Microsoft Kin ONEm (Verizon Wireless)

The Microsoft Kin ONEm is Microsoft's update to the poorly conceived Kin One. Although the phone remains largely the same, its price has been cut significantly, along with some of its key features. Strangely, less is more here: an inadequate smartphone has become a charming .

The Kin ONEm is priced at $19.99 with a signed two-year contract, or $119.99 without. It is being sold as a feature phone with a range of 3G data plans, which include pay-as-you-go $1.99 per MB, $15.00 for 150 MB or $29.99 for unlimited data.

Physically, the phone is virtually identical to the Kin One; read our review for a rundown of the phone's physical features, voice performance, and battery life. Here we're going to focus on what's different, and whether or not the Kin ONEm is a better value than the Kin One was.

Kin One and Kin Two: A History
The original Microsoft Kin line was a pretty interesting failure. The Kin One and Kin Two looked like smartphones, sounded like smartphones and sort of worked like smartphones. But they weren't smartphones, even though they were priced like it. It was this strange middle ground—feature phone with benefits at a premium price—that likely proved to be the nail in the Kin's coffin.

The original Kin line was shelved on June 30, a mere 48 days and less than 9,000 units after being introduced to the market. Just last week Verizon sent a letter to customers explaining that Kin Studio, the cloud service that allows Kin users free and unlimited storage of their photos, videos and contacts on Microsoft's servers, will be closing permanently on January 31, 2011.

All of this news adds up to sound like a death knell for the Kin, so it seemed like a curious decision when Verizon began to sell the rebranded Kin ONEm and Kin TWOm last month at a lower price tag and without the mandatory data plan.

According to a Verizon spokesperson, the new phones are meant to "provide an option for customers who liked the form factor of the previous Kin phones but want an Internet-capable device that doesn't require a data plan."

That is exactly what they do.

What's Changed?
Social Networking: As mentioned, Facebook is no longer built in, although social networking sites may be accessed via web browser. We're sad to see this feature go, as the Kin line is still primarily being marketed as a social networking device for teens, but it is understandable given its new feature phone platform.

Kin Studio: Verizon is closing up shop on Kin Studio. This means that users of the Kin ONEm only have their phone's internal memory for data storage; it also means that if you want to download your photos from your phone, you have to use Microsoft's Windows-only Zune software. With only 4GB, the Kin ONEm doesn't pack much memory for users who want to store lots of music, record video or take a bunch of photos with the phone's 5-megapixel camera. The beauty of Kin Studio was that, with unlimited storage on Microsoft's servers, storage was a non issue. Current phones with removable storage can take up to 32 GB cards, so this omission is a major shortcoming.

This also means that the phone's address book doesn't sync up with anything. So be prepared to enter all of your contacts by hand to get started.

The Loop and The Spot: The Loop and The Spot have been completely done away with as well, as they directly designed to make use of the phone's built-in social networking capacity. While these features were fun and innovative, they are not completely necessary for a feature phone. They do not appear in the new software.

Zune Pass: No, it isn't gone, but Zune Pass is now available through Wi-Fi and sideload only. On one hand, it's nice to see that this feature is still available. On the other, just how useful will it prove to be when limited strictly to Wi-Fi connectivity? Being able to use Zune Pass through the 3G network was a big plus for the original Kin, so we will miss this feature.

How Does it Stack Up?
The Kin ONEm is a charming little feature phone. In our review of the Kin One we said, "The Microsoft Kin One could have been a cute messaging phone, but it's being sold as an underpowered smartphone."

Now that it is being sold as a feature phone, this criticism has been addressed. It certainly isn't the best feature phone on the market—the screen is still cramped and the non-expandable memory is only 4 gigs—but the new pricing plan instantly makes it more appealing than the Kin One ever was.

Not only that, but the Kin is a pretty solid phone overall. What it lacks in downloadable apps and instant messaging abilities it makes up for with a capable HTML web browser and good email support (including presets for Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo and AOL accounts). It supports threaded messaging, which is a great feature that will certainly appeal to frequent texters. And the phone still has a surprisingly spacious keyboard given its tiny size, as well as a general elegance in its build often lacking in other phones at this price point.

Comparisons between the Kin ONEm and are inevitable. The Kin TWOm one-ups the Kin ONEm with a better camera, more storage space, and a larger screen—but it also lists for $100 more. Functionally, the phones are so similar, it ultimately comes down to a matter of taste. I suspect the tiny, quirky Kin ONEm will appeal to a younger audience. The Kin TWOm looks more like a smartphone, and will appeal to those looking for a more conventional messaging phone.

The Kin ONEm stands up tall in a class of messaging phones like the ($29.99, 3 stars), (Free, 3 stars), or ($99.99, 3 stars). That makes recommending this phone easy. The Microsoft Kin ONEm is definitely a viable option for the tween (or adult with a sense of whimsy) who wants a cute, simple little phone to make calls and text friends.

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