are looking to push $30 data plans like hot cakes going forward, they aren't looking for these to compete in a lower market and have them undercut their Android devices.
@juanvaldez
They arent going to sell or get anyone to buy these but a handful of people. The device just lacks too much; they need to cut price on the data plan to attract users it's that simple.
Most people that use Android arent going to jump ship to use the KIN as the demographics are different.
The point of this device SHOULD BE an entry to a low level smartphone for kids, teens or older people who are trying to upgrade from a dumbphone to something better without going wholehog to android/windows phone 7.
If it's an entry device, it deserves an entry level data plan, these users aren't going to be using alot of data so overcharging them $30 isn't something they are going to buy into. The most this data plan should be is $5 a month.
What's the point of releasing a device in the hopes no one buys it; but later push a better OS? Why even bother releasing this if you plan on undercutting it with a better OS in under 6 months (win phone 7).??
@MoreGoogleAds Oh hai, becauseitsnotgoogle, back from being banned I see, but it's ok, we all know who you are and why you decided to come back; To get all your comments rated to oblivion. You must get a lot of enjoyment out of that, you must really enjoy watching all your arguments fall to pieces over and over again. Sadly I'm sure the engadget staff, and the community in general are tired of your shenanigans. So to sum it all up, GTFO troll.
@simbadogg
I'm in agreement with the bill cut. Maybe just a data package and they can buy prepaid mins. or something. Or even free messaging because you are forced to pay for data. I will admit. I am an At&t famboi but, this is highway robbery by any carrier. To put a feature phone on the same pricing tier as a smartphone. I mean that's all these are. Don't get it twisted. Feature phones have firmware(software) and you can't add apps. That's the same with these phones. And Verizon doesn't even offer uninterrupted data or simultaneous voice and data to add insult to injury. If your on a long phone call, you'll need a break between calls for the info to update as well. So what are you paying for??
@beachballofdeath
Great analogy, iPad of phones....
I don't think the Kin's will be selling 2 million units all year, let alone in a few weeks.
@bolezhinkov
It backs EVERYTHING up. It is always on the internet. I don't see how that is tricking anyone. The KIN 2 does HD Video.That is a lot of internet.
I wouldn't even use it if I got it for free. I rather use my motoRAZR from back then than that.
Yet, nobody with an iota of knowledge about phones will buy one. Heh.
@Booksmart Devil
They don't even look good. That uninformed person needs to be blind too.
The iPhone/Smartphone craze is much more deeply trenched in the minds of mainstream consumers than we give them credit for.
I think Microsoft needs to get their research teams replaced. If they only WALKED into a high school or university, they would clearly see that most people either use a very basic feature phone, or have the latest smartphones. There was no need for a middle category of Smart Feature Phones...
Still, if there was no data charge, or it was a mere 5 dollars a month, then I could still see people finding this interesting.
@kapanak I think they need to get their management replaced. the PR, tech and design problems all come back to those with super high bonus.
These Phones = UGGGGGGGGLY !!!
@Juggernaut408
hhhmmmm
@Juggernaut408 U.G.L.Y That phone has no alibi it's ugly.
Yes, yes. It's ugly.
@Teslanaut Lmfao....nice....I hate this phone
@Teslanaut
+1 for the Wild Cats reference. :)
@Juggernaut408
They Kin two actually looks better than the G1.
Someone's doin' it right. And I agree, knock off that data plan $15 bucks. It should be as cheap as a sidekick plan.
Welllll, yeah, but you're still paying the same monthly bill as a regular smartphone.
@pika2000
I know if these were on Sprint people like my sister would love it on a family plan, and I think it would be great for her. I however would not ever consider picking up this phone.
@pika2000
This is the biggest fail. If it had been cheaper it might have been a hit with teens and tweens. But it's not so it isn't.
In Australia you can pick up an iPhone for $30 a month ($25.57USD). I tried this phone out in the US a few weeks back, it really should not be above $20. Thing is jumpy as hell, look weird and the build quality was bad.
All this coming from a Microsoft fan boy.
I still do not understand WHY Microsoft even thought that there was a market for this. Young kids nowadays either have an iPhone OR they have some cheapy phone and carry an iPod touch (not all but most around my area). Makes me wonder if they even did research in this market. What they should've done was scrap THIS and worked on the damn courier.
DAMN YOU BALMER! ::shakes fist in the air::
@SPENone Agreed. I am in high school and 9 out of 10 of my friends have iPhones.
@SPENone Pretty much what I'm seeing.
Prepaid or cheap phone in one pocket and iPod Nano / Touch in the other. Few have iPhones, though that's mainly due to expensive plans when most just want to send text messages or do quick calls.
I just bought a Droid Incredible and had to upgrade to the $30 data plan. I just hope I didn't make a mistake with the Droid Shadow and 2 being announced soon.
They can keep those POS's.
Good job.
This should have been the starting price.
Now, let's see about a price reduction for that data plan eh Verizon?
Then Microsoft would have a killer on their hands.
@Johnny Rockets Not going to happen. They'd rather sell 0 devices.
@Johnny Rockets The phones would still have the inherent problems of being ass ugly and having broken software. I don't think anything good can be said about the Kin phones.
Again Verizon EPIC FAIL
The list grows
The HUB
$9.99 data mandatory
Straight Talk
iPhone pass
iPad pass
KNOW THE KIN
Next up on the Verizon Screw up list LTE
Ok look Microsoft, put this interface (with more features), on a better, higher powered device, and then we'll talk.
I like the way the (insert os name here) looks, but the hardware doesn't work for me.
And the software could use some niceness features too.
I wouldn't take one for free. I played around with both in the Verizon store a couple times and the UI was so convoluted and backwards, I'd take an enV over a Kin.
@Spaceshipped:
>I'd take an enV over a Kin
>I'd take an enV
>enV
Even though the Kin is a load of ass, you have my pity.
@summerboy18
/s
It doesn't walk on water so why are they charging $30/month.
No teen would be caught dead with one of those things. Honestly a iPhone or BlackBerry is the norm now.
I went to three best buys last week to check this thing out in Chicago with my kid.
1st store didnt even have on display.
2nd store tried to switch me to Sprint ( wow the cost for sprint is good)
3rd store had it up but didnt have a working unit, and the employee said she had never seen a working one and she didnt know much about it. She did tell me it required a $30 dollar data package, and that was a rip off. (in her words) does best buy not train these people
@ilwi sucks
It IS a ripoff. You're paying the same monthly for this thing as any other real smartphone. So the only difference is the upfront cost. Might as well get a Droid for $100. Beats the shit out of Kin Two and only $50 more at Best Buy.
@ilwi sucks
My Best Buy doesn't have any working models... I find it hard to believe that people buy phones without playing with them first...
@Peter F
I might be going to sprint after the best buy reps told me how bad Verizon is going to screw me when i get my kid a phone and upgrade to a smartphone. They also showed me something called the overdrive mobile card $59 unlimited and i can hook up three computers to it.
My kid said something about the EVO 4G this morning. It might just be time to tell Verizon good bye.
@ilwi sucks Every BBY only has a few spots for live phones. Those spots usually have phones that people actually want to see on them. Right now, it's mainly Android phones.
@ilwi sucks
Just a heads up, with the overdrive it is only unlimited with 4G, 3G still has the 5GB cap, and you can only use 300MB while roaming.