With the key objective of regaining momentum in the snartphone arena, against rivals like Google and Apple, Microsoft will commence the online sales of its Kin mobile phones on May 6, on the Verizon site. The store sales of the handsets will begin a week later, from May 13.

The Kin phones will be launched in the UK, Germany, Spain, and Italy, in fall this year, and will be available from Vodafone Group Plc.

According to a joint statement by Microsoft and Verizon, the Kin One is priced at for $49.99 after a $100 rebate and a two-year service contract; while the ‘bigger screen and higher-resolution camera equipped’ Kin Two is priced at $99.99.

Furthermore, users of the forthcoming Kin devices – which feature slide-out keyboards and allow users to check friends’ messages and status updates on Facebook and Myspace from their home screens - will have to sign up for Verizon’s unlimited data contract for a $29.99 monthly charge, over and above a $39.99 calling plan.

Largely targeting the young mobile-users who like to stay connected via social networks - “exploring, sharing and trying to define themselves,” as Eric Hermelee, Microsoft’s mobile communications business’ product management director, put it –, the Microsoft Kin handsets will allow users to listen to music through Microsoft’s Zune system, after they have signed up for a Windows Live account to set up the devices.