Quick…someone notify their next of kin! ………Uncle Kindle?!
ROFL.
Microsoft’s statement:
“We have made the decision to focus exclusively on Windows Phone 7 and we will not ship KIN in Europe this fall as planned. Additionally, we are integrating our KIN team with the Windows Phone 7 team, incorporating valuable ideas and technologies from KIN into future Windows Phone releases. We will continue to work with Verizon in the U.S. to sell current KIN phones.”
The short-lived social networking KIN was sort of smartphone-ish, but not smart enough apparently to keep itself alive. Microsoft has canceled the existing product’s launch later this year in Europe on news that sales weren’t as strong as expected, and is folding the Kin team into the core Windows Phone 7 team.
It’s unclear how long Verizon will continue to sell KIN phones. What really killed this phone was:
(1) lack of apps - none! no gaming, no app store. horrific.
(2) INSANELY priced data plans ~ similar pricing to iphone or android but zero features. Verizon was blatantly banKIN too much off the kin for it’s feature set
(3) confusing, POS OS (that’s piece of shit operating system) and
(4) LAMENESS! targeting preteens and teens with the Kin FAILED. Revealing, perhaps, that they want what anyone 18-24 or 25-45 wants: A GREAT DEVICE with multi-functionality, intuitive UX, sleek UI, long battery life, etc. Segmentation aside, we all want the same thing.
So now that the product has been disKINtinued, it will be interesting to see whether existing MEGA media buys Kin did (with Bravo TV’s Watch What Happens and a few other big ones will stay pumping or if they’ll diskintinue and pull the plug!
In sum, RIP Kin I & II. We barely even knew you, lil friend! Did anyone like them? Profess your shameful love for this plastic polly pocket. Or better yet plz seek out words containing our fallen little friends’ name & KINTINUE the mockery!
