Microsoft Kills Its 8-Week-Old KIN Jul 2, 2010

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The "next generation of the social phone" was short-lived, with Microsoft announcing it will pull the plug on the KIN social networking phone just 2 months after it went on sale.

A market for the KIN never materialized after it went on sale May 4. The unit received, at best, a lukewarm response from most tech reviewers and critics were dismayed that a phone designed specifically for social networking lacked instant messaging. High monthly subscription rates required by service provider Verizon had reviewers consistently urging readers to forget the KIN and consider more highly featured Apple iPhones and Droid OS phones with similar cost of ownership.

Microsoft's timing was also unfortunate - it put the KIN on store shelves just as consumer excitement began to build in anticipation of the launch of Apple's iPhone 4.

KIN unit sales were said to be quite low, even after the purchase price was dropped pre-launch (and again just days before its demise).

Microsoft plans to move KIN staff into the Windows Phone 7 development team.

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