Microsoft's KIN: A Eulogy
by Brian Klug on July 13, 2010 3:42 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Microsoft
- KIN
- Mobile
Final Words
The reality is that the KIN launched too close to WP7 to be relevant, and too late in the game to be avant garde. Even if Microsoft had kept the platform going, it likely would've required a separate marketplace and different subset of applications. The truth is that Microsoft needs to focus all its resources and and efforts on successful WP7 launch, and build out a Windows Phone 7 Lite device after the core is established. There's a market for devices that are priced like featurephones, but deliver features they can't. Even if the KIN didn't succeed, there surely will be other devices that will if the price is right.
What's unique about KIN remains its unprecedented level of cloud integration. The KIN gave us a brief glimpse of the future of mobile integration with the cloud. Even if the platform itself failed, the KIN's cloud centric data storage and backup model remains the best out there. Android implements a number of similar features, but none of them come close to the level of integration Microsoft pulled off with KIN. Truly smart smartphones should be able to stand on their own - without a desktop they need to be nightly tethered to, synced with, or used to pull photos off.
Even though the KIN were yanked from the market under 3 months after launch, they weren't the abject failures that some have made them out to be. In fact, the competition would do wise to borrow concepts like the KIN Studio and build their own background sync services. The ideal smartphone OS is still floating around out there somewhere, waiting to be realized. Combine iOS' polish, speed, and battery life, Android's open marketplace, flash support, and customizability, WebOS's card multitasking model, beautiful UI, and finally KIN's level of cloud integration, and we might just have it.
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mcnabney - Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - link
Important tools buried within menus.Dependence on a specific computer to sync.
Too damn many things to do just to make a call.
Navigation required a stylus due to tiny menus and icons.
Too many lockups, reboots, battery yanks, and software incompatibilities.
Most devices were EXTREMEMLY unreliable.
Non-existent followed by limited push email support.
I could go on and on....
aebiv - Thursday, July 15, 2010 - link
So make a shortcut where you want it.I haven't synced to a computer in years.
I push one button and dial a number to make a call, or I tell it to make a call.
I'd rather be able to use a stylus, than have a capacitive screen that won't allow for precise input.
I can give you lists of people who have very few lockups, and I've seen quite a few Android and Apple phones lockup as well.
My original Motorola Q is still running strong, so are many others.
Activesync/Exchange support has always been best on the windows mobile devices, the VZ Droid STILL can't get push mail fixed. You have to buy a third party app called Touchdown to get it to work semi decently.
Please, do go on.
kmmatney - Friday, July 16, 2010 - link
If the average person plays with a windows mobile phone and an iPhone at the AT&T store, then they will buy the iPhone - it's that simple.aebiv - Saturday, July 17, 2010 - link
Exactly. The average person bought the Motorola RAZR too.This current trend for marketing a "smartphone" for the masses is leading to a loss of features and flexibility for those of us who truly want a "Pocket PC."
nangryo - Sunday, July 18, 2010 - link
That makes you above average person and under average person I believe.I think you just thin that you are the first right?
What a sad fellow
aebiv - Sunday, July 18, 2010 - link
You don't even make sense here.nangryo - Sunday, July 18, 2010 - link
Living on your dream world eh? Where you assume that everyone is just like youGo then, use your beloved stylus. just don't use it for.... anything else
lol
aebiv - Sunday, July 18, 2010 - link
No, I never said everyone was like me.Do you see me ripping on the iPhone for being a horrible design because it doesn't do what I want? No, I don't. All I am doing is pointing out that there are some of us, who don't want to have a locked down, limited, glorified feature phone that has 3 big buttons on the screen because it is supposed to be "thumb friendly."
You ever try to use RDP on a 3" screen? It is hard enough on a 4.3" screen without a stylus.
mrdeez - Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - link
Its because the Android OS doesn't have any way of completely closing apps once their open. Get Advanced Task Killer and use it every time you sleep your phone. I have seen my battery life go from 4-5 hours to 7-8.aebiv - Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - link
No, even using that in keeping the tasks closed. If you disable sense on the WinMo and go with SPB or use Titanium the battery life difference is even more drastic.