【英语科技】微软搁置Kin手机项目

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) plans to kill its Kin family of mobile phones aimed at young consumers less than two months after the products went on sale in the U.S.

The Redmond, Wash., company said in a statement that it won't ship its two Kin phones in Europe this fall as planned and that it will work with its domestic carrier partner, Verizon Wireless, to sell its remaining supplies of Kins in the U.S. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture between Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) and Vodafone Group PLC (VOD., VOD.LN).

The company said Microsoft employees who worked on the Kin project will be folded into the company team working on Windows Phone 7, a new operating system for cellphones expected to ship on handsets by the holiday season.

Microsoft plans to incorporate 'valuable ideas and technologies from Kin into future Windows Phone releases,' the company said in a statement.

Microsoft didn't state its reasons for shelving the project, but people familiar with the matter say Kin phones haven't met Microsoft's sales expectations since going on sale in May. The two phones were designed to appeal to teenagers and young adults with features heavily centered on social-networking sites like Facebook.

微软（Microsoft Corp.）计划搁置旗下面向年轻消费者的Kin系列手机，该系列手机在美国面市时间还不到两个月。

微软在声明中宣布，不会按照原计划在今年秋天向欧洲发出其两款Kin手机，公司将与美国国内电信运营商Verizon Wireless合作通过U.S. Verizon Wireless出售余下的Kin手机。U.S. Verizon Wireless是Verizon Communications Inc.和沃达丰集团（Vodafone Group PLC）的合资企业。

公司宣布，为Kin项目工作的微软员工将被调去研发Windows Phone 7的公司团队，后者是一种新的手机操作系统，预计将在假期季节时搭载着手机面市。

微软在声明中说，公司计划将Kin有价值的点子和技术用到未来将发布的Windows Phone上。

微软没有公布搁置该项目的原因，但熟悉情况的人士说，Kin自5月上市销售以来，没有达到微软的销售预期。两款Kin手机的设计旨在以注重Facebook等社交网站的特色吸引青少年。