The Samsung Instinct: good but not great.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)Two weeks ago, I asked Samsung Instinct owners to tell me what they thought of their phones. Normally, I don't write blogs asking for comments on individual phones after we've reviewed them, but Sprint's Instinct had me worried. While I liked the handset when I reviewed it, I know that people who use a phone long term can develop varying opinions. After I started to get e-mails from disappointed Instinct users, I began to wonder if I had it wrong. Even now, the average user score on the review almost matches my score of four stars (or 8.0), but perhaps opinions were changing over time.
After a careful review of the responses to my blog, it's clear that the Instinct is a good phone, but it falls short of a being a great phone. Of the 67 verbose and candid comments that passed the "relevancy" test (I had to discount quite a few because they were duplicate posts, comments from non-Instinct owners, flame wars, or just off topic), opinions were just about evenly spread. The largest group (39 percent) wrote that they liked the phone overall, but they didn't shy away from registering quite a few complaints. The next largest group (31 percent) was soundly positive with very few gripes, while 30 percent were strongly negative with very few praises. So even though the majority of users like the Instinct, many of them do so only begrudgingly. On the other hand, the unhappy minority is shouting at the top of their lungs.
Let me state that this wasn't a scientific study by any means. Also, while one reader warned me that there was a "concerted effort" on Sprint forums to bombard my blog with negative comments, the results are interesting nonetheless. For the most part the "likes and "dislikes" were universal. I'll list those below. Also, while I agreed with most of the complaints, and noted them in my review, there were a few gripes that didn't occur to me before. As I said, long-term use gives a fresh perspective. So now, on to the opinions (albeit in a Zagat's Survey format).
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Tell us about your Samsung Instinct.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)Owners of the Samsung Instinct, I want to hear from you. Though the iPhone rival was one of the hottest cell phones of the summer, its successes and shortcomings haven't received quite as much attention as Apple's device. Similarly, while I see tens of iPhone users every day, I've seen nearly as many Instincts in the wild.
The first time I saw an Instinct owner using his device in public, I had to ask him what he thought of his phone. He responded that while there were certain things he really loved about it, there were also things he really hated. He loved the call quality, the design, the interface, and the general features, but he hated the Web browser and the lack of wireless Outlook calendar syncing.
In the last few weeks, I've received a few e-mails from Instinct owners voicing similar complaints. Personally, I liked the Instinct when I reviewed it, but my experience will be different from a long-term user.
One user complained about the lack of LUDCI keyboard, which makes the phone not Java-standards compliant. Also, it makes it a bit tricky to run third-party applications. Sprint, however, is aiming to add a LCDUI keyboard by the end of the year or sooner.
So I ask you Instinct owners, do you like your phone? What are the high points, and what are the low points. Spill your dirt, for I'm all ears.
It's even cheaper.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)Last week I told you that Sprint was preparing to offer its new Instinct cell phone for $199. But now, I have to admit that I jumped the gun just a bit. Sprint finally confirmed today that when the Instinct goes on sale Friday it will cost just $129 after a $100 mail-in rebate. You will have to sign a two-year contract with a Simply Everything plan, which starts at $69 per month. With such a hefty price drop, it's even clearer that Sprint is taking on the iPhone 3G, which will sell for $199 or $299 depending on the memory size. The new iPhone plans also start at $69 per month.
Samsung Instinct
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)The Samsung Instinct, Sprint's answer to the iPhone, finally has arrived. It's been two months since we first saw the slim touch-screen cell phone with a boatload of features, but now we've had the opportunity to kick its tires and run it through its paces. What we found is an innovative, powerful and easy-to-use device that matches the original iPhone in many ways. The Instinct's appealing design and plentiful features, particularly in the messaging and GPS areas, push it to the forefront of Sprint's lineup. Things got a little shaky on the performance side, but on the whole the Instinct is a cell phone worth knowing. It goes on sale June 20 for a still undetermined price, but we know it will cost less than $300 and it will require a Sprint "Simply Everything" plan. Until you can get one of your own, you can check out our full Instinct review or you can peruse our Instinct slide show.
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