Previously code-named "Turtle" and "Pure," the Sharp-manufactured Kin 1 and Kin 2 offer a custom, social-networking oriented interface running on top of Windows CE. Both phones support touchscreens and QWERTY keyboards, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft says the Kin 1 comes with 4GB of flash storage and has a five megapixel camera with flash, capable of shooting SD video. The Kin 2, meanwhile, is said to have a wider screen, an eight megapixel camera capable of shooting HD video, and 8GB of storage. The fancier version also includes stereo speakers instead of mono, the company adds.

Microsoft's Kin 1 (left) and Kin 2 (right)
(Click either to enlarge)
The feature phones will not run Windows Mobile or Windows Phone 7 applications, but offer touchable squares loading music, e-mail, and RSS applications, and employ typography similar to Microsoft's Zune. According to Microsoft, the Kin 1 and Kin 2 (above) will be the first Windows Phone to feature a "Zune experience," including music, video, FM radio and podcast playback.

As far as we've been able to determine, either Microsoft, Sharp, nor Verizon has announced the processors, RAM complements and screen resolutions offered by the Kin devices. However, third-party reports claim the Kin 1 has a 320 x 240 pixel display, while the Kin 2 has a 480 x 320 display. It's said both use Nvidia Tegra SoCs, while connectivity includes EV-DO Rev. A, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11b/g wireless networking, and GPS receivers.

Microsoft says that with a Zune Pass subscription, customers using Zune software on their PC can listen to millions of songs from Zune Marketplace on their Kins while on the go, or load their personal collection onto the devices. The Kins also have "a rich browser with the ability to share pieces of the Web," local and Web search by Bing, and an RSS feed reader, the company adds.

Microsoft's Robbie Bach launching the Kin phones

Contrasting the Kin to Microsoft's upcoming Windows Phone 7 devices, Robbie Bach (above), president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division, said, "Windows Phone 7 devices will be designed to simplify your life, while Kins are designed to amplify it." A "Kin loop" feature brings together feeds from services such as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter all in one place, automatically prioritizing status updates, messages, feeds, and photos sent by preferred contacts, according to the company.

Microsoft says videos, photos, text messages, Web pages, location and status updates may shared by simply dragging them to a single place on the phone called the Spot (right). "Once all the people and content are in the Spot to share, the consumer can choose how to share, and start broadcasting," the company adds.

Further information

According to Microsoft, Kin 1 and Kin 2 will be exclusively available from Verizon in the U.S. beginning in May, and from Verizon this autumn in Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. More details of the devices will apparently be available on Microsoft's website, here.

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