Microsoft is dropping Kin smart-phone line
Just as quickly as it came, Microsoft Corp. is saying goodbye to its Kin line of phones.
The Kin, a pair of Verizon Wireless smart phones aimed at young consumers, hit store shelves about seven weeks ago but appears to have failed to keep its cool.
Kin’s development team will join the mobile group that’s working on the Windows Phone 7 operating system, Microsoft said.
So where did Microsoft’s bundles of joy go wrong?
Early on, Microsoft had to pull its Kin promotional campaign after complaints about “sexting” connotations — not smart for a supposedly kid-friendly brand.
Reviewers yawned at the software’s social networking tie-ins, while younger users looked to grab Apple Inc.’s iPhone and Google Inc.’s Android phones.
Unlike the iPhone and Android phones, Kin was also missing a key component: apps.
Microsoft told the gadget blog Gizmodo that downloadable software would eventually come when the Kin and Windows Phone 7 systems merged. Now, it’s looking like the Kin will simply be forgotten.
“We have made the decision to focus exclusively on Windows Phone 7, and we will not ship Kin in Europe this fall as planned,” Microsoft said in a statement. “We will continue to work with Verizon in the U.S. to sell current Kin phones.”
To exhaust the remaining inventory, Verizon may need to consider a drastic price change. Although the Kin One and Kin Two sell for $29.99 and $49.99, respectively, with a two-year contract, the subscription costs are comparable to those of more fully featured smart phones.
