Dan’s Surfing Snippets

Since the first dazzling commercials of the Apple iPhone I was both amazed and intrigued. I saw the crowds of people line up for hours to get their hands on a new generation of phone that used an innovative “touch Screen” method integrating gps technology to make calls, connect to the web and make phone calls all combined with the functions of a widescreen iPod.

 

For some reason I just stayed on the sideline and watched. Since I currently use Sprint I wasn’t too keen on switching to AT&T. This pricey device had some initial problems including slow connectivity to the web and a costly monthly phone bill.

 

Then Apple listened to its audience and came out with the faster and somewhat less costly iPhone 3G with even more features added. Still, you have to sign up with the AT&T network which leaves a lot to be desired. I have been using Sprint for years and if the iPhone let users choose a different network I might have purchased the 3G.

 

However, just a few weeks ago Sprint released their “touch screen” multimedia Smart phone the Samsung Instinct. The ads caught my eye and my curiosity peaked so I dove into my research of this alternative to the iPhone.

 

Having been fully satisfied with the better $129 price, better phone network with faster speed and similar options (as I compared the two) I ordered the Sprint Samsung Instinct. Value-wise the Samsung Instinct is also better than the new Verizon LG Dare. As a Sprint customer I was entitled to an additional rebate savings.

 

I did the order by phone and it took about two weeks to arrive because so many people have had the same idea. Sprint has been so swamped with orders that they are desperately trying to fill them as fast as possible.

 

The phone had to be activated so I did this by phone with a friendly Sprint representative and then they asked me to wait about 2 hours more for my current Sprint phone to be deactivated and for the transfer to take place.

 

The Samsung Instinct came with an additional battery and external battery charger which I thought was thoughtful. Other items include stereo Bluetooth headset and USB cable to connect with your PC when using the Media Manager Software to transfer music, photos and video clips.

 

Sure enough I was finally connected and online. The Instinct comes with a ton of features and some (to my surprise) not found at all on the iPhone like live mobile TV or speed dialing from the home screen and voice activated commands. With the iPhone you can only buy music via WiFi (when you can connect) and not cellular as with the Instinct.

 

I found it to be very user friendly and easy to navigate, especially with the three shortcut buttons at the bottom for back, home and phone. The iPhone only has one “home” button. The touch screen menus are very easy to navigate and you can adjust the touch sensitivity to suit your needs.

 

Narrower and lighter than the iPhone, the Samsung Instinct has a haptic feature  –a slight vibration when you touch a screen button— that lets you know that your command is received.

 

Samsung Instinct texting is in landscape mode which seems easier to use for me and vertical mode (you can also draw the characters with your finger or stylus) while the iPhone can only be used in vertical view during this operation. Yes, the visual experience using the iPhone is slightly better.

 

In comparison to the Apple iPhone and Verizon’s LG Dare the Sprint Samsung Instinct has the most features, the best value and does it all very well. These include Sprint TV, streaming audio content, visual voice mail, camera, camcorder, web browser, listening to music, viewing photos, GPS, Voice Command System, purchasing music online or slide loading from my computer, and the other standards such as calculator, clock,

email, test messaging, voicemail, notes, and more.

 

I am having a very a positive user experience with the Samsung Instinct. I have been able to easily make calls whether using Voice Command, Contact List or typing in the phone number. Call quality has been excellent. I was able to pull up the GPS Navigational system easily from both buttons and Voice Command. I especially like this feature for driving because a soft sounding voice gives you turn by turn instructions.

 

Although many online reviews have called the Samsung Instinct the “iPhone Killer,” which denotes a lot of praise, I wouldn’t go that far but would say that it can stand up head-to-head to the iPhone 3G. For me, I find it very practical and a lot of fun! For more info go to: http://www.instinctthephone.com/