Kin onem- daughter wants -is this a good phone?

Question

Hi, I am a first time user so please be patient. My daughter has a Samsung Intensity and now wants to upgrade to a Kin Onem. I, however, am technically stupid. Is this a good phone to get? I believe she wants a decent camera,touchscreen and maybe internet. I heard she could get this option for free on this phone.
She gets Itunes a lot, texts a lot and does take pictures. I think the internet is the main factor this time....Is there a better one (phone) or another one with free service or is this a good choice for her? Also, do you know if you can purchase this phone in the store or do you have to order it and have it shipped in? I also read you have to enter all your contacts.Is this true?
What are the pluses and minuses for this phone in "simple" English! Thanks.

Answer 1

Yes, this is a good phone. That is the short and easy answer. I am assuming you are looking for a phone that does not require a data plan (that costs extra). Other smartphones are MUCH better, but require that data plan, so if you do get data, do not get this phone. Get and android, windows 7 phone, blackberry, etc. But this is the ONLY phone w/out data.
Like said above, i would recommend the Twom over the Onem, simply because it has the larger screen, more memory, better camera, etc. But, that is all personal preference, if your daughter would rather have a squarish, smaller phone, then the Kin Onem is better suited.. My personal flavor is, i like the longer, rectangular phone shape, i am much more familiar with it, and it fits the hand better. The Kin Onem is $20, and the Twom is $50 with a new line/plan/contract, but for a one-time charge, that really isn't that much and is worth it in my opinion (and if you qualify for the 'new every two', you get $100 towards a single phone, that is how i got one of these for free).
This phone is sold in stores, but they do not have them out on the 'floor' in most, if not all stores. I only imagine that it is sold in actual verizon stores, not resellers such as bestbuy, mall stands, etc. I got mine in stores last week, but i had to ask them specifically for what i wanted. They had a test device, but they had to charge it up int he back room before i could play with it. Many believe that they are just trying to clear out their inventory of devices from the first time around, when they sold less than 60,000 devices, but i think they have alternative plans too. I hope they are seeing if they sell or not (and if more people knew about a non-data phone with wifi, they would sell like crazy in my opinion), and if they do, then they will re-start production of hte phone, market it, and most importantly, add support for the software/firmware and provide updates to fix its problems.
You heard right, this phone does not support backup assist at the moment (transferring contacts application from verizon). However, some (it should be all in the near future) stores have recieved system updates that allow them to transfer contacts with a hard-wire connection from your old phone to the new Kin, you would just have to ask your local store if they have recieved the update. I have learned, be very specific when talking to sales reps, know what you want, sound confident, and then they will help you. Most sales reps do not know all the details, but what do you expect, their main job is to sell phones (although it would actually boost their numbers if they made sure all employees provided good customer support..hint verizon). At worst, they will have to contact their manager/supervisor and they will hopefully be more helpful.
Long story short, this phone has wonderful features.
-8 MP camera
-720p HD video
-very responsive, well built capacitive touchscreen
-full QWERTY keyboard
-full Zune music/video player
-FM radio
-and most importantly, Wifi
You will have to manually block data if you do not want any charges appearing, but that is not too hard, and it saves any headaches of a ridiculous phone bill (without a data plan, you by default sign up for a pay-per-use plan, at a ridiculous $1.99 per MB rate..thats about $2 per webpage browsed). That is explained in my review/FAQ (linked below). This phone was originally released at the beginning of the summer as a smartphone, with an emphasis on social networking, and it failed miserably, so Microsoft/verizon have rebuilt its software and released it as a feature phone.
The physical quality of this phone isn't top notch, but it is relatively sturdy. The front portion of the phone, the touchscreen, is built very well, with high-quality plastic that does not feel like it will break, even with a few accidental drops. The back (battery cover), however, does feel weak, and is made from a slippery, thin plastic. That is nothing that a case can't fix, though, and they sell for as low as $4 ($1+ $3 shipping..so if you do order online, purchase screen protectors and other things all at once, because the shipping costs much more than the actual case).  The phone hinge is decent, it has a quality-spring action to it, but there is a little wobble in the hinge (although the spring almost completely covers that up). The keyboard keys are 'clicky', and responsive, it has a quick repeat time on keys, which i really like.
The biggest issue with this phone is not the actual phone, it is the abundance of firmware bugs/poor design and quality check before it was released. It all depends on if your daughter will be bugged enough to not like this phone, despite its awesome features.  I am hopeful that microsoft will release firmware updates to fix these issues, but if not, many of them have work-arounds and aren't that big of a deal anyways. So, yes it does have those problems that you see other people talking about, but they are very minor compared to how nice of features you get with the phone. Some of the major bugs/poor software quality include:
-backup assist (transferring contacts) does not work
-no forwarding messages
-can't delete individual messages
-volume buttons don't lock when phone is locked
-can't delete or rename ringtones
-etc.
I have created a more detailed, albeit VERY long, full review of the device, its quirks, pro's, and fixes/workarounds. If you have time for some heavy reading, or want more information, here it is:
http://community.vzw.com/t5/KIN/Kin-TwoM-Review-FAQ-Q-amp-A-troubleshooting-etc/td-p/347662
I hope you find the best device for your daughter. I can provide my opinions, and i love this phone, but get the phone that she would like the most.