Leak shows Microsoft Kin coming to AT&T, T-Mobile, Fido
updated 12:30 pm EDT, Wed April 28, 2010
Kin due on N. American, Euro, Asian carriers
Microsoft's Kin phones are due to reach many many more carriers than just Verizon and Vodafone, based on a posting of raw data from leaked firmware. The scoop shows the One and Two, or possibly new models, also reaching the US through AT&T and T-Mobile in GSM versions, with Canada getting the phones through Rogers' sub-label Fido. Asia will also get a major lift with versions for both China Mobile and China Unicom as well as Japan's NTT DoCoMo and SoftBank.
A handful of other carriers elsewhere also have mentions in the firmware, whose details were posted by the discoverer Conflipper. Orange and O2 are poised to get some form of the Kin line in the UK and (for O2) Germany, and both 3 as well as TeliaSonera should have the phones in Sweden.
It's not evident when the phones would arrive on the respective networks. At least in the US, Verizon will have a temporarily exclusive on Kin. The first launch is planned on the network in May and would put any subsequent releases later. Vodafone is due in the fall and may be a clue as to the timing of GSM editions.
