Editor's note: Click here to read our in-depth review of the Samsung Instinct
When we first saw the Samsung Instinct at CTIA 2008 in April, we were surprised. First, we were surprised that Sprint had gone official with their mostly-touch Samsung phone before Verizon Wireless, whose Samsung Glyde had long been rumored for release. Second, we were surprised by how much work had gone into the Samsung Instinct. Most of this effort seemed to focus on emulating the user experience from Apple's iPhone, but the Instinct packs some innovations of its own. In an exclusive Web seminar today, Sprint laid out more details and gave us a better idea of what to expect with this phone.
What we didn't already know
There wasn't much we didn't already know about this phone, but there are a few details worth relating. The phone will only be available with the activation of a Sprint Everything unlimited plan. These plans start at $70/month, and this is pretty much in line with AT&T's requirements and pricing for its Apple iPhone plans. The phone will also ship with two batteries, both 1100 mAh. That's a nice addition for this phone, and it certainly addresses the battery criticisms leveled at Apple's device, but we'd like to see more in the box. We think a microSD card, at least 2GB, would be a nice addition, and we're skeptical about the software. Sprint says the phone will use a "Media Manager," and whether this is Samsung's Media Studio or a new Sprint app, it better be great. Sideloading and synchronization are certainly key features for this phone, but Sprint reps didn't give us the impression that much thought had gone into these functions.
How does it compare to the Apple iPhone?
Pretty well, actually. It has a nice Web browser (with that wacky camera integration), and and interface that seems very touch-friendly, with obvious similarities to the Apple iPhone when it comes to scrolling through lists and typing on the onscreen QWERTY keyboard. But the proof is in the pudding, and many touchscreen phones have come close to emulating the iPhone experience, only to fail with an unresponsive interface that lagged behind our taps and flicks. Until we see it in action, on finalized hardware, the Sprint design is just that: a design. But Sprint would be unwise to release an underpowered phone that can't keep up with the demanding OS.
Sprint also likes to tout the ways in which the Samsung Instinct is better than the iPhone, though even Sprint reps admit that they don't know what's coming in the iPhone upgrade, which will probably be released on June 9, well before the Samsung Instinct makes it to stores on June 20. The carrier brags about GPS capabilties, improved network speeds on their EV-DO Rev. A network and an over-the-air music store. Unfortunately, all of these are rumored, and perhaps likely features on an upcoming Apple iPhone revision. For real innovation, the only new trick we've seen the Samsung Instinct perform is the camera browser feat, in which the Web browser uses the camera as a mock-accelerometer to let the user scroll through pages by moving the phone around. We asked if this sort of feature was being integrated elsewhere into the phone, but Sprint's response led us to believe this will only be available for the browser. Too bad, this idea might have some potential, if Sprint and Samsung can pull it off.
How will it beat the Apple iPhone?
We're loath to declare a phone the iPhone-killer, but this phone does have an opportunity to take on the iPhone in some interesting ways. The haptic feedback, from our experience, makes a real difference when using an onscreen QWERTY keyboard, so we'd like to see Samsung really polish this feature. We've also had a great experience on Sprint's fast EV-DO Rev. A network, using the Sprint Mogul, so if Apple fails to offer tethered modem support on its next version of the Apple iPhone, this could be another advantage. In terms of software and services, we'd like to see Sprint throw everything they've got at the Samsung Instinct. Sprint TV, Sprint Music, Sprint Movies, all of these should be there. Sprint Navigation is a certainty, but we'd also like to see Sprint take Loopt or Buddy Beacon for a spin, as well as other location-based services.
Most importantly, though, Sprint and Samsung could undercut Apple significantly on the price. Sprint hasn't released details, but we're betting this phone will hit the market for $250 to $300. That's too much by half. A $200 price point would be better, but selling this phone for $150 would make it truly compelling. As long as the prices for unlimited data plans are required (and expensive), best to lock in as many contracted users as possible, and deep subsidies are the way to do that. It's worked in Europe, after all.
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