The KIN is dead, long live the KIN

That was fast.  It seems rumours of abysmal sales of the KIN were right,  with Microsoft killing the KIN team and stopping all further development of the handset.

Microsoft’s official statement to Gizmodo reads:

We have made the decision to focus exclusively on Windows Phone 7 and we will not ship KIN in Europe this fall as planned. Additionally, we are integrating our KIN team with the Windows Phone 7 team, incorporating valuable ideas and technologies from KIN into future Windows Phone releases. We will continue to work with Verizon in the U.S. to sell current KIN phones.

So in short the Danger/KIN team will be folded into the Windows Phone 7 team, likely no GSM handsets will be produced, and even more likely production of the CDMA handsets will cease, and all stock will be sold at heavily discounted prices.

Microsoft purchased Danger, the creators of the software which powered the Sidekick for a rumoured $500 million in 2008, and likely countless of millions was spent by the Premium Mobile eXperience team under Roz Ho since then to create the KIN.  Rumours of delay and infighting came to light in October 2009, indicating that the lack of features in the handset were more likely related to issues in development rather than a focus on user experience.

If there is one thing Microsoft can rescue from the KIN fiasco is the possibility of recuing the one great feature of the KIN – the KIN Studio, and bringing it over to Windows Phone 7.

So in the end, the KIN is dead, but some part may live on in our phones for many years to come.

Thanks Mo for the tip.