Today we were treated by Microsoft to a nice little luncheon in NYC where we were able to go hands-on with the new Kin handsets. Though we only had a very limited amount of time with the devices, our overall impression is that they're well built, and we can definitely see what Microsoft was going for with its Motoblur-esque Loop feature for streaming social networking updates. We also like the distinct design of the smaller Kin One, even if it has a lower res camera and smaller screen. It's like a hipper Pre with a better keyboard, at least from the outside.
Our favorite feature is Kin Studio, which automatically backs up pictures, videos, updates, and contacts to the cloud and presents your stuff in a timeline. In fact, we think this should be baked into Windows Phone 7. Unfortunately, there ares some pretty huge features that are missing from both devices.
See the Kin One video below and pictures of both handsets in our gallery. And feel free to share your thoughts with us!
