Microsoft Kin: The Smartphone That Failed

Microsoft Kin was a line of social-centric smartphones released in 2010, but it failed to gain significant market share. The Kin One and Kin Two were its two main models, both of which were designed to focus on social networking.

The Kin One had a 5 megapixel camera, while the Kin Two had an 8 megapixel camera. These cameras were notable for their high quality, but it wasn't enough to save the Kin line from its overall lack of appeal.

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Microsoft Kin was discontinued just 48 days after its release, on June 30, 2010. The phones were returned to Microsoft by Verizon mid-July 2010.

Poor sales were a major reason for the discontinuation. Microsoft executives were dismayed by Verizon Wireless staff's lack of promotion for the phones.

The Kin line's planned European release on UK carrier Vodafone was also canceled.

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Microsoft discontinued the Kin line after only 48 days on the market, on June 30, 2010.

The phones were returned to Microsoft by Verizon by mid-July 2010, and the planned European release on UK carrier Vodafone was canceled.

Kin was a year and a half late to market, due to the extra time taken to convert it from the Sidekick platform to Windows CE, and the merger likely added another year and a half.

The Kin phones were not selling well, with prices being too high for teenagers, who were the target market.

The cause of the disaster was a perfect storm of factors.

The company's rapid expansion, fueled by a 50% increase in sales over the past year, put a strain on its resources and infrastructure.

This was exacerbated by the failure of a key supplier to deliver essential components on time, resulting in a production delay of several weeks.

The company's decision to launch a new product line without adequate testing and quality control measures in place also contributed to the disaster.

The disaster highlighted the importance of having a robust risk management strategy in place to mitigate potential threats.

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Microsoft Kin devices were designed as "social phones" that blended the feature phone and smartphone markets. They had a strong emphasis on social networking and sharing content.

The home screen of Kin was called Loop, which aggregated social networking connections from various platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. Loop also served as a hub for web content from web feeds.

Loop had a 15-minute delay for updates, which some commentators found odd. This delay was a result of Microsoft's desire to conserve battery life and due to immature social networking APIs.

Microsoft's claim of the phone being "always-connected" was at odds with this delay. Users couldn't adjust the update interval, but they could manually trigger updates with an on-screen refresh button or by locking and unlocking the phone.

Here are the key specs of the Kin devices:

The Microsoft Kin had some major limitations that made it hard for users to get excited about it. It was way too expensive for its worth, with prices starting at $50 and $100 for the Kin ONE and TWO respectively, but the long-term cost shot up due to required data plans.

A two-year contract with Verizon would cost up to $70 a month, making the total cost for a year of the Kin ONE a whopping $890. In comparison, a 16GB iPhone 4 cost $199 and didn't require a data plan.

The Kin phones had a browser and could access social networking sites through widgets, but that was about it. Microsoft took away the ability to download apps or games on the phone, turning it into a pointless feature phone.

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The Kin phones were a pricey option, even for their time. The release prices of $50 and $100 for the Kin ONE and TWO respectively, don't seem too bad at first glance.

The problem lies in the long-term cost of the phones, which shot up due to the required data plan. You could get a decent data plan for only $15 a month, but back in 2010, it was a different story.

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The two-year contract with Verizon, which cost up to $70 a month, made the Kin phones a costly affair. This would translate to a whopping $890 for a 12-month period.

In comparison, a 16GB iPhone 4 cost $199, and while it was more expensive upfront, it didn't require a data plan, decreasing the long-term price significantly.

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The Kin phone was an expensive option, especially considering its limitations. At launch, the Kin ONE cost $50 with a two-year contract, while the Kin TWO cost $100. But the price didn't stop there - the monthly data plan for the Kin phones was a whopping $70.

This made the long-term cost of the phone shoot up, with a 12-month contract costing a staggering $890. In comparison, a 16GB iPhone 4 cost $199, and didn't require a data plan.

The Kin phones required a data plan, which was a major drawback. This meant that users were paying for a smartphone, but getting a feature phone instead. The Kin phones had a browser and could access social networking sites through widgets, but that was about it.

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The Kin phones were essentially a stripped-down version of a smartphone, and it showed in their price. If only Microsoft had offered the social networking features without requiring a data plan, the Kin might have had a better shot at survival.

Here's a breakdown of the Kin phones' specs, which didn't exactly scream "value for money":

The Kin phones had some decent features, like a 5-megapixel camera and a capacitive touch screen. But when you consider the price and the limitations, it's hard to see the value in the Kin phones.

The Microsoft Kin was a close cousin to Windows Phone, sharing user interface characteristics. Both KIN and Windows Phone shared common OS components, software, and services.

Microsoft aimed to align around a single platform for both products, as well as consistent hardware specifications. This would eventually lead to the merger of Windows Phone with Kin, with both operating systems running on the same Silverlight platform.

The Microsoft Kin was a close cousin to Windows Phone, sharing user interface characteristics. This was due to common OS components, software, and services being shared between the two.

Both the Kin and Windows Phone ran on similar core technologies, including the Silverlight platform. This allowed for a potential merge of the two operating systems in the future.

Microsoft intended to align the Kin and Windows Phone on a single platform, with consistent hardware specifications. This would have streamlined the development process and made it easier to support both products.

The Kin and Windows Phone were held together by the same underlying fundamentals, making them compatible in many ways.

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Sharp partnered with Microsoft to create the Kin TWO and TWOm, two phones designed specifically for Verizon. These phones were not smartphones, requiring no contract, and featured a side-sliding QWERTY keyboard.

The Kin TWO and TWOm had a 3.4" TFT, HVGA display with 480x320 pixels. They also included an 8-megapixel camera with Lumi LED flash and 720p video recording capabilities.

One notable difference between the two phones was the inclusion of a calculator and calendar on the Kin TWOm, but not on the Kin TWO. The Kin TWOm also had GPS software, which was removed from the Kin TWO.

Here's a comparison of the Kin TWO and TWOm features:

The Kin TWO and TWOm were both equipped with an Nvidia Tegra processor at 600 MHz, 8 GB of storage, and 256 MB DDR RAM. They also had stereo speakers, an accelerometer, and Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP.

Microsoft Kin phones were a failure due to a combination of factors, including high prices and bad timing. The phone was released in 2010, but it was too late to make a significant impact, especially with the iPhone dominating the market.

The Kin phone's design, which resembled a flip phone, wasn't enough to attract customers. It lacked interesting features, making it hard to compete with the iPhone's innovative design.

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Microsoft could have done things differently if they had released the Kin phone two years earlier, when social media was still gaining popularity. This would have given them a chance to capitalize on the growing trend of internet connectivity.

The Kin phone's high prices were another major issue. People were not willing to pay a premium for a phone that didn't offer anything new or exciting.

Microsoft Kin was met with lukewarm reception, with many critics panning its limited functionality and high price point.

The Kin was released in 2010, but it was discontinued just 48 days later, a clear indication that it didn't quite resonate with consumers.

Reviews at the time were largely negative, with many considering it a failed experiment in the social media phone space.

The Kin's focus on social networking and its unique design were its strongest selling points, but ultimately, they weren't enough to save the device.

Despite its innovative approach, the Kin failed to gain significant traction in the market, and its legacy is largely remembered as a cautionary tale in the tech industry.

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