When Sprint announced the Samsung Instinct at this years CTIA the news broke hard and fast. The Instinct was billed the hottest phone a this years convention with reporters calling it Sprint’s ‘iPhone killer’, but after the headline began to wear thing the inevitable criticisms began to kick in. The web browser, screen, style and even release date were all criticized, but after the dust has settled a good number of people are still wondering what the Samsung Instinct has up its sleeve. So without further ado here is everything you need to know about the Samsung Instinct.
Samsung Instinct
The Samsung Instinct has a smooth jet black front covered with a 3.1″ touchscreen and a ‘back’, ‘home’, and ‘call’ button. The touchscreen is said to work well with the user interface, and the phones web browser incorporates tilt navigation. For example when you browsing the web you can tilt the screen to view different areas of the screen.The Instinct touchscreen also provides haptic feedback (vibrates) when a button on screen is pushed.
The Instinct also comes equipped with GPS navigation thats responds to voice commands, which will no doubt come in handy for regular drivers. In keeping with the voice theme the Instinct has licensed the same Klausner visual voicemail that is used in the iPhone. The phone is able Sprint’s 3G high speed networks offering TV, full html web browsing, and the ability to use the phone as a modem for a laptop. The memory is micro SD and can be expanded up to 8GB. The instinct also does Bluetooth and packs a 2 mega pixel camera.
Price And Availability
The Samsung Instinct will be available in mid June 2008. The official price for the phone has not yet been released but $200-$250 (USD) is the standard estimate. Sprint has confirmed the Instinct will cost under $300 (USD). Subscription fees are not cheap, but all inclusive. The Instincts plan will cost around $100 (USD) a month including everything (web, data, TV, phone calls) except music downloads.
Instinct An iPhone Killer?
Only time will tell as the consumers inevitably ignore the tech pundit’s and vote with their dollars. The web browsing was reported as a work in progress, but Sprint and Samsung have until June to improve the phones software. The Instinct is a bit thicker, narrower, and lighter then the iPhone weighing in at 4.4 ounces and measuring 4.57″ x 2.17″ x .49″ compared to the iPhones 4.8 ounces, 4.5″ x 2.4″ x 0.46″. The leaves the Instinct with a slightly smaller display, but Sprints phone makes up for these shortcomings in a number of ways. Unlike the iPhone the Samsung Instinct is 3G, has a replaceable battery, expandable memory, and the all might haptic feedback.
They key unknown in this equation is whether or not Apple will remedy its shortcomings by releasing a new iPhone. With iPhone’s disappearing from Apple stores a new Apple phone may already be on its way. Sprint will not release the Instinct until mid June which gives Apple some time to prepare their Instinct-killer.
Sprint’s Instinct Marketing
Sprint is going all out with their new flagship phone, no expense has been spared in promoting the Instinct. With the marketing budget set to $100 million, Sprint will be spending more on Instinct marketing then it ever has for any other phone.
After kick starting the media frenzy and stealing the show at CTIA Sprint has followed through with a new website. The website Now Is Good provides all the technical information for the Samsung Instinct as well as a good look at the phones functions and Sprints services. If your instincts are telling you Sprints new phone if for you, head on over to its website where you can sign up for an e-mail notification when the Instinct hits stores.
Conclusion
It will be an interesting wait for the Samsung Instinct, with Apple poised to release a new iPhone that may either overwhelm or disappoint. The final price of the Instinct will also be interesting news, if Sprint releases the phone at a price closer to $200 all comparisons to the iPhone will be off.
the touchscreen sucks.
the verizon voyager is 10x better.
highly disappointed
[...] Samsung Instinct AKA the iphone killer did not exactly take the North American market place by storm, but unlike [...]