http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/12/...ts-time-to-share-event/?sort=newest&refresh=0
Really don't see the point of this phone.
Really don't see the point of this phone.
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Microsoft Kin is full of fail
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You have to understand what the market that the Kin is targeting and aimed at.
It is not aimed at the same market as the iPhone or hell any smart phone. It is instead targeted at the area in between a dumbphone and a smart phone.
It is a a social networking phone and it is based around that fact. It is designed for txt messaging, facebook twitter ect. If you remember and understand what it is targeted at it is a pretty good phone for what it designed for.
The people here seem to try to compare it to the iPhone or other smart phone which is an unfair comparison since they are in 2 different playing fields.
This phone is aimed at the Teenage social networking crowd.
It is not aimed at the same market as the iPhone or hell any smart phone. It is instead targeted at the area in between a dumbphone and a smart phone.
It is a a social networking phone and it is based around that fact. It is designed for txt messaging, facebook twitter ect. If you remember and understand what it is targeted at it is a pretty good phone for what it designed for.
The people here seem to try to compare it to the iPhone or other smart phone which is an unfair comparison since they are in 2 different playing fields.
This phone is aimed at the Teenage social networking crowd.
Gizmodo's article is clearer about its purpose:
http://gizmodo.com/5515236/microsoft-kin-the-phone-youd-want-if-you-were-15
At least it's trying to be innovative. Icon-grid phones without integrated social networking are so... 1980s.
The idea of the Spot, where you can just drag anything (urls, photos, etc) you want to share with friends, is clever.
http://gizmodo.com/5515236/microsoft-kin-the-phone-youd-want-if-you-were-15
At least it's trying to be innovative. Icon-grid phones without integrated social networking are so... 1980s.
The idea of the Spot, where you can just drag anything (urls, photos, etc) you want to share with friends, is clever.
Didn't they just show off a new phone? Or at least something with Windows 7 Mobile or whatever they are calling it? I don't really care, it all looks Zune-like to me, so I stay clear away.
I can see it being a winner with the younger crowd. They'll probably be relatively cheap too, or at least preferable than giving your teenage son or daughter an iPhone.
I can see who they are aiming it at, and I think it will find an interesting niche there - especially if the device and rate plan costs are usefully lower than with a SmartPhone.
The device itself isn't that interesting (cameras on phones keep improving), so it's the software and backend that is what makes it unique.
I can't help thinking that before long there will simply be "an app for that". Especially with the new capabilities in OS 4.
Yes, the Kin "studio" part will be more involved to duplicate, especially from a scale perspective, but if done as an aggregator (rather than as a store), the scaling problem becomes less onerous - and obviously it's with the capabilities of a carrier to replicate if they wanted - without a vast amount of stress.
If it takes off at all, I'd expect similar capabilities in MobileMe and OS 5 via an App.
The device itself isn't that interesting (cameras on phones keep improving), so it's the software and backend that is what makes it unique.
I can't help thinking that before long there will simply be "an app for that". Especially with the new capabilities in OS 4.
Yes, the Kin "studio" part will be more involved to duplicate, especially from a scale perspective, but if done as an aggregator (rather than as a store), the scaling problem becomes less onerous - and obviously it's with the capabilities of a carrier to replicate if they wanted - without a vast amount of stress.
If it takes off at all, I'd expect similar capabilities in MobileMe and OS 5 via an App.
True, they're not. Especially with redundant phrases like talking about a "Windows Phone 7" ... err... phone.
But then, the "iPad" name got some pretty bad early reviews, too.
Mildy disagree. Until there's an active homescreen, the iPhone can't really duplicate the turn-on and see-what's happening experience like the Kin. Okay, could fake it a bit if you always left on the same app.
Looks like a lady's compact to me.
Leave the app running and it'd be an unlock-swipe away. But yes, that is a difference.
It's just not one I see swaying a purchase decision. If it becomes a big deal though, it'll get addressed in 5.0 where the potential exists for an active home-screen.
I wonder if Microsoft will make a Kin "App" for Windows Phone 7 - if they don't I think they're missing the plot.
Kids don't what crap like this. Haven't since the sidekick went out of style. They want iPhones.
Sooooo . . . this thing cannot install apps, and the marketplace is up in arms over that obvious example of strong-arming control by Microsoft in creating this "closed" device, right?
Sooooo . . . this thing will share photos with all of your social apps, oh, except not with Twitter. And since you cannot install your own apps, you are hostage to Microsoft updating this. This makes the marketplace outraged at Microsoft's horrible closed system, right?
Sooooo . . . this thing is aimed at teens, but there's no YouTube app. What part of teen marketing do they not get? The marketplace is all over that mistake, right?
Oh well, I guess only Apple gets slammed for everything they do. But you know what's funny? That teen/early-20s crowd? Their mindshare is owned by Apple. Good luck selling that closed, locked-down, limited Kin to a market that lusts after iPhones.
Sooooo . . . this thing will share photos with all of your social apps, oh, except not with Twitter. And since you cannot install your own apps, you are hostage to Microsoft updating this. This makes the marketplace outraged at Microsoft's horrible closed system, right?
Sooooo . . . this thing is aimed at teens, but there's no YouTube app. What part of teen marketing do they not get? The marketplace is all over that mistake, right?
Oh well, I guess only Apple gets slammed for everything they do. But you know what's funny? That teen/early-20s crowd? Their mindshare is owned by Apple. Good luck selling that closed, locked-down, limited Kin to a market that lusts after iPhones.
The funny thing is that the teen crowd will still probably want an iPhone or a Sidekick anyways. This looks like it will die very soon unfortunately for the people who worked on the device.
I was thinking that maybe the rate plans would be cheap enough to differentiate between Kin and a SmartPhone. But the more I thought about it the harder I find it to believe these things won't wind up needing the equivalent of a $30 data plan, especially on Verizon.
Streaming Zune music, 5/8Mp photo uploads, constant data feeds ... I'd be surprised if that wasn't firmly in the SmartPhone camp in terms of data volume. And if that's the case, these things are going to need both a Zune subscription (currently $15/month) and a data plan ...
Of course it'll probably all be bundled as a "Kin" plan with likely the only variable being the number of talk-minutes included (a device like this without unlimited data/texts would die a quick death I think). But still, I have to think it's going to wind up being close to SmartPhone rates.
Streaming Zune music, 5/8Mp photo uploads, constant data feeds ... I'd be surprised if that wasn't firmly in the SmartPhone camp in terms of data volume. And if that's the case, these things are going to need both a Zune subscription (currently $15/month) and a data plan ...
Of course it'll probably all be bundled as a "Kin" plan with likely the only variable being the number of talk-minutes included (a device like this without unlimited data/texts would die a quick death I think). But still, I have to think it's going to wind up being close to SmartPhone rates.
I agree on the iPhone part. The teens/college kids I know that don't have one already either can't afford one, or are on their parents plan and their parents are not on AT&T and aren't interested in switching/running multiple contracts. Sure there are exceptions, but not many among the people I know.
I've never actually seen a SideKick in the wild, nor met anyone that has one.
I've seen Sidekicks mostly in urban areas and "ghetto" cities. But I am from the Bay Area so I might be biased somehow.
I've seen similar, except oddly enough, I've seen users in these areas to have both an iPhone & a Sidekick.
I think success for the "Kin" depends largely on what Microsoft deems successful. I have a feeling that this will catch on in some markets around the states. Wildly successful? No. Create a new niche of phones? Unlikely but maybe. Attract users in target market, yes.
