Which company launched the short-lived Kin social phones in 2010?

Microsoft's Kin: The Social Phone That Lasted Just 48 Days

In April 2010, Microsoft made a bold bet on the future of social media and mobile phones with the launch of the Kin — a pair of devices designed specifically for teenagers and young adults who lived their lives through MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. It turned out to be one of the most spectacular product flops in tech history.

What Was the Kin, Exactly?

The Kin came in two models — the Kin One and the Kin Two — both released through Verizon Wireless in May 2010. The hardware was actually pretty interesting. The Kin One had a compact, rounded design with a slide-out keyboard, while the Kin Two was larger with a wider screen. Both featured a unique interface called the "Kin Loop," a constantly updating feed of social content from your contacts, and a "Kin Spot" where you could drag photos, videos, and links before sharing them.

Microsoft had spent years developing these devices. The project originated from its 2008 acquisition of a startup called Danger, Inc. — the same team behind the Sidekick phones that had been hugely popular with teens in the mid-2000s. The pedigree seemed promising.

So Why Did It Fail?

The Kin had a fatal combination of problems that made it nearly impossible to succeed. Despite being positioned as a budget-friendly social device for young people, Verizon required buyers to sign up for a full smartphone data plan — adding roughly $30 a month on top of the voice plan. For a device that couldn't even run third-party apps or sync with a calendar, that price point was absurd.

There was no app store, no support for Microsoft's own Exchange email, and no way to add software beyond what shipped on the device. In 2010, the iPhone and Android phones were already raising expectations for what a mobile device could do. The Kin simply couldn't compete.

Sales were catastrophic. Reports at the time suggested Microsoft sold fewer than 10,000 units in the weeks it was on the market. Just 48 days after launch, Microsoft quietly pulled the plug on the Kin in the United States. The company had reportedly spent over $1 billion on the project, including the Danger acquisition.

The Aftermath

The Kin's failure was an embarrassing public stumble for Microsoft during a critical period when it was already struggling to compete in the mobile space. The episode highlighted deep internal conflicts between different divisions — the Kin team and the Windows Phone team had reportedly clashed throughout development.

Microsoft did briefly attempt a Kin revival in Europe later in 2010, and even relaunched a stripped-down version in the US at a cheaper price, but neither effort gained traction.

The Kin remains a cautionary tale in the tech world — a reminder that even well-funded companies with genuine talent can misread a market spectacularly, especially when pricing, timing, and internal politics all go wrong at once.