The Story Behind the Death of the Kin Phones; Android Rising

In a shocking bit of news a week ago, Microsoft discontinued the Kin phone, leaving many to wonder what’s going on. Also, this week we’ll note the appearance of the latest and greatest Android phone, and will touch briefly on Microsoft’s confusing array of sync services.

Goodbye Kin Phones

Just six weeks after Microsoft’s Kin phones were introduced, Microsoft has axed the device and has switched the Kin team’s focus to Windows Phone 7. The big question is why. Microsoft’s official explanation was that they want to focus on Windows Phone 7.

Rumors have it that fewer than 10,000 of the phones were sold, with some giving a figure of around 500. Compare that to the sale of 1.7 million iPhone 4’s in three days.

ZDNet has a good article giving an overview of the confusing issues surrounding the development of the Kin. The author liked the Kin, though does note several major shortcomings.

I thought there was something visionary in the Kin, and according to the back story on Engadget, that vision was from J Allard. But politics (including the departure of Allard) and changes of direction led to a facile effort that bore little fruit.

In the broad picture, I think there are two takeaways: 1) the Kin fiasco is evidence of the confusion in Microsoft’s mobile division (which obviously isn’t a good thing) and 2) the Kin showed that Microsoft has a solid vision and great technologies for a consumer device (e.g., Kin Studio), and it gave a glimpse of some of the potential of Windows Phone 7.

Meanwhile, Android Rising

It’s not a good time for Microsoft to be evincing confusion in their mobile division, given the continued surging interest in Android and the iPhone. No confusion there. Both have cool hardware, huge app stores, and lots of handset makers and developers eagerly involved.

An interesting interview with Google CEO Eric Schmidt in The Guardian questions whether Microsoft will be able to attract those handset makers and developers. It’s a good question, and certainly not a given. And if they don’t jump aboard, Windows Phone 7 could go the way of the Kin.

Still, there’s a lot to like about WP7, as we’ve seen. And one should never count Microsoft out.

But the battle for mindshare and market share will be difficult, especially with new phones like the Droid X hitting the market. It’s the latest Android device, and some are saying it’s the best on the market. It has a huge screen ( 5 inches!), speed, 8-megapixel camera, and a clever design. See the review by David Pogue in the New York Times.

The phone is also one of the first to come with Swype, a new way of entering text.

Microsoft’s Confusing Sync Offerings

It’s sort of good news/bad news: Microsoft has a number of opportunities for cloud-based syncing, such as the free My Phone, but the bad news is that it’s confusing. I haven’t had the time to sort it out.

If you, too, are confused, you might find this excellent article on Ars Technica helpful. It describes the various services: Windows Live Sync, Live Mesh, My Phone, and Skydrive.