What killed the Kin?
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted June 30th 2010 7:27PM
posted June 30th 2010 7:27PM
Apparently, the troubles started long before the swirling Pink phone rumors (and way before the name Kin was ringing in our ears). According to our source, the birth of these devices began with a decision at Microsoft to create a platform agnostic, cloud-centric featurephone. A featurephone that could be had at a relatively low cost, and sold to a burgeoning market of teens and young adults who had little need for a BlackBerry-level device (or pricing). The first step in the project was acquiring Danger to leverage the work it had done with the Sidekick platform, and aligning with Verizon as a launch partner who could offer attractive pricing plans for the devices to a big pool... and here's where the trouble begins.
It seems that after doing some initial work on these phones based around Danger's proprietary Sidekick OS, Andy Lees -- the SVP of Microsoft's mobile division -- instructed everyone to go back to the drawing board and rebuild the OS based on Windows CE. It appears the company didn't want a project that wasn't directly connected to its Windows kernel. This move allegedly set the release of the devices back 18 months, during which time Redmond's carrier partner became increasingly frustrated with the delays. Apparently when it came time to actually bring the Kins to market, Big Red had soured on the deal altogether and was no longer planning to offer the bargain-basement pricing deals it first had tendered. The rest, as they say, is history -- though we don't think even great prices could have accounted for what was fundamentally a flawed product. Our source says that the fallout from this troubled partnership is that Microsoft has backed away from Verizon as a Windows Phone 7 launch partner, claiming that the first handsets you see won't be offered on the CDMA carrier -- rather that we should expect GSM partners to get first crack.
But wait, there's more -- the Kin team is being refocused onto the WP7 project, but that's not the only shakeup going on. Our source said there had been rumblings that Steven Sinofsky -- president of the Windows and Windows Live groups -- is making a play for the entire mobile division as well in an attempt to bring a unified, Windows-centric product line to market. If these rumors are true, the push inside the company could move to align all forthcoming projects with an overarching strategy that leads back to the introduction of a much more cloud- and mobile-centered Windows 8 release. This goes directly against what we heard reps preach at both WMC and MIX10 this year, where the mantra was "the phone is not a PC." If things go according to this plan, like Ballmer said at D8, "They're all PCs." Of course, these are big gestures which would cause major waves -- nothing has happened just yet.
If you're looking for a clear picture in all this, what the basic takeaway seems to be is that the company is in a serious state of flux right now. The departure of J. Allard and Robbie Bach, the death of the Courier project, and now this Kin debacle all seem to be clear signs that rapid and surprising changes are afoot. Hopefully Windows Phone 7 will power through this mess and deliver on the promises made earlier in the year -- we know that the company is capable of great things, but an atmosphere of infighting and confusion typically doesn't lead to amazing products. We've got our fingers crossed that Microsoft beats the odds.
Update: Our source says the Sinofsky moves may not be as cut and dry as originally communicated, and we've edited the above text with a caveat.
Picking Verizon was a mistake. And Apple going with Verizon for an alleged iphone 4 version is also a mistake. they charge to much for data,. and just want to suck their users dry. A better choice would be sprint or tmobile, since they are offering better solutions price wise and actually need the business :)
@POZ
Disagree and disagree again - iPhone will probably come to Verizon and their plans don't cost too much (full data plan, worldwide phone and data coverage for my BB costs me $74.30/month)
Let's see - that's far cheaper than AT&T, Sprint or TMobile and BTW - Verizon has the BEST coverage nationwide - no brainer. I won't own an iPhone until they offer on Verizon's network... All the friends I know complain about two things with the iPhone - Coverage sucks, cost for plans -
I don't know whether to cry or laugh xD
Well, the most sensible thing I'm seeing from this is that Microsoft isn't going with Verizon for their Windows Phone 7 launch, which might suck for the US market but at least it should mean that a proper international launch will happen, which is more than the Zune has so far achieved.
'kin hell ! They killed Kinny!
Even though MS failed to meet the release schedule first agreed upon, what HARM would it have done to Verizon to launch the kin as a feature phone with a little bit o' data? And cheaper right out the gate? The only answer is spite. Verizon has an easily spiteful, self serving agenda.
I can only assume that Verizon demanded more marketing $$/$$ per unit when MS failed to deliver on time, MS whined and said "but this device will be popular" and Verizon said "FINE! We'll see just how popular it is!" And set it up to fail with the monthly cost.
I think Verizon is laughing right now, giggling that "the new Microsofts" first attempt at a mobile rebirth is dead.
Microsoft did.. they have the power to kill many objects and people.
Old guys trying to understand teens and do business the way they did it in the 80's. It aint gonna work.
It's good! Now they should also kill the other product of their "phone is not a PC" mantra; the silly looking WP7 and instead concentrate on building a phone which is more like a PC i.e. modernizing WM 6.xx with all it's functionality intact.
HA HA HA my best friend bought this phone thinking she was getting something new and top of the line!
Prediction: Kin on Woot in six months
THOUGHTS:
+1 Phil Collins reference, especially since that album has "I Don't Care Anymore"
What are the plaid wearers of the world going to do now?
The dude in the commercial's ex girlfriend was busted, anyway.
Microsoft loves committing suicide by cutting open its guts.
I just feel sorry for the girl who traveled all over the country to meet her Facebook friends w Kin in hand
Based on my market research (hours spent in malls with my wife) Microsoft could have saved millions by simply becoming an app developer for the iPhone. The kewlest phone for kewl teens was never going to be a kin. Nor an MS phone of any type.
All snark aside, MS has no cred with teens or young adults. The Xbox is tolerated but not loved and the continuing ring of death has this market segment viewing MS as the gang who can't.
Video killed the Radio Star.........
None of this is transparent. Theres much more going on here. Microsoft is in a field that it has the disadvantage. Theres no 91% marketshare for them here. Theyre totally out of touch with the market and dont understand that although some of the big phones seem featureless they have options that they didnt offer with the kins or rather didnt present well. Also a stamp with going M$ is that we expect more. People dont know windows phones they know iphones. Windows phone users are dedicated and dont want less features in a phone. They shoulve stuck to their guns for the time being until WP7 caught fire.
They should give them all to MetroPCS and/or Boost Mobile and/or Virgin Mobile. The selections on those carriers are kind of drab but if either of those three carriers were GSM, I'd be all over them and switch in a heartbeat. Unlimited regional mobile service at fair prices with no surprises is where it's at.
While I do consider myself a loyal Verizon fan (for the network, not the prices), I do have to agree they probably played a big role in the Kin phones deaths. The $30/month price tag is the same as all the other phones that utilize that data so much better. I'm not saying Kin wasn't a good phone, it just didn't have the apps, real estate, or power to justify the monthly fee. I think Verizon should have done $10-$15/month for "unlimited data" on the Kin because, Zune subscription aside, how much data can that phone really use?
Microsoft is officially out of the phone OS biz for the next 4 years.
If they don't release a CDMA version of WP7, they give up Verizon and Sprint to Android for at least 2 years or more. And once Verizon get's the iPhone, that's completely the end of MS in the phone sector.
It was marketed as a toy for people who are into social networking crap, and a lot of us are now getting a little jaded and don't want to be in constant contact with our friends list from a social networking site.
I had no interest in the thing for the same reason I canceled my Facebook account; Too much social networking is a bad thing.
@icon808
Kin was in "danger" since conception
I always saw the KIN as a side project for microsoft to get into the always connected aspect to later incorporate into WP7 (hopefully by october they'll have ironed this travesty out) and well they pissed verizon off so they overpriced them and then microsoft pays them back by saying WP7 will not be coming to u at launch, killing the KIN like a month after its release will leave a stain on their image when WP7 launches (I'm still willing to give it a shot but this certainly doesn't help build consumer confidence).
Verizon now has an open playing field in which to court Apple's iPhone. With the awesome coverage that Verizon offers (smashes AT&T to bits) - East, West, North and South - iPhone would forever be king if it came to Verizon.
Either T-Mobile or Sprint would go under and we'd be left with AT&T & Verizon and one other (perhaps not?)
With M$ firmly stupid about it's approach to smartphone technology, any product they might serve is already going to be behind what Droid, RIM & iPhone can offer.