Microsoft's cellphone KIN: A Little Less than Kin, a Little More than Kind

source:ofb.biz
The Microsoft KIN phones are a little hard to categorize. Built by the team that previously designed the T-Mobile SideKick line before being acquired by Microsoft, the unveiling of the KIN devices in April represented the confirmation of years of rumors about Microsoft producing its own Windows Phone. But this is not like any Windows phone you’ve seen before; instead, the KIN provides its own commendably trailblazing charm.

While the KIN runs Windows CE underneath, a cursory look at the device surely would not hint at its heritage. The phone is wrapped entirely in a custom interface that draws on some of the concepts that appear in the up-and-coming Windows Phone 7 platform Microsoft plans to release later this year. Supposedly, the KIN and Windows Phone lines will eventually merge, however when and how this will happen is still unclear.

The KIN line is unique amongst Microsoft’s phone offerings in that it is not a smartphone. Despite being in an odd limbo position in Microsoft’s product mix, though, the KINs are interesting in the way that concept cars are often interesting: it is starkly different from other current production phones.

In this review, the KIN devices should really be compared with other feature phones, in which case it would give most of them a thorough trouncing. Oddly, however, the device is priced such that we really must compare it with smartphones, which diminishes the luster to some of its otherwise interesting features.