05 Nov 2008 -
Microsoft has recently unveiled a mobile phone designed for social networking addicts who want to get convenient and fast access to popular online communities such as Facebook and Twitter.com.
The phone is named “Kin One” (its more powerful version is named “Kin Two) which will be available in the US next month through Verizon Wireless before being introduced to other European countries.
While there are countless of phones designed for social networking, Microsoft’s latest product does not stand out from the rest, or if it does, it is because it lacks features that would be considered by most consumers as deal-breakers.
One of the most disturbing downsides of this phone is the lack of application support despite the proliferation of smartphones in the market which offer thousands of apps. Take for example Android phones, iPhone models, and BlackBerry phones which can support thousands of applications ranging from games, music, office use, to entertainment and GPS technology.
Another deal-breaker is the phone’s OS. Using the current mobile technology of Microsoft, the company did not incorporate the Windows 7 operating system which could have made the mobile phone more powerful. However, the company has promised that this OS will be available in the new version which will be introduced tentatively in the fourth quarter of this year.
While the technology giant boasts that Kin One is highly-designed for young consumers addicted to social networking, surprisingly, the phone does not allow users to share photos and videos through microblogging Twitter. Such downside is such a waste since the phone has a relatively impressive built-in camera which has 5-megapixel resolutions, auto flash (which makes it possible to capture images in low-light condition), and other image technologies.
On the brighter side, the phone has touch sensitive screen, media player which is powered by Zune, 4 gigabytes (which can store up to 1,000 songs), and lastly, cheaper price compared to most popular smartphones.
However, a cheap price does not make the phone worthy of purchase for most users especially for those who are web-centric denizens or those who rely on their phones for certain business applications like word document and PDF file support.
