If you’re one of the few owners of the Microsoft Kin phones, you’ll be happy to know that a software update should be coming this summer.
Over on Microsoft’s forum, a user complained about a few bugs and software quibbles. In particular, that user said the handset has the tendency to shut off and they want the ability to retweet and modify Twitter responses. That user also wants the ability to view YouTube videos.
“Your feedback has been heard — there already is a KIN update (scheduled for mid-summer) in the works that covers many of your concerns. :)” a Kin moderator replied.
It’s good to see that Microsoft is still planning to give Kin users new goodies, even though we’ve heard rumors that these devices have sold an absurdly low number of units. You have to wonder if Microsoft is throwing good money after bad though, as it’s quite clear this line is not a success.
To be fair, there are a lot of things I like about Microsoft’s social-networking phones. In my review of the Kin One, I praised the cloud-centric nature of the device. The auto-archiving of your photos and videos to a web repository is incredible and I became a fan of the Zune Pass all-you-can-eat streaming music service.
My main problem with these devices is that it fractures Microsoft’s platform strategy because it will be (and should be) putting most of its resources behind the upcoming Windows Phone 7. Windows Phone 7 is a real smartphone operating system that is pretty exciting in many ways and it just makes the Kin OS look like a toy.
Microsoft has said the two platforms could merge at some point but I don’t understand the logic. We’ll have amazing Windows Phone 7 devices from Dell, HTC, Samsung and others, so I just don’t see room for that cute little Kin.
[Via Microsoft forums]