Verizon releasing Microsoft Kin phones online on May 6; pricing starts at $49.99
Summary: Microsoft's Kin One and Kin Two have come a long way from the days when it was just the rumored "Project Pink." Now Verizon Wireless has finally released this pair of mobile phones online. However, those who want to buy them in-store will have to wait a bit longer.
Microsoft's Kin One and Kin Two have come a long way from the days when it was just the rumored "Project Pink."
Now Verizon Wireless has finally released this pair of mobile phones online. However, those who want to buy them in-store will have to wait a bit longer.
Being a Microsoft device, there's plenty of Bing search action going on, and this is also their first Windows Phone featuring Zune technology. The Kin mobile devices are targeted towards a younger audience, with an emphasis on social networking and apps. Both models boast 600MHz processors, slide-out QWERTY keyboards and EV-DO broadband technology installed.
The Kin One can shoot SD video with its 5-megapixel camera with flash and holds up to 1,000 songs on the 4GB of onboard memory. The Kin Two steps it up a bit with an 8-megapixel camera with flash, capable of shooting HD video and 8GB of onboard memory to store approximately 2,000 songs.
Pricing for the handhelds start at $49.99 for the Kin One and $99.99 for the Kin Two, both after a $100 mail-in rebate and a new two-year contract. Rebates will be shipped back in as a debit card to be used anywhere the buyer fancies. As far as the actual plans go, Nationwide Talk plans start at $39.99 per month, plus $29.99 for unlimited monthly Email and Web for Smartphone plans.
If you just can't wait, you can place your order online on May 6. But if you like to do things in-store, then head for your nearest Verizon Wireless store on May 13.
For further coverage on the KIN series, check out:
- Joel Evans' first impressions of Kin
- Zack Whittaker on the Generation Y perspective
- Mary-Jo Foley on five surprises about Kin
- Matthew Miller's unboxing and hands-on review
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Talkback
RE: Not for the deaf and hearing impaired, right?
Also, Microsoft Kin has <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/194262/the_curious_thing_about_microsoft_kin.html"no instant messaging client</a>. It can make it tedious to make relay phone calls using a web browser, as it may require either Java or Flash, but I'm not sure how <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajax_(programming)" title="Asynchronous Javascript And XML">AJAX</a> will work as an "instant messaging" client for use with Internet relay services. It's better to wait for Windows Phone 7 (or go with Android if you don't mind missing out on playing games made with XNA and using Silverlight applications (and instant messenger)). Me? I'll wait for Windows Phone 7.
RE: Verizon releasing Microsoft Kin phones online on May 6; pricing starts
what about iChat for the deaf and hearing impaired? Isn't the new iPhone going to have that in a few months?
I don't have iPhone and iChat, so don't ask me.
iPhone is not for me, as I'n not too keen in about Apple's restrictions. It depends on whether a deaf/hearing impaired user cares about having an open platform (such as an Android, Windows Phone 7, or Blackberry) or not.
RE: Verizon releasing Microsoft Kin phones online on May 6; pricing starts at $49.99
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