Verizon Wireless has alerted Kin customers that it will be closing Kin Studio, the cloud-based portion of the service that acted as a social network and allowed users to create a live homepage for sharing content.
According to a PDF posted on Verizon Wireless’ website, the service will be discontinued on Jan. 31, 2011. Users affected by the move are being offered a new 3G phone of their choosing.
Users who choose to keep their Kin phone will still be able to email, SMS, access the Web and use their Zune Pass for media.
Should customers choose to go with a new phone, they can download all of their content stored at Kin Studio to their computer.
Microsoft spent two years developing the Kin One and Kin Two after acquiring Danger Inc., which built the T-Mobile Sidekick. Microsoft partnered with Verizon Wireless for a May 2010 launch of the phones. On June 30, just 48 days after the phones and accompanying service were announced, Microsoft discontinued the phones, saying it would move all available resources to development of Windows Phone 7, the company’s latest update to its mobile OS.
After a spate of terrible reviews and poor sales, the Kin still made a return, with Verizon Wireless putting the phones back up for sale in November. With this latest news, it appears to be the end of the Kin line for good.
