Kin OneM/TwoM firmware issues: Verizon/Microsoft update wishlist

[tweak42]

I second the need for Notes,a IM app, and contacts backup.

Also wish wifi supported PEAP authentication because my school uses that for campus wide wifi thus my Kin cannot connect.

[man753]

1st i would like to have the ringer volume lock

2nd saving/forwarding/drafting messages would be a nice feature

3rd time stamp on the txt mesages instead of seeing the times every half an hour

4th more color theme backgrounds, more darker colors than light colors and also font changing

5th stopwatch/memo notepad/scientific calculator

6th having a touch screen keyboard when the phone isnt in landscape mode would truly be amazing

7th send videos that have already been saved

8th the flashlight would be rather nice

9th apps would be nice too especially audiosurf for the zune music player

10th make the faces on the smileys button not have noses

11th everything else that people have said on this post

I love the zune player that is on this device it is really nice because i am a HUGE fan of zunes, i also like the keyboard and the circular buttons a lot. the touch screen is absolutly amazing and i love the wi-fi option. I also really enjoy how the lock screen "peels back" i think it is really cool

Hopefully Verizon and Windows will make some changes *fingers crossed* they would make a great phone..into the best phone ever if they did, especially since i'm a teen and cant get the data package plans and only can get  the featured phones, this phone is the BEST feature phone out there

[leslieoeser]

If you are considering a Kin Twom phone, think twice.  I bought mine from Verizon about a week ago and will be exchanging it in a few days. Here's why:

Zune is reportedly discontinuing "Kin Studio", which was the section of their website previously dedicated to photo management for Kin and other Microsoft phones.  Zune offers plenty of content that can be purchased for use on the phones, but you can't send pics from the phone to Zune.   I took 200 photos with the terrific 8 megapixel camera in my Kin, only to see white boxes after syncing my phone with Zune.  Zune's technical support team (four different people there, specifically) must not have the "OK" from Microsoft to divulge the plan to do away with Kin Studio, because none of them would admit it to me. Instead, the one named Tony told me "by design, you are intended to work with Verizon on this issue".  Perhaps Microsoft forgot to communicate this detail to this remote tech support team.

The only person who helped me was Louis, a terrific Verizon technical support person out of Rochester, NY.  He contacted Zune on my behalf and listened in while they ran me around in circles.  When that got us nowhere, Louis tried to get the pics off my phone using Verizon's VCast, but there was a compatibility issue.

I like this phone. Texting and calling is easy. Free internet surfing in WiFi hotspots--NO DATA PLAN REQUIRED. The 200 photos I took of my kids sledding and the incredible snow storm are beautiful, but now that there is no available software that will allow me to get them to my PC, I've had to send a select few in texts to my husband's phone.  I'll use a microSD card to retrieve them from his phone. 

I'm disappointed that Microsoft decided to sell this phone without the proper support.  I would keep it, if not for the photo retrieval issue.   Oh, and the ringer could be louder.  I've missed several calls and texts.  And it could have a screen lock that activates more quickly than 1 minute..I've pocket dialed more than once in the few days I've had the phone.  Bummer.

Or how about Microsoft/Sharp allowing Verizon to offer VCast for as low as $2.99/month to manage photos taken with the phone?   

[SydneyK]

If you otherwise like the phone, there's no need to return it, as these problems are fixable.

First, regarding the photos, once Zune installs properly, you should have absolutely no problem syncing photos and do not need the Kin Studio. From what you wrote, I have a feeling that is what happened ... that Zune did not finish installing properly. I would try reinstalling. There's also a link from the Zune download page that will help you troubleshoot.

Second, yes, the ringtones are not loud enough. Other users on this board have used third-party sites like phonezoo.com to find obnoxiously loud ringtones and have sent them to their Kin phones. There are numerous threads in this forum on how to do this.

I hope these ideas work for you. 

[leslieoeser]

With all due respect, I did install Zune properly on two different computers. My photos do NOT appear in Zune, just white boxes. In the last few hours I've read numerous forums, many of which seem to confirm that Kin phones are duds. People have also posted copies of letters they got from Verizon offering a free 3G phone of their choice to replace the Kin.

I haven't received a letter, but I will be inquiring about this offer when I go to my local Verizon store. I'm not trying to get a free upgrade..I don't necessarily want a 3G phone, because I don't want to pay for a data plan. What was so great about the Kin was that it had a great camera and didn't require a data plan.

Shame on Microsoft and Sharp for rushing the Kin Twom phone out in to the market, just to render it a standard phone once the Cloud was removed. Shame on Verizon for selling the phones, when they were likely aware of the Kin Studio issue.

Shame on me for not reading forums before purchasing the phone.

[SydneyK]

The exchange program is for customers who bought the original Kin, which requires a a data plan even though the online services will no longer be available. It's apparent from your reply that you don't want help with the Kin Twom and have made up your mind, so yes, you should definitely return it ASAP.

[fisharefriends]

leslie:

I think you have greatly confused the m models of the phones with the original models of the Kin phones, which REQUIRED a data plan. Yes, they are 'regular' phones. Why? Because they are priced like regular (feature) phones. You really can't get a smartphone, without paying for a smartphone (legally). I get the big impression that that is what you were expecting. Yes, it never was planned to use the studio. And Yes, SydneyK is right, you can successfully transfer phones to a pc with the Zune software. It is quick auto-sync, and then the files are on your computer. I am an owner of the Kin Twom, and it has been working with Zune software flawlessly for 2 months. The m model phones were never designed to work with the Studio. That was specifically what was removed from them. Using the studio obviously requires a data connection, which is why Verizon originally required a data plan for the Kin phones. And they were nothing compared to other smartphones, which is why they failed. Now, they're feature phones (no data), what you call 'regular' phones, and they're the best out there. Things like wifi, an amazing camera/video for a phone, those are left over from its original 'smartphone' design, which makes it in the middle ground between the 2, but being priced at the lower of the 2.

It does sound like you are quite disappointed with the phone though, so you probably should return it. But i will warn you, whatever you are expecting out of another phone that you expected from this phone, you will NOT get it from another phone that doesn't require data. And VCast isn't used for transferring your own photos to the computer (at least not that i'm aware of) or an online storage for that matter, it is used to download videos, pics, and stuff like that from Verizon, at a charge.

I do not know why your photo transfer didn't work; it seems like it was a fluke corruption of hte files. You could even have a defective device, because i know for a fact that mine transfer fine. What OS are you running with the computer? I have windows 7, and it works. Zune software works with 7, Vista, and XP (service pack 3 or higher, but doesn't work with XP 64-bit).

And as for the device trade-in for another 3g smartphone: again, that is for the original Kin One, and Kin Two (both at smartphone pricing, requiring data plans), not the new m model feature phones. I simply believe you have mixed the phones up, and they are indeed different phones. The reason they have this trade-in, is because they DID cancel the Studio, and are shutting it down (the notice came out, letting owners know that it was going to be shut down end of january, which is now). Those owners originally signed up for the Studio service, but because of the poor (and i mean poor..figures i've heard were less than 60,000 devices sold) sales and usage, Microsoft is just pulling the plug. They weren't well-marketed, priced phones in the first place, so as sort of a 'i'm sorry' compensation, those owners can get a new smartphone for free. But do know, that they already had a data plan, since the original Kins required them.

This confusion of hte phones, along with expectations without research, seem to be the thing that led you to your disappointment of hte phone. I'm sorry, it is fully true that Verizon and Microsoft didn't spend half an effort to debug and market and inform customers of the phones. But when you say shame on Verizon on not letting customers know of the 'problems' with the Kin: there weren't ever problems with the Studio. It was simply shut down recently, but for months, no new phones were sold that could even use the studio. The original Kins were the only ones that could use the studio; those were discontinued and pulled last July. The m model phones went on sale late November (never marketed to be able to use the Studio, because they never could)

If you read other forums, you also know that many people think that MS/Verizon simply did this re-release to clear their inventory of lots, lots of left-over phones from the originals that didn't sell. Their hardware is exact, the only difference is the new software.

[leslieoeser]

fisharefriends, thank you for trying to help. I bought the Kin phone so I wouldn't need a data package, and that's why I'm not trying to get a smartphone for free now. That never was my diabolical plan.  

Bottom line is that I downloaded Zune software (I have Vista) and it doesn't work.

I liked my Env3 fine and am getting an Octane instead. I'm glad you've had a good experience with a Kin phone, but I read more reviews from people like me who are having problems.

[fisharefriends]

No i understand. Hope you are more satisfied with that phone!

I was just trying to clear it up, that the trade-in was only targeted to owners of the original Kin (sold last summer), not the new m model phones (which is what you purchased). And that was due to their planned shutdown of the studio (i believe you read some wrong information somewhere regarding the m model phones being able to use the studio, because they never could), which was a service for those original kins. So even if you wanted to trade in, you couldn't.

[NANCYC71]

I love my kinTwom it's the best feature phone I have owned. as for the zune software problem noted in this thread.. I happen to know that windows vista has been known to conflict with a lot of software.. I run windows xp sp3 and my zune sync's flawlessly with all my media including photos. I do believe that it isn't a zune or a kin issue but rather a vista confliction.

as for the wishlist.. I would like to see more color themes.. and text size option.. or maybe be able to zoom the actual texting window would suffice. I don't mind that the texts I have sent are in gray because I read what I am writing and that is in black during writing.. so that doesn't bother me as much as the size does sometimes. so text should definately be larger, or zoomable.

just adding my 2 cents worth!