Microsoft Kin Phones Will Eventually Get Apps

Microsoft had told us that the Kin and Windows Phone 7 platforms would grow closer and under the pressure for the Kin’s lack of features, they have said it again. Microsoft’s phone strategy is weird. Before the Kin shipped, Microsoft’s Aaron Woodman hinted to us about Kin and Windows Phone 7’s intertwining futures:

He wouldn't confirm anything, but did say that a few years from now, we shouldn't be surprised to see a point where the two platforms are more interrelated. That may sound like a typical Microsoft "mañana, mañana" promise, but given the rate at which Microsoft cooked up both Windows Phone 7 and Kin, adjustments to either roadmap probably wouldn't be that difficult.

It all sounded vague and less like a promise about the next generation of products than a hope for the generation after that. Today, in an interview with ComputerWorld, after the Kin was pummeled for its lack of apps, maps, and Xbox integration despite its highly monthly price- Microsoft gets more specific:

Over the longer term, we'll be merging [Kin and Windows Phone 7] platforms and having downloadable apps.

So, the Kin will be getting apps, but it still sounds like the Kin that you can buy now may never have apps. He seems to be talking about the “merged” Kin, or next-generation Kin, or a Kin that depends on a software update that is years down the road.

Microsoft and Verizon go on to defend the Kin’s smartphone data pricing, stating that the online Studio feature will prove its worth to the consumers , but this bizarre messaging combined with scathing early reviews is going to start to make people wonder whether the Kin was a mistake.