KIN phone details and pricing released

  • Article

14_print For people who want to keep up and share everything going on in their lives with the people who matter most, Verizon Wireless and Microsoft Corp. made KIN available online on May 6th.

Designed specifically for people who are actively navigating their social lives, KIN blends the phone, online services and the PC. Both KIN phones feature a touch screen and slide-out QWERTY keyboard, making it easy to:

  • Always stay in the loop: With the KIN Loop, all of your favorite people and things you love are right on your home screen in real time. You tell KIN who and what is important, and it delivers the latest updates from your favorite websites and social networks such as Facebook®, MySpace and Twitter. You can discover and share, all from one place.
  • Share your story with the world: The KIN Spot is the new way to share. Share almost anything – photos, texts, Web pages – with almost anyone. Since the Spot is always on your screen, it’s unbelievably easy to drop stuff into the Spot and send by text, e-mail, or social network update.
  • Your phone, on the Web: With the KIN Studio, almost everything on your phone – messages, contacts, photos and videos – is backed up to a private, password-protected website where you can visit all of your memories anywhere there is a computer. And with virtually unlimited storage, there’s almost no limit to what you can keep.
  • Capture and share all your memories: The KIN Camera captures all the moments that matter most, and makes it easy to share them. The KIN ONE has a 5 MP lens while the KIN TWO has an 8 MP lens and shoots video in HD. With anti-shake, autofocus and an LED flash, KIN lets you take amazing pictures, even in low light, and post or share them with just one touch. And all your memories are backed up with tons of storage in the KIN Studio.

Tunes and info – at your fingertips: Find what you need on the go:

  • Zune – KIN is the first Windows® Phone to feature a Zune experience – including music, video, FM radio and podcast playback. With a Zune Pass subscription and Zune software on your PC, you can listen to millions of songs from Zune Marketplace on your KIN while on the go, or load from your personal collection.
  • Bing – Web and Near Me (location-based) search.
  • E-mail – Support for all popular Web-based mail, POP/IMAP services, as well as Exchange for business e-mail and contact sync. Each e-mail account has its own screen so it’s easy to navigate.
  • Browser – With KIN, you get full, rich PC-like browsing. You can pan, scan and zoom in and out using touch gestures. And browsing is social; it’s easy to share a snapshot of the website you’re viewing by dragging it to the Spot.

Pricing and availability

  • Starting May 6th, KIN is available online at www.verizonwireless.com and will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on Thursday, May 13. KIN ONE is available for $49.99, and KIN TWO is available for $99.99, both after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
  • To get the most from KIN, Verizon Wireless customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan. Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 monthly access. Email and Web for Smartphone plans start at $29.99 for unlimited monthly access.

The full press release is at https://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2010/may10/05-04KINVerizonPR.mspx.  The KIN press site is at https://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/kin/ which includes more information, videos, pictures, etc.

[UPDATE for 5/5] I just ordered the KIN One a few minutes ago (11:30pm CST).  Now I get to try one and see if my wife likes it.

[Update for 5/6]   I woke up and noticed my phone had received a phone call, at 6:45am.  I then noticed in my inbox there were a couple of email messages from Verizon.  They cancelled my order.  The reason given?  Because they couldn’t add the phone to my existing account.  I haven’t had an account with them for over 5 years.  No wonder.  Great job Verizon.  Calling customers at the crack of dawn to tell them you are cancelling orders.  Brilliant.

And no, I am not going to re-order one.