Flashback: Kin - Android’s homely cousin dies twice at the hands of Microsoft and Verizon

23 August 2020
The Microsoft Kin was related to both Android and Windows Mobile, but the project was an unmitigated disaster.

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  • 61r
  • 23 Aug 2020

Seanyishere, 23 Aug 2020The kin was neat, but it was missing a lot of other feature... moreResearch a little if u want to talk big....

In 2010, smartphones SoC have used dual cores!
Look at Snapdragon S3--powered devices!

Furthermore, even though Android 2.3 was still 'light' on resources, many phones using this SoC at that time have at least 768mb RAM!

It's just Microsoft that being 'stingy' on hardware specs.
Looking at that time's Android, if u couldn't afford the 'best' hardware available, at least u'll try using the 2nd best ones available, which means Single Core Scorpion which is ARMv7 (compared to the ancient ARM11) and 512mb RAM (instead of 256mb)!

This 'stingy' behavior is what makes Microsoft & Nokia failed so hard in smartphone market, and they NEVER learnt their lesson apparently (Surface Duo for MS, and cheap to decent specs but mid-range to high-end price tag in NOKIA are facts that they only cares your money!)

    Microsoft always failed in mobile division, and they never been successful because of their crappy platform!

      Real nice little story. These weren't a thing in romania, never saw them

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • YQS
        • 23 Aug 2020

        Android phones after few updates be like: Broken, downgraded. Personal experience. No matter the so powerful hardware.

          • H
          • Honestly
          • YQS
          • 23 Aug 2020

          These phones look much better than modern day rectangular slabs. I want this kinda phones to reappear.

            • k
            • kek
            • GBh
            • 23 Aug 2020

            I'm still waiting for Microsoft or someone else to get their hands on Symbian and use it at least on feature phones as an OS.

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • kky
              • 23 Aug 2020

              Seanyishere, 23 Aug 2020The kin was neat, but it was missing a lot of other feature... moreBut on the flip side they were pushing the boundaries then and racing to add features and upgrade things.

              Now people think we peaked but the only thing that peaked is the profits of these companies. Now we just get planted obsolescence and lack luster upgrades.

                The kin was neat, but it was missing a lot of other features, and options. In 2010 smartphones were still using single core processors, with smaller amounts of RAM, in the Megabytes, no gigabytes at that time. My how things have changed. Especially since we now have smartphones that have up to 12 core processors, 16 GB of RAM, and up to a terabyte of storage.

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • fFC
                  • 23 Aug 2020

                  This kind of Os might perform better with current hardware ...

                  The problem is Microsoft... hm.