Verizon Wireless seems to have been one-upped by Best Buy with news that the electronic retailer has lowered the price of Microsoft’s Kin One and Two phones by $50. That’s right $50. That means the 1 now retails at $0 and the 2 at $50 (with a 2-year contract of course).
“The price cuts could help: they make the Kin 1 a free phone, and while it’s not as functional as a high-end smartphone, it’s better than a lot of the basic phones that most carriers give away for free,” said Directions on Microsoft analyst Matt Rosoff. “The data plan still seems a bit steep, but if it’s purchased in the context of a family plan, it’s not so bad.”
Best Buy’s new prices bring the Kin smartphones more in line with the “dumb phones” on the market.
Verizon Wireless however, still sells each for $50 and $100 respectively online.
The new prices, at least in Best Buy, could finally convince people to purchase the phone now that it is much cheaper than better performing, though more expensive, alternative handsets like Apple’s iPhone or the Motorola Droid.
Now if only Verizon would reconsider that pesky $30p/mo data pricing plan and some parents may actually consider buying their kids a phone specifically designed for the social networking crowd.
