Say Goodbye To The Microsoft Kin
I think most of us saw this coming for a while now. Microsoft's featurephone, the Kin (One and Two), are officially dead, after only being in the market for about two months. Microsoft is rolling the Kin team into the Windows Phone 7 team and has halted plans to release the Kin series in Europe, which was slated to happen this fall.
Microsoft's official statement is:
"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."
Source: Engadget (Thanks for the tip gTen)
© 2010, mindfrost82. All rights reserved.
nobody gives a flying flip about the kin 1 or the kin 2. kin 1 & kin 2 = failure!!!
LOL their weird as marketing didn’t help. Microsoft might wanna just give up on the mobile market. The are so out of touch with consumers and taking their sweet a__ time on releasing any products its not even funny. Just focus on desktops and servers.
I predict the same with Windows Fail 7….
@dkd711 – +1
Windows seems to really be screwing themselves these days (not that they haven’t in the past). Smartphones have come a long way and many people are jumping on the bandwagon. Their delay in debuting Windows 7 has hurt them. I used to really enjoy my winmo phones, but have since jumped ship to Android and honestly don’t think I’ll ever go back. I agree with ace741 that they need to give it up and stick with what they know.
killing off another device???? holy jumping androids riding iphone 4′s BATMAN!! —–they seem to be spending alot of money on making devices the half assing the marketing then killing off tech gadgets lately, either they are really stupid or they just have fun pushing the F*** It button lol—-i really want to see what this windows moble 7 is gonna size up too, but with this ongoing trend ppl may lose all interest by release time. just my thoughts.
Where they even really around long enough to say goodbye? lol all kidding aside we all knew that those things where going to die a quick death.
the death of the kins is not because of MS, it’s because big red is charging an extra $30 to have them. If verizon wasn’t so stupid they would have sold many of these devices. second off microsoft knows mobile smartphones better than anyone!
all devices that are out today still can’t do what windows mobile can do in it’s entirety.
just ask palm how well ms knows smartphone considering palm owned 90% of the smartphone market when MS joined in and everyone said the same things you people are saying right now.
also MS is on pace to sell 18 million devices this year.. AGAIN! with an outdated OS…
they don’t know much huh? good luck!
@itster – Well said itster, Verizon charging for data on these things doomed them, they were marketed for teens and tweens, and the parents simply were not gonna be suckered into them. @ itster come over to the off-topic section, I have a gang that wants to meet you! LOL!
Some how this news doesn’t surprise me at all, in fact this is becoming typical from MS, they try to develop and release so many products at the same time instead of focusing one product at the time.
Windows Vista = Fail
KIN Phones = Fail
Windows Phone 7 = Unknown
Let see, what happens at the end of the year. I’m so excited to see how companies compete, so many complains from the iPhone 4 and now the KIN is extinct.
This is getting fun!!!
@itster –
Cocaine is a hell of a drug
This doesn’t come as any suprise to me at all. I remember when these phones came out and I work at a place that had them on display. I’ll be honest and say that I don’t think a single unit was sold.
I think it came down to the looks of them.
Oh well, out with the trash!
@itster – If you read the entire article..big red was gonna offer them cheap but M$ took 18month to rewrite the entire code just cause the manager felt like it..verizon was ticked by that time and just released it as any other device..It also points that M$ is having a the power struggle within the company..all at the wrong time..now M$ and verizon are on bad terms, thus so far there will be no verizon WP7 phone…
Lastly..M$ is selling windows embeded…which is used in other things other then phones such as pdas and corporate development/control devices…their phones have been doing pretty terrible…
Don’t expect corporate companies to move to another OS..it takes them years..I know companies that wanted to go Vista and are still on XP…they have been testing Vista for 2 years and still another year till they convert all while Windows 7 is already out and better…
@gTen – offering them cheap does not remove the extra $30 a month charge .
i know how corps work and when they talk about smartphone sales, the numbers are clear that 3.7 million wm smartphones have been sold in the first quarter.
leon_live ,
windows vista is not a fail at all, it’s the individual that decided he/she wants to install vista on a system made in 2001 with a printer manufactured in 1999. also the idiots that believe commercials. I have been in support business over 15 years now, know your facts before saying uneducated crap.
xbox= taken over gaming world
kinect= will take xbox to next level.. best tech in gaming
mouse and k/b= best on market (yes better than logitech) with best warrantee
windows 7= best OS made to date on any platform. based on versatility and support. there isnt one OS out on the market that can compete with any windows OS because of support on the market.
zune hd= rated best media player on market (better than beloved ipod)
windows mobile= most versatile mobile os, best productivity on the market
office suite = keeps apple in computer business…need i say more??
i guess you just want to name the negatives huh?
@NIKKG – shhhhhh
@itster – It still doesn’t change the fact that all the other OS did better then Winmo that quarter anyways…I mean even linux did almost as much sales as winmo and you don’t even see 1 linux phone around….Android did 2x what Winmo did that quarter….nto to mention this is before the announcement on what M$ planned to do with Winmo..
Now as for the xbox360 ruling…I personally own an xbox 360 as well but the numbers don’t lie..the wii outsells the xbox360 almost 2x…
Worldwide sales figures
Wii – 70.9 million as of 31 March 2010[30]
Xbox 360 – 40 million as of 1 April 2010[31]
PlayStation 3 – 35.7 million as of 31 March 2010[32]
Mouse and keyboard, the best ones aren’t made by neither M$ nor Logitech….
Windows 7 is nice but many are still on XP….plus we are entering an age of netbooks..so we will see how Google Chrome fairs…
Zune HD maybe better hardware wise..but still is behind in sales and in applications
As for Office Suite, I have stopped using M$ office an use Open Office and it is just as good :/
M$ is dieing…simple as that…
@gTen –
1. android OS does not have sales figures, it’s freeease of use.
2. xbox costs more than wee so the number are better when it comes to dollar amount. sales #’s don’t equal better, it just proves affordability. also millions of those wii’s are owned by senior citizens because
3. MS does make the best mouse and kb
4. netbooks tried linux, failed and have gone back to windows. chrome will fail also. nothing is more versatile than windows
5. open office is a joke when working with office docs, i have many customers that used open office, hated it and went back to office. Industry standard is office suite, period!
6. i never mentioned better dollar amont for zune, i said it’s the best media player on the market.
7. many are still on windows95/98 (what’s your point?)
8. MS is stronger than ever and their cash flow is stronger than ever.
9. android is linux/unix based plus it’s free
10. after MS announced wp7 in feb, their numbers still hit 3.7 mill first quarter on an old mobile OS.
your hatred towards MS is clouding your judgement on how MS has completely changed your life in every way.
android and iOS as based on MS technology.. get over it, ms rules the market
sorry about typo’s damn thumb keeps hitting touch pad
Kin, Bing… catchy names (not), your advertising team needs suggestions from that snapple guy.. The best stuff on earth, just got better..
@itster – Its nto clouding my judgement..I own a windows 7 pc, I use windows mobile and I own an xbox….I’m just giving facts…
1. We are talking about smartphones..Android sold over 5 million in 2010Q1
2. Same can be said about the PS3 in comparison to the xbox360.
3. I have an M$ mouse and keyboard.I don’t use it…its nothing special…
4. I doubt chrome would fail..what gives windows strength is app compatibility…chrome will have an option to run Windows applications in it…
5. They hated it because they were used to how M$ office is..many people hate then 2007 office when it came out due to the changed interface…otherwise the solution is on par, mostly as of late.
6. It is best based on hardware and that Tegra chip…take away the Tegra and its nothing special.
7. You have to realize over 55% still use XP….that means more then half…
http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp
8. You do realize they canned many projects as of late including courier and that touch table..and now the kin..and they killed their winmo base…
9. Yes I know its linux based..when I meant linux devices I mean actual linux…
10. That was middle of the quarter already and most people did not accept those details till already Q2..many still don’t know winmo’s fate..
Here is the follow up to the story:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/02/life-and-death-of-microsoft-kin-the-inside-story/
So yeah..WP7 is headed by a guy who cares less abut the company and does things for his own benefit….that doesn’t sound good for the product :/
get over it, The world begins and ends its day with MS… end of story
@itster – Thats hardly an argument lol…all things come to an end eventually..
@itster – First of all, I didn’t mention xbox, zune, office or any thing else, I just said that is becoming typical from MS to develop and release so many products at the same time in which results in some fails.
They should focusing one product at a time, besides is not a question of been uneducated, is a question of experience and what most of the people have also experienced. You are a MS fan, I’m not, I prefer what works and fits me better.
For example, you mention the Xbox…
How long did MS took so their consoles work perfectly. I experienced the famous “Red Ring of Death” (and I’m not the only one) in more than two occasions in which I end up buying the Elite version. I like many products from MS, but what I learned is to wait until there products are mature enough instead of buying it as soon is been released, now did you still think that what I said before is a matter of not been educated??
Yes/No??
Well, another example…
I brought a laptop in which it came with Vista. That OS always fails with some of my hardware and software and a big battery drain. I upgrade to 7, I tried the same hardware and same software version, what happen?? No problems at all.
iPod Touch or Zune HD?? – - iPod Touch
Xbox 360 or Playstation 3?? – - Xbox 360
Android or WM?? – - Android
Those are my choices and my actual products, because experiencing with different products, companies and keeping your mind open is what make you a strong consumer.
Did you still think that is a matter of not been educated??
or just because I’m not a MS freak like you??
Think twice before criticism someone’s else comments.
peace out
-leon_live