The search for a cell phone starts with one big question. Should you get a smart phone that lets you customize your device with all kinds of applications, or should you save money and get a not-so-smart phone that has fewer functions? Microsoft Corp. thinks it has two new phones that could bridge the gap. Its Kins are geared toward social networking-obsessed teens and twenty-somethings who want an affordable way to keep in touch on the go without diving into additional apps like Apple Inc.'s iPhone offers. The Kins' simple software, moderately good looks and low upfront cost could turn hip young heads. Unfortunately, the phones have aggravating shortcomings. They're saddled with a sluggish processor and lack instant messaging and mapping applications. Kin One is short and squat with a keyboard that slides out from its bottom, while Kin Two is longer, with a keyboard that slides out from its side. Kin One has a touch screen that measures 2.6 inches diagonally, a 5-megapixel camera and 4 gigabytes of built-in memory; Kin Two includes a touch screen that measures 3.4 inches diagonally, an 8-megapixel camera and 8 gigabytes of memory. The Kin's software, which Microsoft developed just for these phones, is a mixed bag. It's well designed and extremely simple, but it's too limiting. It starts in a promising way, with a home screen populated by a rotating list of your friends' updates to blogs and social networks like Twitter and Facebook. There's also a nifty feature called the “Spot” that lets you send photos to friends by pulling them into a little circle at the bottom of the screen. The Kin home screen is flanked by two hidden side screens you can swipe to see. Once I started perusing the applications, I was vexed that there was no way to instant-message my friends, or look up directions on a built-in map application to meet up with them. On numerous occasions the touch screen had a delayed response, such as when I swiped between the main screens or tapped to open a link or contact. Surfing the Internet was possible but painful as the Kins languidly loaded websites. It's not all bad. The Zune music player is attractively laid out and super simple to navigate. I also liked the Kin Studio site, which users can access to see a big timeline of everything they've done with their phone, from photos and videos taken to texts sent. Phone calls sounded OK, and it was nice to see the Kins come with Wi-Fi access. Both Kins have no-fuss, decent cameras with bright LED flashes, numerous settings and dedicated camera buttons. Overall, Microsoft has a lot of work to do on the Kins if it wants to straddle the divide between smart phones and feature phones.
