Verizon to kill Kin Studio on January 31

[Emil]

Verizon is planning to close Microsoft's KIN Studio, the backbone of the cloud services for the Kin device and really the only thing that made it truly interesting. Kin Studio will be killed off on January 31, 2011, according to a leaked image posted by WPCentral.

Kin users will thus lose the ability to do everything over-the-air. Here's the image in question and its consequences:

• Feed Reader will stop working
• Search Near me will stop working
• Posting Photos to social sites will no longer be possible
• Most pictures currently on Kin will only appear at thumbnail resolution
• Posting to Social Networks will no longer work.
• No comments from the loop
• Social network contacts will disappear.
• Loop will stop to work
• Kin Spot will only send to emails.
• Social networks only accessed from web browser.

In other words, Verizon is planning to neuter existing Kin phones by removing them from the cloud. They'll still be able to make calls, send SMS, e-mail, browse the Web, and even stream music via Zune Pass over Wi-Fi, but they will be stripped of social networking functionality.

Verizon seems to be aware that few Kin users will like this and so it has come up with a solution: they can trade in their Kin device for a free 3G phone until March 31, 2011. This only seems to further make us wonder: why exactly did Verizon resurrect the Microsoft Kin?

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/41544-verizon-to-kill-kin-studio-on-january-31.html

 

[mattfrompa]

So they revived it to try and sell off the remaining stock, only to end support shortly after? Stay classy, Verizon...and I still don't have service at work, but yes I am glad to contribute just the same to your amazing 4G network I will rarely/if ever utilize :[

 

[Vrmithrax]

A short play by Vrmithrax.
Title: Next of Kin

Verizon: Hey, come buy this great Kin phone
Consumer: Didn't that phone bomb the first time around?
Verizon: Nooo, it was just misunderstood! You should totally buy it, it's coooooool!
Consumer: I dunno...
Verizon: We made the data plans for it more reasonable!
Consumer: ...
Verizon: Aww, c'mon! What's the worst that could happen?
Consumer: Well... Umm... Ok, I guess.
Verizon: Great! Sign here... And here... And down here... There you go!
Consumer: Thanks... I think!
Verizon: Oh, by the way, your phone sucks and we're killing off all the cool stuff on it!
Verizon: Thanks for choosing Verizon!
Consumer: DOH!

*fade to black as Verizon runs off snickering and counting money*

 

[princeton]

Vrmithrax said:
A short play by Vrmithrax.
Title: Next of Kin

Verizon: Hey, come buy this great Kin phone
Consumer: Didn't that phone bomb the first time around?
Verizon: Nooo, it was just misunderstood! You should totally buy it, it's coooooool!
Consumer: I dunno...
Verizon: We made the data plans for it more reasonable!
Consumer: ...
Verizon: Aww, c'mon! What's the worst that could happen?
Consumer: Well... Umm... Ok, I guess.
Verizon: Great! Sign here... And here... And down here... There you go!
Consumer: Thanks... I think!
Verizon: Oh, by the way, your phone sucks and we're killing off all the cool stuff on it!
Verizon: Thanks for choosing Verizon!
Consumer: DOH!

*fade to black as Verizon runs off snickering and counting money*

"they can trade in their Kin device for a free 3G phone until March 31, 2011."

 

[Vrmithrax]

princeton said:
"they can trade in their Kin device for a free 3G phone until March 31, 2011."

Heh... Oh, I saw that. Just joking around about one of the most drawn out and convoluted bait and switch maneuvers in recent memory.

I'll reserve my judgement on just how badly the Kin consumers got screwed until I see just which phones Verizon has decided are eligible for that trade in. Hopefully they get decent Android smartphones in trade.

 

[aj_the_kidd]

Unless you want the phone as some sort of collectors item, whats the point?

 

[princeton]

Vrmithrax said:

princeton said:
"they can trade in their Kin device for a free 3G phone until March 31, 2011."

Heh... Oh, I saw that. Just joking around about one of the most drawn out and convoluted bait and switch maneuvers in recent memory.

I'll reserve my judgement on just how badly the Kin consumers got screwed until I see just which phones Verizon has decided are eligible for that trade in. Hopefully they get decent Android smartphones in trade.

It better have a galaxy S on that list. Otherwise verizon's gunna get a lot of bad press.

 

[fpsgamerJR62]

"they can trade in their Kin device for a free 3G phone" ? sounds a bit vague to me. A lot of entry-level devices now incorporate 3G. It's hardly cutting edge technology anymore. The Kin consumers will probably end up with some more phones being cleared from Verizon's inventory in exchange for their neutered phones.