Verizon halting Kin sales, supply getting returned to sender?

Not that Verizon really cared much for it anyway, but according to WMExperts, the carrier is preparing to cease sales of the Microsoft's Kin altogether. As for the fate of the remaining stock, it's apparently being sent back to, well, somewhere. While a few retail stores we called disavowed any knowledge of such a thing, PhoneArena has a supposed internal screenshot that suggests they may soon change their tone. Either way, Verizon's not selling Kin online anymore, that's for sure -- quoth the raven, 404.

[John22s Posted Jul 18th 2010 7:28PM]

Will they notify their next of kin?

[StemSell Posted Jul 18th 2010 7:28PM]

Your lead pic was right on the Marx!

[pspitts Posted Jul 18th 2010 7:29PM]

Sounds like MS designed that shit to fail!
You really think after winning with the Xbox that they could have screwed up so fantastically with the kin?
Next to go are them dumb ass MS stores.

[teky Posted Jul 18th 2010 7:30PM]

It's the end of an era...the 1990's are finally behind us.

[Makali Posted Jul 18th 2010 7:40PM]

Another POS from m$ that failed since they don't have monopoly . Windows would have the same faith

[Assimilate Posted Jul 18th 2010 8:17PM]

@Makali
"faith"? Moron

[anotherworld Posted Jul 18th 2010 7:46PM]

So what happens to the idiots that bought and want a refund or get a android?

[Mike10010100 Posted Jul 18th 2010 9:36PM]

@HighestRanked2

Android really threatens you, doesn't it? You just can't face facts that its marketshare is steadily increasing and its app numbers are about to exceed Apple's.

[anotherworld Posted Jul 18th 2010 7:47PM]

Windows Mobile 7 will fail. Stick to Xbox and Desktop OS.

[RoyFokker Posted Jul 18th 2010 7:51PM]

Landfill... meet Kin.

[obiterdictum Posted Jul 18th 2010 7:52PM]

Buy up all the remaining units! You can sell the nostalgia at a later time! Imagine if you had a 100,000 bottles of Crystal Pepsi stored somewhere. You would make a decent bounty.

[benjgvps Posted Jul 18th 2010 7:55PM]

Throw Android on one and ship it to me!

My BlackBerry Bold 9000 isn't the best phone out there...

[Zhuzhu Posted Jul 18th 2010 8:05PM]

I'm sure there's still some interest in the Kin amongst the Muppets crowd, so perhaps that's where they're going.

[Aaquibn Posted Jul 18th 2010 8:17PM]

@deedeedee

Considering they're on different carriers, no.

[DoctarPeppar Posted Jul 18th 2010 8:21PM]

Haw Haw /nelson
Millions of dollarz and time wasted -- innovation stifled -- normal for Microsoft

[Nn4458 Posted Jul 18th 2010 8:26PM]

If it was on T-Mobile and didn't require a data plan I would buy it in a heart beat.

[Ducman69 Posted Jul 18th 2010 8:54PM]

OH NOES! I don't know if I can handle this news.

/wrists

*rolleyes*

[fmlizard Posted Jul 18th 2010 9:06PM]

Probably on its way to the same underground toxic waste vault they put all the old Atari E.T. cartridges in.

Good night, sweet prince...

[jimmychoo789 Posted Jul 18th 2010 9:10PM]

I like shopping, the one reason is I am a girl that enjoy wearing beautiful clothes,verey cool shoes

and collecting many information about fashion ,another is that I have many girl friends who enjoy

shopping no less than me. We like to disscuss brands,like jimmy choo wedding shoes and so on.

[FritzJ92 Posted Jul 18th 2010 9:16PM]

Good thing that is not going to happen to windows phone 7

[FritzJ92 Posted Jul 18th 2010 9:51PM]

@Eli Haj
No my spidey senses are just tingling

[GeekPI Posted Jul 18th 2010 9:29PM]

I really like my KIN 1. It is a pretty solid feature phone, that needs a little polishing. It has a built in GPS, but no mapping (even though it has bing search). It also needs a calendar and a calculator. Other than that, it's a great phone with a good camera.

Not everyone needs a smart phone and the KIN certainly doesn't deserve smart phone pricing. If I could have data, unlimited texting and a moderate amount of minutes for $45 a month - they wouldn't be able to make enough phones to meet demand.

Luckily I still have all the packaging - this is going to be quite the collectors item.

[agent yellow Posted Jul 18th 2010 9:33PM]

the agency approves.

[Mike10010100 Posted Jul 18th 2010 9:38PM]

@HighestRanked2

Amazing, using that time machine again. ROFL.

HERE'S the problem. They sold a device that had no market. Windows Phone 7 HAS a market. Also, why would people buy a featurephone when they can get a smartphone for the same plan price.

It was partially Microsoft's fault, but it also had Verizon to blame.

[Mike10010100 Posted Jul 18th 2010 9:45PM]

@HighestRanked2

Wow. You failed twice at posting a slam article against the Windows Phone 7. Are you sure you're competent enough to be on the internet, nonetheless criticize a smartphone OS that isn't even out yet?

Notice that throughout that article, we didn't get a link to a walkthrough, a video of the offending demo, etc. We just have to take this guy's rather hateful word that Microsoft has failed.

Unless you think you have enough of a grasp of this "internet posting" thing to actually link to a video of a horrible walkthrough. Oh? Thought not.

[tonyprince Posted Jul 18th 2010 9:48PM]

sell that shit for 50 bucks. i want the zune software built into it!!!!!

[technotechie Posted Jul 18th 2010 10:23PM]

1) That is perhaps one of the greatest article endings I've read on Engadget.

2) Is it EVEN REMOTELY possible that MS is going to move the product from Verizon ("hey, we'll take those back, you get your money, we all good"), then turn around and put them on a more reasonable network? MPCS or TMO?

[aeonjoey Posted Jul 18th 2010 10:32PM]

i haven't played with one, but an unactivated one on wifi might make a nice ZuneHD replacement? possibly.

[MosquitoControl Posted Jul 18th 2010 10:39PM]

If they unloaded these things for $20-$50 w/o contract I'd contemplate buying one as a backup phone.

[Dissonance Posted Jul 18th 2010 10:48PM]

Steve Jobs: "It looks like the Kin might be their Newton, and I'm OK with that."

[HowardLive Posted Jul 19th 2010 1:20AM]

@Dissonance Oooo, counter-burn! ;-)

[SExpress Posted Jul 19th 2010 10:10AM]

@Dissonance Even Newton sold more than KIN!

[jstanthr Posted Jul 19th 2010 3:52AM]

If they get sent back to MS, i'd put money on some carrier popping up with a totally prepaid kin service, that would get them to the right market imo

[Gaurav42 Posted Jul 19th 2010 3:55AM]

SOLUTION: Install android, rebox, and sell.

Im trying to think of a catchy name, DroidiKIN, KINDroid,AndKIN

hmmmm....

[lejupp Posted Jul 19th 2010 4:19AM]

So what's gonna happen with those devices? Logan, Utah landfill anyone?

[iZach Posted Jul 19th 2010 7:13AM]

When I first seen the commercial for the KIN and thought to myself, that phone will flop. And what do u know...goodbye kin. Those phones will be melted and will be recreated as Microsoft wireless laser Mouses.

[SExpress Posted Jul 19th 2010 10:09AM]

@Mike10010100 Based on the current spec of the W7P, it's market is the user base who were happy with minimal aps, no cut and paste, no multi-tasking....

i.e. the people who already bought iPhone 1 in 2007!

Are MS stuck in a time warp or something?

KIN would have been great in the 90's, W7P would have been original before Sept 2007.

[VAVA Mk 2 Posted Jul 19th 2010 10:55AM]

Maybe they will burry them in the desert next to all of those copies of E.T. Atari made that no one wanted.

[TheOmegaMan Posted Jul 20th 2010 3:12AM]

I think that the Kin was a (rushed to marked) place holder attempt to not concede too much market share ground, to the Android based phone makers, before Windows Phone 7 arrives on the scene.

The problem (for Microsoft) is that the Android Army is currently un-stoppable by the current competitive products! (Now CE mfg. parts supply issues could slow it down significantly it, but definitely not the non-Android based competitive products!)

Perhaps Microsoft can re-flash these with a M$ version of an Android ROM, just in case the Windows Phone 7 phones, happen to meet the same fate! Those might have a better chance at selling and they won't cost M$ much to develop!

Seriously M$, just join the Android game and create some super cool cloud based services to give us all a useful Google alternative. Why attempt to dilute the market any further? If you can't beat um, join um, early in their game!

[TheOmegaMan Posted Jul 20th 2010 3:23AM]

I think that I will buy one on e-bay to put next to the BetaMax player, VHS Tape Machine, Laser disc player, Sony Mini disc player, Amiga 500-4000 Computers, Atari 400-800 computers, Timex Sinclair 1000 computer, 8-Track tape player, Cassette Player, Reel to Reel tape player, Apple Lisa computer, Apple Newton, NeXT Computer, Original Mac computer, Sony Walkman, HD DVD player, Sega Genesis, TI-99a computer, Commodore Vic 20 and 64 computers, TRS-80 computer, Original Motorola Mobile Phone, Palm PDAs and right next to the still growing UMD disc collection! And I will make some space for the Sony Memory Stick and the Palm Pre & Pixie devices ;P