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Internal Microsoft Kin testing videos offer a new look at what went wrong
The downfall of Microsoft's Kin smartphones is a fairly well-known story at this point, and something that Microsoft would no doubt prefer to forget, but details have a tendency to keep trickling out. The latest comes courtesy of Wired's Gadget Lab, which has obtained some previously unseen internal testing videos that paint a bleak picture of the problems Microsoft was facing. While the devices in question are pre-production models, they're said to be "changed very little from the shipping product" and, as you can see in the videos, they didn't exactly make a good impression on the product testers. Words like "lag" and "frustrating" are the common theme, with one tester adding: "I can imagine my daughter would give this back very quickly." Of course, these are just a small sample of what were undoubtedly many testing sessions, but the complaints are remarkably similar to those we'd see when the phones were ultimately released. You can find one video after the break and the rest at the link below.
Rumors of Kin Studio's continued existence confirmed by death of Kin Studio
What can we say, Kin Studio? Of all the ideas introduced by Microsoft's ill-fated Kin, you certainly weren't the worst. In fact, we kind of hope to see you again some day.
Kin ONEm and Kin TWOm back at Verizon
That's no typo, folks, Microsoft's own-brand pseudo-smartphones are back at Verizon, this time sporting an "m" appendage to their names and what looks like better pricing across the board. The Kin ONEm will set you back a cent under $20 with a two-year contract, whereas the TWOm costs just under $50 but is also subject to a Buy One Get One Free offer (the free phone being an LG Ally). We've spotted Zune Pass is still present on the pair, though it's on a "WiFi and sideload only" basis, seemingly forbidding 3G streaming. Plans start at $39.99 for voice and $9.99 for 25MB of data (while the $9.99 option is advertised, the cheapest data plan we're presently able to add is the $15 a month 150MB option), plus there's a $35 activation fee. Compared to the original pricing, which had the One asking for $50 in upfront costs and $70 as the minimum levy for voice plus data, we'd say this is a definite move in the right direction. A few months late, but better late than never, eh? [Thanks, Wyatt]
Confirmed: Kin One and Two are returning to Verizon. Wait, what?
Unbelievably, against all odds and better judgment, we are able to independently confirm that Microsoft's short-lived Kin One and Kin Two are coming back for an encore performance on Verizon, possibly as soon as this quarter -- but it won't quite be the same product you remember from earlier this year. The phones were famously bashed for the unrealistic plan pricing model that put them head-to-head with actual, full-fledged smartphones -- despite the fact that the devices were targeted squarely at tweens, teens, and twentysomethings -- and we're hearing that the revised phones will be totally, completely debundled from data services. Data-centric features like the Loop "are out," we're told -- but the good news is that you'll still be able to use one of the product's most redeeming qualities, Zune Pass, over WiFi if you're not signed up for a proper data plan. Of course, the value proposition of a Kin without... well, without its only value proposition is questionable at best, so we're thinking this might just be a way to clear huge backlogs of hardware inventory before pulling the plug on the program. Seriously, who wants a Kin without the unlimited photo uploads?
Keepin' it real fake: the Haina X5-01 KIRFs the Kin One
Microsoft's Kin moved so quickly from curiosity to cadaver that we've almost managed to forget about the thing already, but one group will always remember: the KIRFers. This model is called the Haina X5-01 and it's something of an ode to Microsoft's less than dearly departed Kin One handset, a direct copy of the hardware we actually found to be somewhat derivative itself. This model, however, merrily leaps right over the line between imitation and clone, even stealing one of Microsoft's sample images of the UI. Thanks to that we don't actually have any real screenshots of what OS the thing is running, but something tells us that whatever ROM it's rocking it won't be nearly as adept at keeping up with our chaotic lives.
Confirmed: Verizon discontinues Kin
We guess this doesn't come as a surprise to anyone, but we have confirmation directly from Verizon this morning that it will no longer offer the Kin One or Two. It's probably pretty difficult to justify continuing to offer and support a product when its maker has already thrown in the towel -- never mind the fact that Big Red's heart never seemed to be in it from the start -- so this is more of a formality than anything else. We're being told that existing owners won't be impacted, meaning Microsoft will continue to operate the back-end services needed to keep retail Kins alive -- but considering how few Kins seem to have been sold, we can't imagine that's a money-making proposition for anyone involved, so who knows how long that'll go on?
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.
Switched On: Kin's seven deadly sins
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. There may have been a lot of behind-the-scenes machinations at Microsoft and Verizon that resulted in the discontinuation of the Kin One and the Kin Two, but there were also many marketplace miscues that resulted in the demise of the handsets. Here, then, were Kin's seven deadly sins: Lust. With the Kin handsets, Microsoft was too eager to get its hands into the pockets of young social networkers for whom the smartphone market had proven elusive. The key paradox of this was that the Kin data plan was the same for that of other smartphones at Verizon, and that continued to shut out those who aspired to mobile digital sharing nirvana. Gluttony. If Microsoft was angling to get Verizon to offer a sweetheart deal for Kin data, it certainly didn't help its cause with the automatic backup of rich media to the Kin Studio website. If there was one aspect to the Kin handsets operation that may pave the way toward future success, it was the Silverlight-based web interface to all the media that was captured with the device. This also allowed Microsoft and Sharp to minimize the amount of on-device storage. However, constantly backing up high-resolution photos and even standard-definition videos to the cloud required a lot of bandwidth, making it difficult for Verizon to justify a "light" data usage plan for Kin users.
What killed the Kin?
While the news today that Microsoft has killed its troubled Kin line didn't come as the craziest of surprises, it's definitely left a lot of lingering questions about just what happened. Now we may have a little insight into what went wrong -- and what might be in store down the road -- thanks to a reliable source of ours who's shared some news on Redmond's inner turmoil. 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.
Screen Grabs: Pretty Little Liars is TV's newest home to egregious product placement (video)
Scene: Impossibly mature high school "girls" mingling in front of a locker. Action! Bitter Barbie: "What are you doing? Is that a new phone?" Bland Barbie: "Yeah, I'm checking my Kin. I'll just write on Hannah's wall from here." End scene. Yes, ABC's new Pretty Little Liars show is the future of American television, where entertainment morphs into infotainment and bakes the minds of an entire generation into a lovely pie of corporate servitude. We blame TiVo. Oh, and just because Palm quit making creepy commercials doesn't mean that they've given up on promoting its Pre to women. Looks like Roger McNamee was right about that backside mirror's appeal. See what we mean in the PLL episode 3 embeds posted after the break. [Thanks, Dave]
Kin One drops to $29, Two drops to $49, data plans remain silly expensive
Best Buy's already taken to offering Microsoft's Kin One for free and the Two for $49 on sale, but it looks like Verizon's officially lowering the price tag on its socialphones: the Kin One will henceforth be $29 while the Two drops to $49 for good. The ever-reliable Ina Fried at CNET says the move is a direct response to lagging sales; workers at one Verizon store told her that Kin devices are being outsold by the Palm Pre. (Ouch -- for both the Kin and the Pre.) Unfortunately, both devices will still require a $29/month or higher data plan, making their total cost of ownership about the same as Verizon's other, far more capable smartphones in the Droid line. Until Verizon wises up and drops the Kin's data pricing to "insanely cheap" we can't see sales ever taking off, especially since Windows Phone 7 is destined to utterly overshadow the Kin when it launches later this year. We'll see -- maybe that summer software update will blow our inner tweens away.
Microsoft says Kin software update is scheduled for mid-summer
We'd already heard some talk that Microsoft's Kin One and Kin Two phones might be in store for an update, and it looks like the phones will indeed be getting one sooner rather than later. While it remains to be seen if it will include those rumored IM improvements, a Kin support moderator has confirmed on the Microsoft Answers forum that an update is scheduled for "mid-summer," and that it will address "many" of the concerns laid out in the post that prompted the response. That included complaints about battery issues, a suggestion for improvements to the Twitter client (including replies and re-tweets), and a plea for YouTube support. The seemingly in-the-know Conflipper also backs up the inclusion of those Twitter updates, and says the Facebook app will also be updated to let folks view more than three pictures.
How would you change Microsoft's Kin One and Two?
Hey! Microsoft debuted two new phones earlier this year! Remember that? Okay, so there's a fair chance that Microsoft actually moved fewer Kin One / Two handsets than Fusion Garage did JooJoo tablets, but we're pretty confident that a few of you fell for the whole "my life is so social, so I'm buying in" thing. We're still personally trying to figure out why the full Windows Phone 7 wasn't used here instead of an OS that'll likely be forgotten by the time you finish reading this, but enough of our rambling -- this space is all about you. Did you pick up one of the Kin brothers? How's the experience? Are you still kosher with paying the same data plan price as future Droid X users? Have you gained more friends than you know what to do with? Starred in your own commercial? Tell us below, tweeps.
Best Buy now offering Kin One free, Kin Two for $50 on contract
For all its faults, the prime reason we panned Microsoft's Kin was price. Why buy a Kin when you could get a more capable iPhone, Palm Pre or Android device for the same price? This week, it seems someone at Best Buy HQ has seen the light. As of today, the brick-and-mortar electronics superstore has knocked $50 off the price of both handsets, making the Kin One free and the Kin Two cost only $50 on a two-year contract, with no mail-in rebates or other nonsense required. Now, if only Verizon would do something about that $30 monthly data plan, your teen might finally have a vaguely compelling reason to pick one up. [Thanks, Sean T.]
Kin starts getting all social on Best Buy locations
In the event that you've got a Best Buy a click closer to you than a Verizon store -- and you just happen to have a hankering to check out Microsoft's Kin devices -- well, you're in luck, because the phones are showing up. Of course, offering a device like this that requires a $30 data plan under the roof of a building alleging to be a "Best Buy" seems a tad disingenuous, but who are we to judge? [Thanks, Geoff]
Microsoft and Verizon say Kin's monthly pricing isn't crazy, when you think about it
Whatever you think about the Kin devices themselves, the one thing most folks can agree on is that their monthly pricing is more than a little out of step with their target audience -- except for Microsoft and Verizon, that is. Speaking to Computerworld, Microsoft senior product manager Greg Sullivan and Verizon spokesperson Brenda Raney both raised the issue of the Kin's ability to backup to the cloud when defending the high monthly price ($30 for data on top of a standard phone plan), with Sullivan saying that once customers "realize the value of this, they'll realize it's a great deal." On another note, Sullivan also used some interesting language when discussing the possibility of app downloads for the Kin, saying that "over the longer term" Microsoft will be "merging" the Kin and Windows Phone 7 platforms and adding downloadable apps. Now, that's not a radical departure from what we've heard from Microsoft before, but "merge" is a curious choice of words, isn't it?
Kin available online starting tomorrow, in Verizon stores on May 13
Dearest members of the Upload Generation: the wait to buy the Kin of your dreams is a short one -- provided Mommy and Daddy are willing to pony up the $30 a month in data charges, of course. Verizon will be selling both the Kin One and Kin Two online starting tomorrow, May 6, for $49.99 and $99.99 respectively, after you agree to a two-year contract and come to terms with the fact that you'll be paying $100 more upfront while you wait for your rebate to be mailed to you on a debit card (par for the course these days). If you'd rather play with the devices first, your wait isn't much longer -- you'll be able to score both of them in Verizon retail locations starting a week later on the 13th.
Microsoft Kin One and Two review
Make no mistake: the Kin One and Two are coming into the world as the black sheep of the phone industry, and Microsoft would have it no other way. Straddling the fence somewhere between a dedicated smartphone and high-spec featurephone, they've been tricky to understand since the day they were first leaked (even Microsoft seemed unsure of what the devices meant until very recently). Billed as a Gen-Y (the "upload generation") social networking tool -- and sold in advertisements as the gateway to the time of your young, freewheeling life -- the Kin phones have admittedly been something of head-scratcher to those of us in the gadget world. Built atop a core similar (but not identical) to the Windows Phone 7 devices coming later this year, manufactured by Sharp, and tied into partnerships with Verizon and Vodafone, the phones dangerously preempt Microsoft's reemergence into the smartphone market. Hell, they're even called Windows Phones. But the One and Two aren't like any Windows Phones you've ever seen. With stripped-down interfaces, deep social networking integration, and a focus on very particular type of user, Microsoft is aiming for something altogether different with Kin. So do these devices deliver on that unique, social experience that Redmond has been selling, or does this experiment fall flat? We've taken both handsets for a spin, and we've got all the answers in our full review... so read on to find out! %Gallery-92309%
Microsoft Kin One and Kin Two to go up for pre-order on May 6th, shipping on May 13th?
Microsoft's always said its Kin phones would come to Verizon in May and Vodafone in the fall, and now it looks like an internal Verizon email has spilled the details for us: Kin One and Kin Two will go up for pre-order on May 6th, and they'll "launch to all channels on May 13th," according to these screenshots. We can't confirm it yet, but we'd imagine tween hearts are a-flutter all over the country. Just remember: Kin's not for sexting, now.
Kin firmware torn apart, reveals provisioning for AT&T, T-Mobile, Fido?
In public, Microsoft has been adamant about its relationship with Verizon in bringing the Kin to market, even saying that the research and development process involved regular trips to Big Red's New Jersey offices -- but how strong is that bond behind the scenes? Well-established WinMo hacker Conflipper seems to have stumbled across a Kin ROM in recent days, tearing it apart in search of interesting tidbits, and here's a doozy: the firmware appears to be ready for provisioning on a variety of North American, European, and Asian carriers, including T-Mobile and AT&T in the US, Fido (a Rogers subsidiary) in Canada, O2, 3, TeliaSonera, China Mobile, China Unicom, Bharti Airtel for India, and both NTT DoCoMo and SoftBank in Japan. Amusingly, launch partner Vodafone is misspelled as "Vodaphone" in the files, but seriously, we're wondering how close any of these deals are to actually going down. Fido would make a lot of sense since Microsoft has yet to announce a Canadian partner, but we've previously heard that Microsoft has no intention of taking the phone to Asia -- so this could be a completely meaningless list after all.
