Research Shows Teens Text and Don't Use Data
Microsoft believes that with their Kin One and Kin Two devices, that a particular demographic has met its perfect match. Now, whether or not you believe that that's the case (especially if you're part of their target audience), it seems that Verizon Wireless and Microsoft have decided that paying for a smartphone plan, while not using a smartphone, is just about the best way to go about things. After all, you'll be connected all the time, so why wouldn't you want to pay for it? Unfortunately, a new survey shows that teens are still texting just fine, but most of them aren't connected to the Internet on their phones.
Both of these devices are going to either attract you, or send you looking for a new phone. Even with features like the homescreen, called Loop, or the fact you get to sync it with Microsoft's Zune Software for an unlimited amount of music (as long as you pay that $14.99 a month for the Zune Pass, of course), they're still not going to pull in everyone's attention. But, when you look at statistics like this, you have to wonder why Microsoft is putting themselves through this. According to the report, there's only a small 23 percent of teenagers that use their handsets for social networking. But, on the flip-side, 72 percent of them use it for text messaging, and text messaging only.
Now, if Microsoft is going to try and change all of this, and mark the Kin One and Kin Two as proponents for a teenage revolution, they've got a huge mountain to climb. A staggering 63 percent of teens don't have a data plan associated with their phone, which makes the $30 per month data charge that Verizon and Microsoft want to charge potential customers a bit too steep, and probably means there will be several parents out there shaking their head. How about you? Are you shaking your head?