On Monday of this week, Microsoft introduced the Kin One and Kin Two, but a lot of people are wondering what exactly they need to know about the new phones. Well, the Kin appears to be aimed a younger generation, (CNET specifies ages 15 to 30 and describes that age group as the "the folks posting their every thought, sight, and sound to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube" as well as "young parents looking to upload all those adorable pictures of their kids and/or puppies." That, alone, should tell you a lot about the phone. As a matter of fact, instead of having a menu, when you turn on your phone, you'll have three main screens: contacts, built-in programs, and status updates from your social networks. Contacts and status updates come from Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and Windows Live.
Also according to CNET, the Kin looks a little bit like the Sidekick but runs on Windows CE instead of the Java-based operating system the Sidekick used. And it's certainly nothing like an iPhone, Android or Blackberry. If you're dreaming of adding all kinds of apps to your phone, keep dreaming. Microsoft says they're hoping the phone will fit your needs without the need or any additions. With that in mind, Microsoft is calling it an entry-level smartphone.
Each phone comes with Zune built in, which allows you to transfer music and movies from your computer and stream music on demand. Pictures can be uploaded to all social media sites with the exception of Twitter. They have web-based email capabilities, Exchange for business email, and POP and IMAP services.
Both phones feature touchscreens, bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and slide-out keyboards. The Kin Two is a bit higher end than the Kin One. It has double the memory (8GB), a larger screen and keyboard, the ability to shoot HD video, a better camera, and a stereo speaker verses the mono speaker on the Kin One.
The software is not completely compatible with Mac, but it does allow you to transfer music and pictures from iTunes or iPhoto. Kin One and Kin Two are tentatively scheduled to be released in May, but an exact date has not yet been set, nor has an exact price.
For more details, check out CNET's 411 on Microsoft Kin.
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