60
Microsoft Kin Two
$100.00
Released May, 2010
The Pros:Full slide-out QWERTY keyboard. WiFi and 3G connectivity. 8GB of internal storage.
The Cons:Limiting software platform that makes the device closer to a featurephone than a smartphone - far from a full operating system. Closed from 3rd party developers. Short on features / lacks critical applications such as an IM client, calendar, etc...
The Microsoft Kin Two is one of two Kin (codenamed ‘Pink’) next generation feature phones introduced by Microsoft in 2010. The Kins have a lot of similar built-in functionality as a smart phone but lack the ability to install 3rd party applications which is the defining characteristic of a smart phone.
The Kin Two (codenamed ‘Pure’) is a curved rectangular slider with a larger keyboard for two-handed texting, a widescreen HVGA multi-touch display that supports pinch/zoom, an enhanced 8MP camera that also shoots high-definition videos, and 8GB of internal memory. Like the One, the Kin Two supports 24/7 access via syncing to Kin Studio, an online 'private space' for storing photos, videos, contacts and messages. This is done through 3G connectivity, although WiFi/Bluetooth are also available. Additional features include Zune media player (music/videos), a Mac-compatible music side-loader, and support for over-the-air firmware updates.
Additional Information
Geared for young, social-network-savvy adults, the Kin phones lack many of the features typical for a smartphone, such as personal organization/productivity software (calendar, tasks, etc.), support for third-party applications, and support for in-browser Flash or video streaming.
Featured on the Kin phones is a revitalized user interface (UI) based on “Spot” and “Loop”. The Loop concerns the home screen, which is in essence a collection of all the user’s social-network data, organized by priority. “Spot,” on the other hand, is a green circle that functions as a ‘universal attach’ button in that content (maps, status updates, videos, etc.) dragged to it is automatically shared with all the user’s contacts.
The phones release through Verizon Wireless (US) in May 2010 and Vodafone (Europe) in August 2010.
Features
- Project “Pink” (Kin)
- Project “Pink Pure” (Kin Two)
- Spot/Loop User Interface
- Verizon/Vodafone Availability
- Curved Rectangular Slider Design
- QWERTY Keyboard
- HVGA Multi-Touch Display
- Audio/Video Capture (HD)
- Audio/Video Playback
- 24/7 Access to Kin Studio
- 3G/WiFi/Bluetooth Connectivity
- Zune Media Player
- Firmware Updates
User Reviews (9)
Pros & Cons
-
3
full slide-out QWERTY keyboard
-
3
-
2
-
2
8MP camera with LED flash for stills and videos (accessed by a dedicated camera button)
-
2
intuitive / easy to use Zune-like software platform / interface - ideal for use by those uninterested by the complexities of more advanced smartphone devices
-
2
designed with connectivity / social media in mind, heavily integrated
-
2
capable of recording video in high definition
-
2
Zune HD / Tegra guts - designed to last an entire weekend on a single charge while still providing a good user experience
-
2
diversifies Microsoft's offerings - allows for a new 'budget' option next to Windows Phone 7 with high hardware requirements
-
2
all video and images are synced with bottomless online storage
-
2
comes with a Silverlight-based desktop companion application for complete access to your phones content
-
2
built-in web browser with multitouch support
-
2
capacitive multitouch display
-
2
-
1
build - while mostly glossy plastic - is of good quality
-
1
Zune Pass support for streaming tunes in the background over 3G or WiFi
-
1
-
1
platform is designed to be upgradable over the air
-
1
will introduce limited yet affordable data to the masses
-
0
-
5
limiting software platform that makes the device closer to a featurephone than a smartphone - far from a full operating system
-
5
closed from 3rd party developers
-
3
short on features / lacks critical applications such as an IM client, calendar, etc...
-
3
-
3
-
3
updates are only pinged for every 15 minutes - too slow for the heavy social media user
-
2
uninspired looks compared to the Kin One
-
2
-
1
Will DEMAND a full ALL-In dataplan so will be useless in all smaller countries of Europe
-
1
no external memory card expansion
-
1
-
1
requires a full smartphone plan on Verizon - not worth it compared to a real smartphone
-
0
targeted demographic push will scare away all the cool kids and their potentially interested mum
show all pros & cons
hide
Community Reviews
see more community reviews
From your Computer
From the Web
Comments (0)
helpful
Read the full review
You may also like...
