Microsoft KIN TWO teardown reveals some surprises

By on May 18, 2010 at 7:30 PM
General May 18, 2010

kin-two-teardown

The fine folks iFixit have once again teamed up with Chipworks to tear down one of the greatest latest gadgets to hit the scene in the KIN TWO. Before you tune out and keep on scrolling, we should let you know that a lot of impressive stuff was uncovered after cracking the thing wide open. So without further ado, here’s a summary of what was found. The brains of the phone, a NVIDIA Tegra APX2600, are sandwiched together with memory in a four die, chip-on-chip package. The 8 megapixel IMX046 image sensor from Sony takes up only .5mm3 and has a pixel size of 1.4 micrometers. Other chips include a Qualcomm QSC8065 and a Texas Instruments WL1271A that takes care of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and the FM Radio. The digitizer is a Clearpad made by Synaptics, and the USB 2.0 transceiver is an incredibly tiny 4mm2. Pretty crazy to think that there’s so much advanced technology in a cheap featurephone, right?

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  • dar

    That’s alotta shit in one lil phone!!

  • Jaffrey

    Just goes to show it’s not about the hardware, it’s the implementation that counts….

  • American Patriot

    Very impressive.

  • Tommy D

    I guess that it has room to grow, huh?

  • L.G

    Wow! Gee… makes my phone feel like a dumbphone with all those ha!

    • Kirk

      Yea, you must be using an Android smartphone then.

      • Mike

        And judging by your comment, you must be using an iPhone. I think when a “phone” has trouble even being used as a PHONE, that qualifies it as more of a dumbphone than anything else. Even the Kin2.

      • Kirk

        Actually I use Windows Mobile. Best OS out there so far.

      • Mike

        Haha! That’s a good one! Then why is the HD2, supposedly the “best” WinMo phone available with almost the same hardware specs as my Incredible such a failure? And the Touch Pro 2 before that? And the Imagio? All these are made by HTC, so OEM isn’t the issue, since all my Android-based HTC phones are killer. If hardware isn’t the problem, that leaves the OS. You’ve got my curiosity; what phone are you using that makes you feel so warm and fuzzy inside for WinMo?

      • Chris13

        @Mike,

        Are you like, 12 years old? That or you’re just a straight up fag. Oh, and if you debunk the myth that you’re only 12, that would actually make you a sadder sack.

        Please explain how the HD2, a low-volume but sold-out handset, a failure? I’m not quite getting it… but then again, only a complete fag would rag on a device they never used.

        Oh wait, are your referring to the few issues that were experienced by a few people? Well shit, then you’re right. So I guess the Nexus One is a pretty big failure because a few people can’t get a signal, and the Iphone, jesus christ, that thing is just a big old ball of fail before it could cut and paste?

        You’re an idiot.

        And a fag.

      • Bob

        Says the more so outclassed iphone owner.

        Top it off, by a low tier phone, jeeze apple raped you fanboys good, doubt any of you’ll be sitting for awhile.

        Do you sit on the crapper after that or just wear tight underwear?

      • Mike

        You must be mistaken. I use the Droid Incredible. Before this, I had the Motorola Droid. Before that, the myTouch 3G. Before that, the G1. Noticing a trend here? All Android phones. But, before THAT, prior to Android launching in November 2008, I used the iPhone. Back when it was actually cool. Back when it could do more than most phones. Now? Its a thing of the past. I can honestly say I wouldn’t take an iPhone if you GAVE it to me. Well, I’d take it straight to Craigslist and eBay. Why? Because I know what I’d be missing out on and that just wouldn’t do for me.

      • Bob

        No sorry Mike, we both replied to Kirk at same time an it made it look like I was directing my comment at you instead of kirk.

      • Celz

        WinMo Sense is easily the best homescreen out there.. Stock Wm6.5 Titanium, Point UI, SBP, and anyother modern WinMo homescreen easily outclasses Sense for Android which is really the only Android homescreen that isnt basic.. Fully functional Mobile Office is huge as well, I just got a Samsung Moment.. It costed me a few bucks to stop find a Kinko’s drive there and use one of their comps to edit a file real quick… WinMo has a wide variety of VNC and RDP clients the stock RDP maps memory to your desktop and plays all sounds thru the phone, let me know when a free android app does that.. WinMo also has the widest variety of web browser including real skyfire not the neutered android version..

        Im not biased I’m on Android probably for good but trust me I miss my WinMo..

      • Nate

        Funny I have, sorry had a Moto Droid and promptly gave it to my girlfriend due to it’s simplicity and lack of features like most Android releases. Don’t get me wrong the Google Nav is great but Bing provides the same nav with voice but a better overall packaging and features.Also I need my phone to tether wireless and free of charge, both unavailable on the Droid. I also use DNLA, TV-out, and need a phone capable of playing divx and other media formats not just mp4′s. My hd2 and omnia2 are both media centers that can share files between my ps3, pc and tv without any wires, another Droid fail.

        I understand how you feel coming from a limited iPhone that you feel Android is so great but understand Winmo phones can also dual-boot any Android OS or Blackbery

      • Nate

        Also how do you consider the TouchPro2 and HD2 failures? The TP2 was sold for months on Verizon even though it was available on all major carriers. The HD2 has sold out every shipment within 2 hours since it’s launch. WinMo might not be for you but that doesn’t make it a failure. WinMo phones are for people such as myself who prefer complete control over the OS and device without any limitations or restrictions. No need to jailbreak or root my phone.

      • Chris13

        Yeah, I noticed a trend: You’re a fag.

        The G1 is the piece of shit that lead me back to WinMo you moron.

        That you bought a mytouch after the G1 shows you had no fucking clue to begin with, and you just keep buying phones with little to no knowledge and like to troll comments talking about how you had the latest and greatest. That you jumped to VZW as soon as the Droid came out makes you just the worlds gayest Android fanboy.

        “I used the iPhone. Back when it was actually cool.”

        This comment alone screams ‘fag’.

      • jdlnmia

        I personally love to inhale…

  • Senor Dickhäus

    Crazy that a phone that’s this loaded hardware-wise (relatively of course,) yet the OS seems to lag badly while not really doing anything that would warrant such a slow experience. I might be totally wrong, but it seems this phone is resource heavy just to make a cool looking OS. All that glitter and hardware doesn’t mean anything when the overall experience sucks.

  • bob

    Wow with all that you’d think the phone wouldn’t suck as much as it does.

  • agi

    The camera module is only .5mm^3?? Ummm please fix this typo.

  • crazymobileman

    I played with it today at the mall, I have to say the phone is solid, very nice keyboard and software is good for social networking. This phone is good for texting and for teenagers who like to be connected to social networking or someone who just likes feature phone.

    • Joe

      Seriously? Social networking? What person in their right mind would spend $30 monthly for a data plan on this device when the most you can do is check facebook status updates? The Palm Pre/Pixi Plus, any BlackBerry, or Android devices are infintely better than this POS, and some cost less!

  • jordank

    I used the kin 1 and 2 last week at a training. They have potential but as of now are prob going to fail. It’s missing things like a calender, calculator, facebook chat, IM. Simple features that make the difference. If your going to pay $29.99 for data make it a droid in the end you will be happier that you can get apps, oh and did I mention no app catalog?

    I will say the keyboard and camera on the Kin 2 are impressive. And the kin studio is a neat idea.

    • crazymobileman

      Yeah, keyboard is really nice. It makes me think about my next phone should have physical keyboard like that.

  • jdlnmia

    Who gives a shit about this POS???? Please if I see anybody with a KIN I will laugh in their face!

  • Rooqirulz

    it’s “Further ado” not “Further adieu”

  • kkang

    but KIN Two is a smartphone. Well it is considered as a smartphone on Verizon.

  • kkang

    kin two is not a feature phone and it’s not impressive as other smartphones in the market. I’d call it a “Mediocrephone”

  • Mobileguy

    I like how Micrsoft has built a cool IDEA, and then they let some dumb A$$ at Verizon wreck it with a $29.99 data plan.

    Pass on this Verizon Epic fail and get a Droid.

    Why would a kid (mom&dad) want to spend $719.76 for data and another $359.76 for a Zune pass for music for a grand total of an extra $1079.52 over the next two years. For something that does half of what any other smartphone can do

  • Quest

    Most of the required data plans are required by contracts set by phone manufactures. An example would be that Blackberrys Contract with verizon states that all of its phone are required to have unlimited data. But beings that phone is as lame as it is , it is still contected to a tone of social networking sites ands email and should have a unlimited plan anyway. Also nobodys looking at this phone for what it is ….. A sidekick it says DANGER right on the box.

  • Mobileguy

    Quest thats just a crazy thought The Phone Manufactures require the data! You must be a Verizon sales rep. who tells this to customers.

    The manufacture could care less about what plan goes with the device, they just want to sale a phne

  • WeaselSpleen

    Jesus Christ, will someone please drag Chris13 out into the woods, torture him slowly for hours, then pump several 9mm slugs into his petrified brain?

    I mean that in the nicest possible way, of course.

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