Anyone Getting a KIN?

[EnzoTen]

I just bought a KIN ONE for fun and it should arrive tomorrow. A lot of tech bloggers are unfairly comparing it to a smart phone. While I dont think that it will be huge in any category of phone i think it will reach a certain niche. I will give you a full review when i have had a chance to carry it for a bit.

But anyone else getting one? Perhaps someone falls into that semi-smartphone nice.

[CrowdAds]

[The DarkSide]

Sorry, all my stuff "In The Cloud", plus nothing to download to the device (games, apps, etc) make it a ***fail*** to me personally. It might have a niche market, and I hope your review is more positive than my opinion sounds now.

Enjoy, hope it's a fun device in the long run.

[weedalin]

Originally Posted by The DarkSide

Sorry, all my stuff "In The Cloud", plus nothing to download to the device (games, apps, etc) make it a ***fail*** to me personally. It might have a niche market, and I hope your review is more positive than my opinion sounds now.

Enjoy, hope it's a fun device in the long run.

There's nothing wrong with having everything in the cloud (and ironically, I note that you have a Droid), but I can see the Sidekick niche being filled by the Kin.

I, on the other hand, have no use for a Kin since I have a Pre Plus. Though the Zune on the device looks intriguing. Enzo, can't wait for the review.

[TechyguyDR]

The smart phone comparisons are quite fair given that they require a smart phone data plan. I actually like the phones themselves, but having to pay $30 for data is disappointing. I was hoping that they'd have their own plan. But Microsoft and Verizon dropped the ball in that respect.

[weedalin]

Originally Posted by TechyguyDR

The smart phone comparisons are quite fair given that they require a smart phone data plan. I actually like the phones themselves, but having to pay $30 for data is disappointing. I was hoping that they'd have their own plan. But Microsoft and Verizon dropped the ball in that respect.

There's also the unfortunate fact that these two phones are on Verizon, and that there's no point in getting these two Kin phones over the (extremely cheap) Palm devices on Verizon, especially because the two Kins require a smartphone data plan.

[EnzoTen]

Originally Posted by TechyguyDR

The smart phone comparisons are quite fair given that they require a smart phone data plan. I actually like the phones themselves, but having to pay $30 for data is disappointing. I was hoping that they'd have their own plan. But Microsoft and Verizon dropped the ball in that respect.

It still disagree with the smartphone comparison- Its not necessarily about price. i know a lot of people that done want a smart phone. Some people i talk to are buying it because they want something simple- not a big screen phone.

But yeah, i do agree that it should have a cheaper plan.

[The DarkSide]

Originally Posted by weedalin

There's nothing wrong with having everything in the cloud (and ironically, I note that you have a Droid), but I can see the Sidekick niche being filled by the Kin.

I, on the other hand, have no use for a Kin since I have a Pre Plus. Though the Zune on the device looks intriguing. Enzo, can't wait for the review.

I don't see the irony, as not all my stuff is cloud based, and I can download apps and games at will. It does get certain aspects of itself backed up by Verizon & Google, but the devices are way different in most aspects.

As for the pricing plan, it's moronic that it's so expensive, considering it's aimed at a younger demographic. Not every kid or student has money to burn, and $30.00 is way overpriced.

[Fallstar]

Aren't they calling these phones "feature phones"? Not quite smartphones, and not quite basic cell phones? I don't like that Verizon is requiring a smartphone data package to go with it.

[weedalin]

Originally Posted by The DarkSide

I don't see the irony, as not all my stuff is cloud based, and I can download apps and games at will. It does get certain aspects of itself backed up by Verizon & Google, but the devices are way different in most aspects.

As for the pricing plan, it's moronic that it's so expensive, considering it's aimed at a younger demographic. Not every kid or student has money to burn, and $30.00 is way overpriced.

Of course your apps/games aren't cloud-based, but everything else is (contacts, calendar, etc.), just like with the Kin (since there aren't any apps to begin with, and all the same aspects are in the cloud as they are on the Droid). Hence the irony.

Originally Posted by EnzoTen

It still disagree with the smartphone comparison- Its not necessarily about price.

I don't know; I think it would be pretty hard for average consumers not to compare the Kins to other smartphones since the pricing is about the same.

[medion]

Kin Two - $99.99 after rebates, requires smartphone data plan, 8GB
Iphone 3G 8GB - $99.99 with no rebates, requires Iphone data plan, 8GB

Kin One - $49.99 after rebates, requires smartphone data plan, 4GB
Palm Pre Plus - $49.99 after rebates, requires smartphone data plan, 16GB

The Kin phones, IMO, are priced like Smartphones, but just don't compete. They're overpriced feature phones. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to offer Hyundai $80k for a Sonata just because I "don't want a Corvette." If I want a feature phone, I'll get one of the ones that offers comparable features, but at a cheaper price and doesn't require the full data plan.

[dfkt]

Amusing that the Kin website runs entirely on Flash. So when Microsoft really tries to sell something, they don't try shoving Silverlight down one's throat but go with the lowest common denominator, something everyone has installed.

(Not saying that one is better than the other, just that it's amusing.)

[kasrhp]

Enzo, so are we doing phone reviews here now?

[EnzoTen]

Originally Posted by kasrhp

Enzo, so are we doing phone reviews here now?

Sure, on occasion.

[weedalin]

Originally Posted by medion

Kin Two - $99.99 after rebates, requires smartphone data plan, 8GB
Iphone 3G 8GB - $99.99 with no rebates, requires Iphone data plan, 8GB

Kin One - $49.99 after rebates, requires smartphone data plan, 4GB
Palm Pre Plus - $49.99 after rebates, requires smartphone data plan, 16GB

The Kin phones, IMO, are priced like Smartphones, but just don't compete. They're overpriced feature phones. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to offer Hyundai $80k for a Sonata just because I "don't want a Corvette." If I want a feature phone, I'll get one of the ones that offers comparable features, but at a cheaper price and doesn't require the full data plan.

I believe the Pre Plus is now 30 dollars on Verizon's website.

[lip]

To really be different and get marketshare, the data plan is key...
I also think its not correct to compare these to smartphones but with such consumer acceptance of phones like the iphone, if your price is the same and the data plan is no cheaper, its a tough sell to push these products...

[aimran]

Apparently, Microsoft is considering putting apps on the Kin by merging it into the WP7 ecosystem. If so, the Kin will become a smartphone. Most likely, its the next generation Kin that will have apps. So it sounds like the next generation Kin is just going to be another WP7 phone or the long awaited "Zune" phone.

[Adub]

Originally Posted by kasrhp

Enzo, so are we doing phone reviews here now?

I like the idea, not much of a smartphone guy at all, but I'm going to have to move to one eventually so reading about all this stuff is useful.

[medion]

Originally Posted by weedalin

I believe the Pre Plus is now 30 dollars on Verizon's website.

It was. I had to open Verizon in a second tab to verify the 16GB on the Pre Plus, and saw that the price was back up to $49.99. So, the price was correct around the time of my posting. Technology prices chaing daily, if not hourly.

I think it's $0.01 on Amazon, or was.