Microsoft Enters Smartphone Market with Kin Phones

Strategic Insights -

Microsoft Corp, the world's largest software maker, has ventured into designing its own phones to challenge Apple's iPhone and Google Inc's Android phones. The software company launched two new phones, Kin One and Kin Two, targeting young people aged 15 to 25. These phones will be sold by Verizon Wireless and made by Japan's Sharp Corp. The Kin phones will combine feeds from popular social media sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter on the homescreen, allowing users to share content with friends.

Key Takeaways:

  • Microsoft launched two new phones, Kin One and Kin Two, aimed at young people aged 15 to 25.
  • The Kin phones will focus on social media integration, combining feeds from Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter on the homescreen.
  • The phones will be sold by Verizon Wireless and made by Japan's Sharp Corp.
  • Success of the Kin phones will depend heavily on the pricing of data plans, according to Ross Rubin, consumer electronics and wireless industry analyst.
  • Microsoft did not disclose the pricing of the phones, but they are expected to be announced in a few weeks.
  • The Kin phones will be available in the United States in May and Europe in the autumn.
  • The new phones highlight Microsoft's entry into the smartphone market, which is dominated by Research in Motion Ltd (BlackBerry) and Apple Inc.
  • The Kin phones' social media focus may appeal to young users who prefer to share their lives online.
  • The Kin phones will run on Microsoft's new Windows software for phones, which is expected to be released in six months.
  • The software company is introducing new concepts with the Kin phones, such as the ability to set up networks of friends to share photos and links.

Statistics:

  • The Kin phones will be made by Japan's Sharp Corp.
  • The Kin phones will be sold by Verizon Wireless.
  • The new phones - Kin One and Kin Two - will be available in the United States in May and Europe in the autumn.
  • The Kin phones will focus on combining feeds from Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter onto the homescreen.
  • The Kin phones will allow users to set up networks of friends to share photos, weblinks, and other content.
  • The Kin phones will be a fresh assault on the low end of the growing smartphone market.

Sources:

  • Microsoft Corp
  • Euclid Infotech
  • Verizon Communications Inc
  • Vodafone Group Plc
  • Sharp Corp
  • Contify.com