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Is Microsoft pulling the plug on Kin device a trouble sign for Windows Phone 7?
Yesterday Microsoft announced the death of its Kin mobile device after only 6 weeks on the market. The rumor is in that time it only sold 500 units...compared to the million or so iPhone 4s sold on the first day.
Anyway you try to spin this it is a miserable failure, to say the least - even Microsoft BoB lasted longer than this. But Kin was a mobile device marketed to teens, not to the business market, like Windows Phone 7 is. Even so, does this spell doom for Windows Phone 7? Does it have a realistic chance to survive competing against Apple, Google and BlackBerry?
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8 Answers
Will Window Phone 7 survive? Almost definitely. Intertia is a powerful force, in physics and in business IT, and Microsoft has lots. Will Windows Phone 7 thrive competitively? Almost definitely not. From a business-centric perspective, the death of Kin means little but implies much, most notably that Microsoft still doesn't seem to "get" how to design mobile solutions that map closely to what users want, need and prefer. To date, Microsoft's mobile misadventures have looked more like trying to adapt its core products to mobile platforms, rather than trying to design mobile solutions that users want, then equipping these with appropriate technological foundations. This latter approach is largely why Android and iPhone business users are so happy with their chosen solutions. Until and unless Microsoft can combine such an approach with its significant technological resources, it will likely remain a niche player in the mobile business marketplace, albeit an important one. Great question, Brent - -thanks!
I used to be a major Pocket PC person when Windows was dominant in the PDA market with the HP iPaq series. They missed the boat entirely when smart phones took off. Now they are desperate to stay a float in the smart phone space. The Kin was like throwing a drowning man a life preserver made of rocks. As far as Microsoft is concerned they should get out of the market while the getting is good because at this moment Kin stands for Kill - It - Now.
Nah - Kin was a niche product targeted at a specific demographic that already has iPhones (teens, post-teens, single young adults)
Remember Microsoft changed the name of their body motion XBOX stuff from Natal to Kinetic (funny pun) to try and leverage the Kin branding.
Oh well - but its a separate issue from Windows Mobile 7.
Thanks Michael and John. I think it's going to be tough sledding for Windows Mobile 7 outside from a perception perspective. Michael as you pointed out their messaging has been suspect, as well as their intentions to force a desktop operating system onto a mobile device. And now you Apple has made tablets sexy, you have more mobile options that people are moving towards. And Android seems to be the choice of non-Apple tablet makers. Cisco's announcement about making a tablet based on Android comes to mind...
But Microsoft does have a huge install base of corporate customers, and the buying cycle should help as companies get Windows 7/ Office 2010 with new laptops/desktops. So they will have customers who will also go with Phones 7. But I think they won't have a leadership role in the space - they'll be niche players here. I would never have imagined saying this 5 years ago.
No, not really.
As Rob Bergin indicates, the Kin was a very targeted product. I'm sure that Microsoft learned some lessons from their failed deployment of that product, as well as not wanting to present a confusing view of the market they are playing in.
I don't think there will be any negative impact on the Mobile 7 series stuff by the time it is released.
-ASB: http://xeesm.com/AndrewBaker
The Microsoft Kin was all about Social. It had Social Media integrated throughout with a companion website that unified Social for you. If Microsoft is smart, they will roll the Social features into Windows Mobile 7.
And I bet the Kin was an OEM - so whoever made it wanted a partner - Microsoft has spent a crapload of $$$ on BING and HOTMAIL advertising so they probably just lent their name to the product and/or the OS.
Like the Microsoft line of keyboards or steering wheels - not alot of engineering going into them - more just relabelling the package.
I never saw one but if it was really going to be revolutionary OS or iPhone killer - they wouldn't have killed it.
It was a toy.
ummm...HELL YEAH! Windows is toast in the mobile market. I predict it will sell less than Palm
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