Microsoft's KIN phones have risen from the dead and are once again available through Verizon Wireless. Verizon is listing them under their Feature Phone category with a slight name change. The KIN ONEm is the smaller, bottom slide-out keyboard model and the KIN TWOm is the larger, side slide-out keyboard model.
The KIN ONEm is priced at $19.99 with contractual discounts and the KIN TWOm is priced at $49.99 with the discounts. Either phone will require a voice package of at least $39.99 and it doesn't appear a data package is required (as it was for the previous release). There is no indication as to what the "m" designation is in reference to. "Much Cheaper" maybe?
I'm not sure how attractive the KIN will be without data but maybe Verizon will have some success this go around by not treating the KIN as a feature phone as opposed to a smartphone.
Reader comments
Microsoft KIN now available at Verizon, again
I don't really see a reason for brining these phones back, cause they never sold well. And with wp7 just came out, all their advertising will go to that. This will go unnoticed again by almost everyone. Still haven't met anyone that's ever even heard of the Kin Phones. But anyway way for more Microsoft Products.
Seriously? $120 unsubsidized for the KIN ONEm?! i'm so tempted to break my rule of non-GSM phones for this, but i think i'll just wait for these to appear on Craigslist. Even with just Wifi, with a little update love from both Microsoft and hackers the KIN ONE could be a pretty kickass value featurephone.
With Thousands of these sitting in a warehouse somewhere collecting dust??,...... yeah it makes complete sense. Gotta get some kinda return of such a huge investment as this was. And it sucks that they are stuck to VZ.
Does anyone know where I can get a Kin for dirt cheap to use as a Zune?