Microsoft’s KIN phones, killed off last week in a blaze of negative publicity, sold a grand total of 503 units before Redmond decided to wield the axe. That’s the word from ‘a well-placed little birdie’ who spoke with Daring Fireball.

If the numbers are true, it would represent the biggest mobile phone failure ever, especially at a time when top-end smartphones can shift a million in a matter of days.

---------------------------------------
Related links:
- Microsoft KIN killed off
- Microsoft KIN phones coming to Vodafone in autumn
---------------------------------------

One Microsoft staffer who worked on the KIN project said the company had a huge launch party, claiming that it probably cost more than the amount of money they made back. He also says the phones were nowhere near ready for launch.

Microsoft will be desperately hoping this whole incident will be forgotten in the run up to the big launch of Windows Phone 7 in October. Any such failure with that would cost the Big M dear.

For more gadget news, head to our Twitter and Facebook pages now.

Via Daring Fireball