New kid on the block: Microsoft's Kin smartphone

Microsoft has decided to join the smartphone party with the launch of its 'Kin' smartphone; all social networking engaged and ready to go.

Small, sleek and funky, Microsoft's debut entry into the world of smartphones is aimed squarely at Facebook users and Twitterers, who use their handsets as a way to stay in touch in every way possible. "This is a phone that knits together a tight community of kindred spirits..., the phone personifies true kinship between people, technology, friends and customers," commented Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's entertainment and devices, getting the word 'kin' into the conversation as much as possible.

The Kin comes in two versions - imaginatively named Kin One and Kin Two, both of which have multi-touch screens and a slide-out keyboard. The Kin One is a diminutive device designed to be very pocketable, while the Kin Two is larger, giving more screen size to play with. Both phones have home screens which aggregate MySpace, Twitter and Facebook feeds; and Spot, a drag'n'drop sharing interface.

There were questions raised after Monday's launch, including exactly how large the market is for the Kin, considering it is light on features compared with many handsets. Also whether Microsoft has left it too late to enter the smartphone market, after Apple and RIM have pretty much cleaned up. However, the phone appears to have a certain charm, and is certainly not intended to rival the iPhone or Blackberry, so good luck to it.

Kins will be available in the US next month, while in Europe we'll have to wait til Autumn before they arrive, on Vodafone's network.