The KIN has been the subject of sharp criticism for it’s quasi smartphone positioning. It’s not a feature phone, but it’s not a smartphone. Right now, it’s positioned as a social networking phone. Sensing the criticism, Microsoft and Verizon defended the KIN and in doing so, provided some interesing information on the future of the platform. Once Windows 7 Phone is released, the plan is to merge platforms and have downloadable apps for the KIN.
“Over the longer term, we’ll be merging [Kin and Windows Phone 7] platforms and having downloadable apps,” said Greg Sullivan, senior product manager in Microsoft’s mobile communications unit.
In defense of the KIN, Microsoft feels it’s an entirely new category. Part smartphone, part feature phone.
“We’re introducing a new category that’s not exactly a smartphone and certainly more than a high-end feature phone — a social or cloud phone — with a rich browsing experience and rich multimedia social networking, where everything I do on the phone is automatically backed up in the Kin Studio [in the cloud],” Sullivan said.
Of course, the main criticism of the KIN has been the data plan. If you are releasing a phone aimed at teens, cost is going to be a big factor and many have suggested Verizon has missed an opporunity by pricing the KIN among smartphone data plans. Will someone get a Palm Pre over a KIN, if the data pricing is the same? Ultimately, we’ll find out if consumers want this new category of phone and if they are willing to pay for a smartphone data plan.
“We’re introducing a new category that’s not exactly a smartphone and certainly more than a high-end feature phone — a social or cloud phone — with a rich browsing experience and rich multimedia social networking, where everything I do on the phone is automatically backed up in the Kin Studio [in the cloud],” Sullivan said. Sullivan said customers will get used to that monthly charge. “Once they realize the value of this, they’ll realize it’s a great deal,” he said.
Are you a KIN user? Did you shop the device against smartphones? Was the data plan an issue? Let us know in the comments or in our KIN Forums.
via Computerworld
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