Sprint tackles iPhone with Samsung Instinct
updated 12:45 pm EDT, Tue April 1, 2008
Samsung Instinct at Sprint
Sprint today issued a challenge to the iPhone with the launch of the Samsung Instinct [link active soon]. The handset known internally as the M800 is not only the carrier's first home-focused phone to rely almost exclusively on a touchscreen but is also the first home phone from Sprint to run on faster EVDO Revision A networks: in real-world situations, the phone can download at up to 1.4Mbps and upload at up to 500Kbps. The extra speed both allows for quicker web browsing and uploading as well as improved access to Sprint's streaming Internet radio and video services.
The Instinct is also said to improve on the interface of other touchscreen phones with haptic (vibration) feedback that replicates physical button presses, a customizable front-end that allows shortcuts common apps as well as websites. The handset even includes its own form of Visual Voicemail, Sprint claims.
While it shares a 2-megapixel camera and full-size headphone jack like its Apple rival, the Samsung phone adds assisted GPS supoprt, voice commands, and a USB tethering mode for data; storage is handled through microSD cards rather than built-in flash memory.
Sprint hopes to encourage buyers by selling the phone with a 2GB microSD card bundled in the box along with two batteries to ensure a quick swap. The carrier has not set full pricing for the phone but says the device will need a special $70 version of its Simply Everything plan that includes unlimited data. Shipments start in June.
can't believe it
04/01, 12:55pm reply
MacNN actually posted a somewhat comparable iPhone competitor. The real comparison is going to be in the quality of software, UI, and media capabilties. Until something can be said of these areas, this is just a possibility.
danviento
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Joined: Dec 2005
Web, email and UI
04/01, 01:19pm reply
While this phone does have some nice features, my feeling is that the iPhone is going to continute to beat all other phones in ease of use, UI, email and browsing. Until someone does these better than Apple, the rest of the features won't matter.
ClevelandAdv
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Joined: Jul 2004
nice rip off
04/01, 01:24pm reply
christ can't anyone besides apple think for themselves and not lift so much from other products designs/features. suck-it samsung!
Fishtank22
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Joined: Oct 2001
June?
04/01, 01:29pm reply
Perfect timing...for an a** whoopin. Should be just in time for the 3G iPhone release and 2.0 firmware...
cmoney
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Joined: Sep 2000
deleted
04/01, 01:42pm reply
deleted
bobolicious
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deleted
04/01, 01:45pm reply
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bobolicious
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Basic version
04/01, 01:46pm reply
Do you think they'll make a Basic Instinct?
wymer100
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yuk
04/01, 02:26pm reply
UI looks pretty nasty to me. Maybe usability is better than it appears.
Yuk!
Smurfman
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Joined: May 2001
April Fool's joke?
04/01, 02:28pm reply
This phone couldn't look more like an iPhone if they tried. I actually thought it was an April Fool's joke about Sprint selling iPhones because it looks SO much like an iPhone. I had to look at my own iPhone to try to identify differences.
lujo
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Joined: Dec 2001
Apple should...
04/01, 02:41pm reply
...Sue! Since like Steve Jobs indicated upon the iPhone's release that they've "patented the heck out of it". This looks just too much like the iPhone. I too thought it was an April Fool's joke. The joke just may end up on Samsung though in June
juraiprince
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Joined: Feb 2006