Microsoft's KIN: A Eulogy

There were two faces of the KIN. The ONE, a rounded yet squarish device with a 2.6" (66.04 mm) screen, and the TWO, which was a landscape slider with a 3.4" (86.36 mm) screen.

Forget the TWO, if the KIN were on your must have list, the device to have was the ONE.

Having carried both for over a month, there's no doubt in my mind that that if the KIN was a couple, the ONE was the much much better half. Form factor wise, it was different enough to be cool, and that at-first awkward square shape turned out to be what set it apart from every other device I've encountered. It was small, compact, and fresh. If you've played with a Palm Pre, the ONE is like a miniature, more square version with matte plastic. It's curvy but squarish, and there's a nice filleted edge on the back, so it rests in your palm naturally. My girlfriend took to calling it a tamagotchi - honestly, I don't think it's far from the mark. In a good way.

The 3.x" screen form factor slate is everywhere these days. In fact, it seems to be an Android and iOS mainstay to keep that form factor of devices in our pockets on into the future. It works, it's tried and true, but you know what? It's getting boring, fast. The Palm Pre was exciting because it was different and new - I just got that same vibe with the KIN ONE.

The KIN TWO was soulless, unfortunately. It looked and feelt like a bland attempt at making a landscape slider, just for the sake of having one in the lineup. It's a form factor that's been done better so many times by so many other manufacturers, that anything but perfect execution stands out - which is why the TWO felt so generic.

I originally suspected the TWO would be my favorite because of its spacious landscape keyboard, which would make it the better device for SMS. To my surprise, I found the ONE just as easy if not easier to type on. In fact, even though the TWO had a larger screen, 8 megapixel camera, and recorded 720p video, I'd gladly sacrifice any of those features for a smaller device that feels different like the ONE. The ONE actually felt occasionally faster too, no doubt thanks in part to the smaller display resolution bring rendered.

Until we get foldable displays or roll out screens, the 3.x" slate form factor smartphone will rule. The Sidekicks had some of the most radical form factors in the smartphone business, so it was depressing to see something as generic as the TWO being the result of so much of that talent. That said, the ONE was a unique form factor that felt just right for the KIN platform.