Kin One & Two Review

Software:

The software of the Kin One is the true let down from my experience playing with the device. The phone is classified as a Smartphone, but there really is nothing too smart about it. The device runs on something Microsoft whipped up from remains of Windows Phone 7, and Zune HD software.

The device has one major focus that you can figure out as soon as you turn the screen on, Social Network. The device’s main software selling point is a true social network experience on your phone. It comes with integration for just about every social network, like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter. These integrations are all very well pressed on your device, with the home screen being plastered with your phones status updates, and their recent twits. The integrations also allow you to upload your images, and videos with just one click, which for me should be a requirement for all Smartphone these days. The integration does not end there, it also syncs up your contacts, and other things, that make it a host of a lot easier transitioning from another Smart device, or even a dumb phone. After my test, I found these integrations (mostly Facebook, and Twitter) to be a bit too much. It attaches you a bit too much to your friends, but if you are always on Facebook, and Twitter, it may be perfect.

The music player on this device is pretty nice. It has a great integration with Zune software, that makes getting new music sync, and for $14.99 a month, it’s a deal. Syncing your music is also very easy with all the great software Microsoft brings us, and all for free.

The camera software on this device is very disappointing. The first part of disappointment is the fact that the device only allows you to record 2 minutes of videos. Now with that two minutes, the quality is not the best either for the devices 8 MP, and 5 MP. There is no available video either, and the video’s are supposedly to be uploaded to the Studio, but till now I have not seen the ones I recorded yesterday. The camera is a true let down, even the Palm Pixi, and iPhone’s with their 2 MP cameras can do better.

This device has something that can be a major deal breaker for most, if not all. Its lack of an App Store. In these days of the iPhone, and Android devices bossing the game with apps up the tube, a new Smartphone cannot go far without it. The lack of any other apps makes it also very boring and stale to use because Microsoft did not include any fun apps, games, or anything other than the regular.

The software on this device is something that truly brings it into the future, but the future it shows is times when Facebook, and Twitter consumes our lives, and nothing else matters. If you’re currently living in the future, then this software featured on this device is your best bet.

The Studio

The KIN Studio software is what Microsoft is pushing as the main way to keep your images, text, videos, and everything together in the clouds. It links to your device over your 3G or WiFi connection and all your images that you drag and drop in the share section is kept there, and everything is saved for future use. I have used the software for quite some time now, and wow, it is really something. I love how all my things are right in my face, in a very elegant manner. The log in process is simple through your email address, and from there you can share you files, and messages to anyone, update your status across all your social networks, and more.

For free software, this truly kicks everything else to the curb, and shows that if Microsoft truly wants to make something nice (in terms of internet software) they can.

Call Quality

This device when out in the public has pretty good call quality, and I was pretty impressed by the power the speaker phones could project. When walking and talking on the Kin one, you can clearly hear what people are saying, without a problem. The Kin two is a little bit more challenging, but it still provides good call quality. When you turn on the speaker phone, both devices provides decent quality considering its size, and shape, it provides just enough that you can hear the person you’re talking to, and they can hear you.

Wrap Up:

At the end of the day, playing with these devices for a whole month, I cannot say a “Poweruser” would like either. The device over-emphasizes being connected, and when using this device you have a sense of being very limited, and unlike the iPhone, it has no great App store to set you free. Now I can say if you are a “Norm”, then this device and you could get along quite nicely. With its low price, and great software, you are getting a great deal for everything.

P.S: While you might see our review as being late, on the contrary, you should be asking others why theirs is so early, a good review takes time to get used to the device before you can truly give your thoughts and experience on it. Follow me @WMPerson for random tweets on devices I have.