Verizon is prepping to release the Microsoft Kin One and Two. CNET got an early hands-on look. Check out the Kin One photo gallery here.
Bonnie Cha
Bonnie Cha was a former chief correspondent for CNET Crave, covering every kind of tech toy imaginable (with a special obsession for robots and Star Wars-related stuff). When she's not scoping out stories, you can find her checking out live music or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California.
The Kin One offers younger users a unique and fun social networking experience on a phone. It will be available in Verizon stores starting May 13 for $49.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate, but be aware you will also be required to sign up for a $29.99 per month unlimited data plan.
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Unique design
Of the Kin devices, the Kin One definitely has the more interesting design with its squarish shape.
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Keyboard
The phone's smaller size makes the keyboard a bit cramped, so users with larger thumbs might have some problem. Overall, however, we thought it was quite usable. The buttons are a good size and there's decent spacing between each one.
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Top view
The top of the device holds a 3.5mm headphone jack, a camera activation/capture button, and a volume rocker. The camera key and volume buttons are in an awkward position, however, so they're hard to use.
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Left side
The left side has a single Micro-USB port.
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Back view
On back, you'll find the Kin One's 5-megapixel camera and flash.
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Picture quality
The photo quality of the Kin One's camera wasn't very impressive. The awkward placement of the camera button made it hard to hold the phone steady and get a steady shot. Also, colors were washed out.
