PhoneLon

Microsoft have recently announced two new mobile phones with a real focus on messaging and social networking. Ordinarily when we tell you about a Microsoft phone, you’d expect a phone simply running Microsoft Software but this weeks announcement sees the unveiling of two handsets built from the ground up by the Redmond outfit (though final manufacturing duties are still handled by a third party; Sharp who made the Sidekick which was hugely popular with our friends in the US of A). The two devices will be known as the Kin One and the Kin Two (not the most exciting or imaginative of names we know). Want to find out more? read on for all the details…

First up, the Kin One and Kin Two aren’t actually smartphones in the traditional sense, rather they are highly capable feature phones. The pair won’t actually be running on Windows Phone 7, but rather a variation of it. Robbie Bach (Microsoft president of the Entertainment and Devices Division) was quoted asking “What if we took Windows Phone 7 and customised it for a social networking audience, Windows Phone 7 is about simplifying people’s lives, this is about amplifying their lives” which pretty much sums up the nature of these two handsets.

As far as specs go, with the Kin One, you can expect a 2.6 Inch TFT capacative touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera, 4GB of storage, a mono speaker and the Zune Media Player. With the Kin Two, a 3.4 Inch TFT capacative touchscreen, 8 megapixel camera with impressive 720p video capture, stereo speakers and the Zune Media Player. Both handsets are said to incorporate GPS, have built in QWERTY keyboards and are designed for use in low light conditions with image stabilisation and a bright Lumi-LED flash.

Hinting at the ‘Kin’ software, the lead project manager stated “It’s a magazine of my life,” referring to the interface which will be known as ‘Kin Loop’ which will synchronise Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Windows Live on a simplistic home screen interface. The phone will also come with Bing search built-in and users will also benefit from something dubbed ‘Kin Studio,’ which is said to back up texts, call history, photos, videos and contacts, and also populates a personalised digital journal.

The Kin series is said to be scheduled for release this Autumn exclusively on Vodafone, keep an eye on the blog for more information and updates.

Once again, our postman has a lot to answer for as, yet again, our invite is conspicuously absent. Never the less, Microsoft are plowing ahead regardless, holding an event on the 12th of April and apparently, it’s time to share. Read on for our musings on what exactly the Redmond outfit will be sharing.

At the moment, it’s any one’s guess what MS have got in store for lucky attendees of the event, taking place state side on Monday. Having officially unveiled the latest (and potentially greatest) version of Windows Mobile in the form of Windows Phone 7 way back in February, it’s unlikely we’ll be seeing anything radically new from the OS itself but could we finally get to see the official devices that will be running the device come the end of the year? We certainly hope so!

The other popular theory surrounds Microsoft’s Project Pink phones which are rumoured to be manufactured by Sharp. For those unfamiliar with Project Pink, Microsoft are apparently all set to release a selection of new phones under the Pink name, aimed at teens and twenty-somethings, with a Project Pink eco-system (similar to Vodafone 360) aimed at apps and social networking integration. The Turtle and Pure (both code names one would assume) have both been hinted at by many as likely launch devices for Project Pink whilst some are still clinging on to the idea of a Zune phone seeing the light of day in the not too distant future.

Their also remains murmurings Microsoft are due to release a tablet computer device t rival the recently launched Apple iPad. Those in the know have been eagerly anticipating the device, known as the courier, for some time but it seems unlikely that we’ll see anything on the tablet front from MS just yet.

Whatever Microsoft choose to share, we’ll be all over it to give you all the gory details. Check back on the blog on Monday afternoon for all the latest information as and when we get it.