As part of my get-well regimen, I spend a lot of time at the local gym. The upside (or the downside) of being on the treadmill or the stair-master is that you spend a lot of time watching lots of basic cable television. Switching channels, I found myself running across advertisements of Sprint touting Samsung Instinct, the iPhone-competitor, popping up way too frequently.
Sprint must be spending mucho dinero on these ads (they are pretty darn good) and made me want to take a second look at the Instinct, even though Stacey wasn’t too impressed by the phone when she checked it out earlier. I wondered if there were others who were taken in by this new ad-campaign. According to the results of our previous poll, 60 percent of Sprint customers thought it was the best option on that network — a good sign.
So I dropped the folks from Sprint an email, asking them how they were doing with the Instinct, and how many units they had shipped. Sure enough, I was being optimistic about getting a right answer. “Sorry but we do not provide these numbers as they are considered proprietary. I can simply tell you that we are very pleased with the sales and it continues to be incredibly successful,” a spokeswoman emailed me back. I asked Sprint to disclose the monthly data usage on this device but was turned down as well. Oh well…as I was saying, I was being optimistic.
Question: Are you one of those people who owns Samsung Instinct and what has been your experience with the iPhone rival?
This past weekend a very good friend of mine told me he went from a Blackberry to the Instinct. He said he was extremely pleased with his decision. Personally, I use an iPhone but, would like to get to know the Instinct better.
Is Samsung Windows Mobile based?
Was a Blackberry user and love it, but did find is slightly quirky. Needed a new phone and decided to try the Instinct. WOW!! This phone was so much easier to get set up and use. I am very happy with it. I wish it had more 3rd party software. Both Apple and Blackberry have lots of other applications, but as far as basic functionality, I really like the Instinct. I now realize how ‘old’ the technology is behind RIM products.
When the Instinct launched Sprint had budgeted $100 million in ads & promotion. This is in contrast to about $30 million or so that gets spent by the company on the average smartphone (consumer phones much lesser). So there you have it – three times as much money. I’m sure they think it’s worth it (and I mostly agree).
I have seen as many Instincts in the wild as I have seen Zunes–none, never.
I saw the Instinct at last CTIA (I got to use and hold it) and was thoroughly unimpressed. If I were at an event and someone pulled out an Instinct instead of a BlackBerry or iPhone, I would be shocked.
Om,
I owned it for three weeks then returned it back for PALM Treo 800W.
I am super happy with Treo 800.
This is the most hyped phone. The phone does have good features, but in its not an iphone killer.
IMHO two features killed this phone over iPhone.
Terrible browser.
Poor screen resolution.
I wrote a detailed review at
http://bpgouda.rediffiland.com/iland/bpgouda.html
If they fixed the browser , it would have come close to being called a respectable iPhone competitor. BUT ITS NOT.
During my time with the phone, the phone crashed several times while browsing internet. I eneded up doing many HARD RESETS. Finally I retruned it. I did see many returned phones laying around in the Sprint store :-). My feeling after dealing with SPRINT and the Instinct is that Sprint sold quite a lot of these before customers started returning them within the 30 day period.
BTW , I HAVE TO SAY GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE NAVI SYSTEM. ITS SUPER. MUCH BETTER THAN iPhone.
it seems that the general consensus on the web is failure. sprint users who had eagerly awaited a killer upgrade returned their instincts within the month. apple is doing a great job of making their smartphone system a clean and simple wonderland while the winmo flavor of the week smartphone gets lost in the constant carrier/manufacturer cross-siege.
Several friends and I tested the Instinct and are very happy. Two of us moved from the iPhone b/c of the integrated GPS functionality that is super easy to use and the data is so much faster (one of our biggest complaints about the iPhone). Visual VM works great and email has been much better than we expected.
Also comes w/2 GB micro sd and the price plans are much better than AT&T.
I have to disagree with you comment tiny glu. Sprint employees are still waiting for the chance to even buy the Instinct because the sales have been so good they are trying to keep up with the customers and putting them first. If they were all being returned there would be no need for employees to have to wait to get a device. I have used the Instinct and found it to be really great! I have used the GPS Navigation which is very accurate, the live search feature to find Pizza shops in unfamiliar areas, down loaded music from the Sprint store, web browser, camera, watched T.V. and used it with my corporate email.
I really like using the Instinct with Sprint Family Locator too. When I locate my daughter through this plan the maps and my locator options come up very quickly and look great. Once the page was loaded it was easy to move around from page to page. This is another great way to use the Instinct with one of Sprint’s great add-ons. They even have a free 15-day trial that you can try out before you buy it. Don’t have kids; I have even used it to find one of our lost phones. For the price you just can’t beat the Instinct. Two batteries, usb sleeve charger, wall charger, case with stylus and a headset! The Instinct also has a removable battery unlike the Iphone. PLUS remember that AT&T really socks it to you with their monthly plan prices too. If you would do a comparison between AT&T and Sprint you will find in two years the savings with Sprint is HUGE! Check it out!
In response to the first post, Instinct is not Windows based. While it is a smartphone it is not a PDA, nor is it meant to be. The focus of the Instinct was to highlight the wireless data functionality; web browsing, GPS, online entertainment (music, TV, radio).
I don’t have an Insinct so I can’t comment on how good a device it is. I do plan on giving it a shot when my renewal comes around.
hmmm,
Surprised to see many here praising Instinct.
SAMSUNG got many features right except the browser. I wonder why SPRINT put that horrible OBIGO browser in this device instead of OPERA Mobile.
While the Instinct is a good phone, it is no way a match for iPhone.
The simle reason being the BROWSER. BTW, SPRINT is updating the browser component on Instinct.
Overall if you are a sprint customer, this is your equivalent of iPhone.
I am more happy with my brand new PALM Treo 800 which is much better than iPhone.
Sprint is fighting iPhone with the extravagant Instint commercials, but when the dust settles, we all know how many Instincts they sold and how many of them got returned.
Regarding the comment by “A” , Instincts are found easily at every sprint store. Call a store and check it out.I am not sure the about the demand “A” is talking about.
Also,
While the Instinct is no match for iPhone, Sprint is not exagarrating when they claim to save a thousand bucks over iPhone.
I compared similar plans including exact features, AT&T is charges at least $ 20.00 more than sprint per month, which translates into a $500.00 over two year period. I stayed with SPRINT for the same reason.
SPRINT is clearly the cheapest carrier of them all offering everything packaged plans.
OM,
Bottomline
Instinct has the following features that are much better than iPhone
Navigation System
Camcorder
MMS
Voice Activated Dialing
And the horrible features are
Browser
Screen Resultion
I had an instinct for 3 weeks and returned it – the lack of real exchange integration just didn’t work for me (it had a weird limitation like getting your last 25 emails).
Also, while I had it the GPS network kept going down which was unfortunate because I was traveling – I haven’t heard of a similar outage since, though.
Pros:
Navigation (when it worked)
Haptic feedback
Keyboard (I’m surprised nobody has mentioned this – it was superior to the iphone’s)
Screen resolution
Auto-OTA updates were pretty cool
Cons:
No way to check stock quotes or business news without going to the web (this was weird, they had every other type of news)
Browser sucked (which made the lack of business news more frustrating)
Lack of real exchange support (they use owa and only get the last 25 emails)
I’ve got an instinct and like it for the most part. Visual Voicemail is slick, instant messaging is nice, and e-mail just works. The only complaint I have is the browser. They just pushed a browser update, but there’s got to be better options than the one provided right now. However, my old phone didn’t have internet at all, so I’m happy to have crippled internet right now. 🙂
I own an Instinct and like it a lot.
I agree the Web browser is a disappointment — it crashes frequently and the browsing experience is awkward. Unfortunately, you can’t put Opera Mini on the Instinct because right now because JAVA apps that aren’t customized for the Instinct don’t recognize the on-screen keyboard. Sprint/Samsung are supposedly working on a fix this (due “later this year”).
I love just about everything else. Yeah, the screen isn’t as big as the iPhone, but I don’t mind that. The streaming TV looks good — very sharp for me with only occasional picture decay into cubist pixel art. The streaming audio is good too, though you are limited to the stations Sprint offers — you can’t add audio feeds or download podcasts.
The sound quality on MP3s is good. The player isn’t fancy, but it does the job (screen sometimes freezes after going into sleep mode, but supposedly a fix is out and just hasn’t hit my Instinct yet).
The navigation feature is great — just like a GPS. I’ve used it several times and it works as advertised.
I wish there was a stock applet. The weather applet (from Handmark) works well. It’s easy to look up local movie times and store favorite theaters for frequent use.
I wish the e-mail displayed more than plain text. HTML-heavy messages don’t display at all. It’s easy to send and receive regular messages. The push e-mail feature seems pretty responsive — messages arrive on the phone shortly after they hit my inbox (judging from times when I’ve had the inbox on my screen and my Instinct next to the computer).
Oh, and it works great as a PHONE! I love the visual voice mail, and sound quality is good. It’s easy to receive and make calls.
I’m happy with my Instinct and hope Sprint can convince developers to come up with more apps for the device. It would be great to see this evolve further. I hope the Instinct becomes a lower cost iPhone alternative.
Don’t you think they could get a little more creative with the design? Or is the iphone layout the only way to go?
I’ve actually never used a Samsung Instinct so I can’t give an opininon on the user experience and the quality of the browser. What I can say is that this device rose from zero to become a top device on Heysan in less than 2 months. On a monthly basis we get hundreds of thousands of pageviews just from this device.
I think it’s the kind of device that people expect to get good Internet access from.
Gustaf
I am surprised that you liked the TV advertising for the Instinct… The first set of commercials that I saw made me feel like I was in a move theatre watching an action packed explosion flick & it didn’t appeal to me at all. I use my phone primarily for business purposes & the marketing I saw for this phone was obviously not geared towards someone wanting to make phone calls, read e-mails, & possibly get directions & stock quotes from time-to-time. After reading your post I quickly googled for some Instinct ads & I did see one that compared the Instinct’s mapping capabilities to the iPhone & it was quite the clever marketing approach. It was very similar to what Apple has done with their advertisements comparing their products to Windows.
Here’s what I like about Samsung Instinct:
= email is fun; I like sending out picture mail & video mail with voice clips—no need to type. Hit send! My Comcast and aol emails are fetched with no fuss.
= Visual voice mail makes regular voice mail sound Neanderthal. Click voicemail and out comes a list with names, phone numbers, time, length. Imagine fast forwarding a lengthy voicemail—soooo 2020!!!!
= Navigation is timely, accurate, precise, updated to the nanosecond and a powerful app. Specially even more powerful if coupled with the Live Search, contacts, keyword search, and Telenav’s website. I sync all my addresses and contacts from my pc to Instinct. Navigation has been fixed now such that an address in my contacts that meets Navigation typing protocols can now be easily mapped out and directions provided with a click of an icon. By the way, I find more searches by typing in the keyword box under navigation compared to speaking to Live Search. Don’t do any other maps anymore. Instinct + teleNav = 0 yellow page and white page book + 0 411 calls + 0 paper/web maps. And no more directional questions at the gas stations!!! XM traffic/weather news is fine but so is traffic info on the Instinct (by TeleNav).
= Mp3 player is adequate. I don’t drool over album covers—I just listen. I have my 8GB Sandisk MicroSDHC loaded with Tiesto for cardio, as well as Pink Floyd for strength training, and Jeffrey Thompson’s for relaxation . So the Instinct is now my one-and-all tool to go. My 80GB Zune is now collecting dust. And my XM Pioneer Inno is now just sitting pretty at home, playing my favorite channels 77, 82, 84. I also have an XM player in my car. I’m hoping eventually Instinct will have satellite radio service. Dream on! By the way, Can’t wait to get my pre-ordered Motorola S9-HD Bluetooth headphones.
= Web browsing is also adequate. I don’t browse all day like some fanatic Iphone browsers. As long as I’m able to browse my favorite news and porn sites—I’m happy. Instinct’s browser may falter at times, but at least I have other app choices like tv & radio to go to. My favorite goto is Phonefavs.com. And my favorite tv channels are Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, Discovery, Blast by Fox. And of course, mobile tv news.
= Sprint weather is super. And Sprint weather with Doppler radar!!! That’s mighty super. Specially if you live in South Florida (I live in Fort Lauderdale). And automatic timely updates from the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center—really helpful!!!! I don’t go to any other weather service anymore.
= $69 + 450 mins + unlimited multimedia = savings. More savings if you have a corporate discount. Mine is a bargain @23%. That’s 54/mo. To pay hundreds for ATT’s call&surf only service is ludicrous. Sure the Iphone is nice. Why not pay Sprint, then maybe you can afford to pay for other frills like satellite radio?
= Samsung Instinct’s slim silhouette, sleek profile, sexy black fits my pocket well.
= The Instinct Phone works. I love the big & bright dialer with a nice contrast, the speaker phone, contact access during a call, call history info layout, and clear call sound.
Here is an objective fact based comparison of two devices
http://tinyurl.com/6fynwy
Om, glad to see you multi-tasking a bit on the treadmill. A Colorado VC named Brad Feld (a marathon runner) has his treadmill set up with a three-screen CRT array in front, and makes calls, triages email, etc while on the thing. Pretty clever. Our friend Mark Evans (of Bancroft Research Group) keeps making me feel like a slug when he returns his dozen or more calls while on a fast walk in Sonoma. On the Instinct. I am a 10+ year customer of Sprint and am a converged device maven. I have weathered all of the bumps and have been way too patient with their network performance. I think they may even figure it all out before someone like Deutche Telecom buys them. In the meantime I’m running the HTC Mogul PocketPC phone, which is their best Windows based offering, but still freezes, drops calls, the works.
Like you I wondered what could be behind such an expensive ad campaign, and whether it was the height of hype and wishful thinking, or whether there was anything compelling there.
In reading some of the comments I was taken back to the challenge I gave one of my close friends, who works at AT&T. He is researching to see if my “core” features needed can be replicated with an iPhone at similar subscription cost to my 2 Sprint phones (my fancy HTC and my wife’s “simple” Samsung flip phone).
I was forced to admit that there are really only 3 features that matter to me as a hardcore business user on the go:
1) Phone (must be able to answer the blasted thing, in lots of different markets, on a dependable connection, not some tin-cup-on-a-string sound). HTC fails on this too often, on both requirements. Not sure if it’s the phone or the network. Thus the Instinct may come out okay on this. iPhone will probably win overall on raw network performance however.
2) Email connection. I use the Sprint Business Connections, which is still better than the RIM package, although RIM has the form-function to make it a better experience. Nonetheless, Sprint comes out on top.
So if I can keep my Sprint email connection I’m good to go. I’ve seen the iPhone email client/connection variations and they seem to be good, but I haven’t seen as good a client as that presented by Sprint’s vendor, Seven.com These guys have it nailed, and beat Good to the market by two years. Ask Andy Rachleff. Ok so it’s a draw for email.
3) Voice command. Sprint had (has) the best server-based voice command+contact list integration ever. For some unimaginable reason they abrubtly discontinued it the same week our “hands free law” came into effect in California. I emailed and called Dan Hesse “Dan@sprint.com” (yes I have the real one too), and got no love, however my own personal “voice command” feature appears to be running still. The Windows Mobile phones just don’t have enough horsepower to run good voice reco and address book integration. So the Instinct may be an improvement if I’m forced to go with the handset. I suspect the larger horsepower and onboard memory (not on the card) of the iPhone would win in that case.
4) Keyboard (related to email). This is not trivial, for I have big fat fingers and have had trouble with the soft keyboard and phone dialing pad of the HTC and earlier phones. I have played around with the iPhone and have high hopes. If the Instinct has similar usability or better I may be getting closer to being Okay with a soft keyboard and dialing pad. But as an old guy my eyes can’t see the phone as well and I got to be an expert at dialing in the dark (or in the car) with the 12 tactile buttons on the old phones. I think that’s why people still like their Blackberry and Treo phones. There’s something “too easy” about hitting a physical button. But perhaps not for 20 year olds. In this, it may be a draw between the Instinct and the iPhone.
5) Inexpensive, all-in-one service package. I have an updated but still legacy Sprint package that gives me far too many services and features for almost nothing. They also have that $99 plan for noobs. It’s all pretty good. I hear nothing but angst over the AT&T plans and the costs associated with “extras.” I can only conclude that people either just live with the pain, as fair exchange for the silicon valley shiny object status of having an iPhone, or there are probably a few good plans buried in their stack. We’ll see when my friend emerges from his “insider” research project to convert me.
In the meantime I can only hope that Sprint works to overcome a consistent record of “almost getting it right” and brings a less-shiny but perhaps “good enough” solution to market at a high ratio of cost-to-value. My colleagues are not and will not be impressed with a shiny object in my shirt pocket. They will be happy with good quality calls, prompt and dependable email connectivity and the odd time or two they need to hit a website to get some info that is not pushed to them already via sms or email.
I will ask the guys for an Instinct and let you know how it performs against those criteria.
Glad you’re on the mend. Here is Brad’s gizmo:
http://www.feld.com/blog/archives/2006/04/treadputer_upgr.html
On the other hand here is Mark Evans’ view on his walk:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.seewald.com/images/west_US/Napa%2520Sonoma/Napa-sonoma-vineyards272.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.seewald.com/napa_sonoma_vineyard_photograhs.htm&h=566&w=572&sz=273&hl=en&start=13&um=1&usg=__hdPp6wXpRNVEhHOosaD0D6mt_MY=&tbnid=2OwldW7y_3dtHM:&tbnh=133&tbnw=134&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsonoma%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1B3RNFA_enUS276US285%26sa%3DN
Cheers
Matt Weeks
(650) 520-8808
mweeks@eyetmedia.com
I test drove an Instinct for about 2 weeks and LOVED it!!! The resolution is not iTouch quality but still extremely crisp. The Pust-To-Action button coupled with GPS is the KILLER app!! The browser doesn’t bother me, it is not the same but still very functional. I love the TV, Radio, and Video capabilities, and the Sprint Music Store is dangerously easy to use. I feel like all touch based phones need to figure out a better way to scroll through rows of data, so won’t hold that against the Instinct at all.
The one thing I didn’t see talked about is it is really a great phone. Put all the gee-whiz features aside and I’d buy it as a phone. I always had clear conversations, volume was loud enough and the interaction with the call functions was seamless.
Only problem for my personal habits is that I live and die by my work email and calendar on my phone. Since the Instinct was designed more for the consumer in its initial launch, it just doesn’t fit my overall needs. Once Sprint fixes the OTA calendaring function, this phone will then be a great fit for me.
The biggest joy of it all was being able to do all the gee-whiz applications any time I wanted, showing it off to friends and co-workers, and at the end of the day wasn’t worried about going over my plan. I was free to find, enjoy, and most importantly use the applications that worked for me.
I am a Sprint employee and I’ve been waiting a LONG time to get my hands on an Instinct, as well as one for two more family members. We’ve been told that we (Sprint employees) might be able to get our hands on one (finally!) in late September. Yes folks, we’re still selling out of them in many stores. I had the opportunity to play with one for a couple hours about a month ago. I’m convinced this is a great productivity tool, even if it doesn’t focus on business customers. I would have loved it if it would have synced with my Outlook e-mail like a Treo or BlackBerry, but it doesn’t for now. Oh well…maybe a software fix will come my way in the near future — when I FINALLY get my own Instinct.
OK, I meant sync with my calendar, not e-mail.
GARY AEDGE how are you able to watch porn (besides pics) on your instinct all the websites I try won’t play any video clips or don’t load completely please share!
You know I have had the Instinct for about 2 months now and my biggest complaints have to be the web browser sometimes freezes and won’t load pages and the screen resolution is not the best. I wish it had a wi-fi capability so that it would be easier to play on web at home or other places but other than that i’m not a big tech guy and I have yet to use alot of the features. I did like the GPS feature although it tells me my house on on the other side of the street can’t figure that one out. I would suggest getting a car charger and an extra charger for work because my battery seems to run out pretty fast but i like that we have the xtra battery and the leather case I didn’t know there was a tiny pocket in the case for your stylus until after I lost it, oh well . I just wish Sprint’s signal was stronger it’s spotty in some areas but I do agree with the plans.. I have the $65 450 min everything else included plan and with my corporate 25% discount I pay 54$ a month.. can’t beat that!
Response to Jim’s comment 08-28-08, 1:39PM:
I didn’t mean to watch porn videos. Being able to browse porn pics from my fav websites is good enough for me. As far as porn video, here’s something interesting happened one day: I was browsing phonefav.com’s dictionary called LookWayUp. And as I was browsing for different word meanings, I kept clicking links, and voila–some homemade porn video came up!!!! The particular video wasn’t a big turn on for me so I didn’t bother to figure out how I got to it, didn’t bother to check for its link, or didn’t try to replicate it. All I know it’s an Apple Quicktime video file. That’s all I can say about porn video.
I haven’t had problem of running out of battery, but your suggestion of getting a car charger sounds like a good plan.
Here’s what I did with my stylus: Cut a foot-long heavy-duty fine black thread. One end of this string was tied to the stylus head. Once tied, I applied a small amount of superglue to the stylus head to secure the thread knot permanently. The other end of the string was tied to the right side part of the leather case that holds the bottom of the Instinct. Again, I applied a thin film of superglue to secure the knot permanently. Measured & Cut a piece of black rubber and inserted it in the magnetic latch of the case. Once the rubber was in place, I inserted the stylus through the latch. The stylus is basically held in place by the rubber against the leather flap part of the case. Haven’t had any problem. I always have my stylus ready. The leather case I’m talking about is the Samsung brand Instinct holder/cover. It’s a nice case for my Instinct—it’s sturdy, it’s protective, it’s great for holding the phone. By the way, I don’t use the built-in stylus holder of the case since it’s in the way of the Live Search button. Lastly, Whoever designed the case forgot to cut a hole for the camera lens. So I have to make a hole for the lens by cutting approximately ½” hole in the right spot. Worked for me.
One other thing I liked about my Instinct which I forgot to mention in my first posting. I use Word to type all my school notes. Then I simply upload my Word files to Google Documents. So now I’m able to read my notes anywhere I go just by accessing Google Docs on my Samsung Instinct. Those Word files and tables sure look sharp on my Instinct. Ahh!!!! The power of free cloud computing.
Thanks for reading my post and commenting to it.
I’ve had it for 2 weeks now, and at first I hated it. I packed everything up and it was ready to be returned. I was extra disappointed when I found it was not compatable with anything other than the Sprint Music Store.
The more I clicked and clicked, I slowly fell in love. The Voicemail is the best ever, The Navigation is flawless and I live in downtown Chicago. The Voicedial actually works,it’s weird and cool.
The pictures are decent. The web resolution is not good. Not awful, but not good. The one thing for sure the Iphone has. Browsing is quite quick.
I love the email sync, that was a big deal maker on decided to keep the phone. The sound is good, and gets pretty loud.
You are getting what you pay for. It’s worth $129.00 but I would never pay full price which is $500 something.
WARNING- You can lose your contacts switching to the Instinct from a really older model.
Youtube works satisfactory.
This is not a Smartphone. It’s the perfect phone for the rookie-techie That enjoys features but doesn’t really need them.
Nick
Nickolisish79@aol.com
iPhone vs Instinct:
The iPhone has a much better user interface and the browser is far better than the Instinct first version browser. Another disadvantage of the Instinct is the fact that the calendar is not able to sync with ANYTHING, nor does Sprint plan to develop this, but there is a rumor of third party plans to develop this – we’ll see. The Instinct does NOT have wi-fi capability.
The Instinct has some distinct advantages over the iPhone. I will list them because there are a few.
1. GPS Navigation is much better
2. Picture Messaging (incoming and outgoing) – Neither is available on iPhone
3. Records video
4. Stream music through bluetooth headset – to do this with iPhone you need to buy a bulky adapter that sticks out of the base of the phone.
5. Removable battery (you get an extra one with the phone)
6. Phone is not as “fragile” as the iPhone
I have used both for an extended period of time and I am torn. I would have no major gripes with the Instinct if it were wi-fi capable and if the browser were replaced and the calendar sync inability were changed. The iPhone would be a lock if the items above were corrected. Evenstill, there is the price difference. For the price, the Instinct is much better. That might be different if AT&T decided to include text messaging with their data plan – currently you must purchase Data, Messaging, & Minutes separately.
Considering everything I have mentioned I ultimately chose the Instinct. You will have to decide for yourself.
I have been a faithful Cingular customer for about two years, and was one of those nuts that saved and saved until I could buy the Iphone. I returned the Iphone after two weeks, and to be honest was not all that impressed when I saw the ads coming out for the instinct. I am a third party Sprint dealer that also repairs and replaces phones, and the one phone I have no had to replace for mechanical defects or bugs, is the instinct. I vowed after my iphone that I would never own another touchscreen phone, but after working with the instinct on a regular basis, could not wait to buy it for myself. I find this phone to be extremely user friendly, as well as fun to use. The telenav is to the tee accurate, and the voice clarity as well as visual voice mail are a nice bonus as well. The downfall of the phone is that the internet does seem pixillated on some sites, but does move a lot faster than the iphone, past and present.
I just bought an instinct, mainly because ATT wanted a $500 deposit and I wasn’t about to drop that. Overall, it’s a very good phone… the web browser is much better than say a Blackberry in many ways, but still sort or weird and not nearly the same smooth experience as on an iPhone. Plus it doesn’t have an active indie developer community like the iPhone does, so that bums me out. But it does have a much better GPS and it has radio and TV which is great. I did notice that sometimes it has a little bit of a harder time telling the difference between a tap and the beginning of a drag, which from my little experience using iphones, the iphone seems to get right off the bat. But with the Instinct, once you get the hang of it, it’s fine. I’ll probably get an iPhone at some point, because I’m a Mac person and it would sync much easier, but the Instinct is pretty good. I just wish it had a better browser. And maybe an accelerometer.
Has anyone heard an update regarding the Instinct’s Web browser? I called Sprint and spoke to an inept rep who told me that the company is unaware of complaints (or even negative reviews) about the browser. Also, the YouTube videos I watched on the phone looked like hell… is there a trick to viewing such videos?
I have been a Sprint Customer for 6 years and considering leaving for the iPhone. These are my thoughts about the previous phones I have had: the Blade, Treo 755, Centro and Instinct.
Samsung Blade: Great resolution, compact, LED and beep every minute so you know you missed a call unlike most phones these days. Texting function is now outdated.
Palm Treo 755p: Good software, great PIM device, texting app great, buggy and sometimes slow, average look.
Palm Centro: Good software like the 755, but much faster and super stylish. But very hard for me text unless I was maybe 12 yrs old.
Samsung Instinct: Tried for a day but enough to tell me the Web was the worst since I have been using sprint phones, the scrolling is bad at times, no emoticons for texting??, the sprint tv is still very bad – why is this even on any phones???
There you have it. I have been fed up with the many Samsung product crashes or just now being able to text comfortably.
I am moving towards an iPhone. I worked around computers for many years and have always wanted a Mac but can’t afford one.
My reasons for wanting an iPhone and I’m not going to argue like people love doing so these days:
– It’s like having a mini mac kind of
– The graphics are super cool, best i have seen
– I love the apps, like the Myspace App, Ebay App and I have uverse so i can record from my DVR soon i hope
– I love the internet, it actually feels like an internet
In closing, hey why compare the iPhone to anything. That is what people try to do these days. Apple has trillions of dollars and do you think any other phone company does… or even the same guys who designed the mac operating system. I would own a Mac for it is a super amazing system not only looks but the way it operates. I do own a PC, but sometimes we can’t always have the top dog.
Whew, glad to get that out of my system ;p
I was super impressed when I recieved my Instinct. Believe me the excitement has gone away. The Instinct has a repeatable defect that I have seen posted on several sites. I experienced the same unfixable defect and now am returning the phone to sprint. If you use your phone as an MP3 player or listen to content through portable speakers that plug into the stereo port BEWARE. This puts the phone into a headset mode. My phone as well as several others posted on the net will not come out of this mode making the phone useless for normal cell phone calls. You will not be able to hear a caller and they will not hear you. The only way to bypass this defect is to use a headset to make and recieve calls. I spoke with the technical service reps at sprint and they walked me through several upgrades and resets to no avail. Something needs to be done or a lot of people are going to be stuck with 500.00 non working phones for 2 years. I love the features but this defect is unacceptable.
I love my INSTICT PHONE!!!!!