Samsung Instinct: A budget iPhone alternative

Since it's little more than a week before the upgraded iPhone hits stores, it's hard not to measure the Samsung Instinct, a new Sprint-Nextel phone with multimedia features and a touch screen, against Apple's second-generation multimedia, touch-screen smartphone. (Click on the images for closer looks at the Instinct.)

Some comparisons are impossible until we actually get the iPhone 3G. In initial tests, though, the Instinct appears to be an impressive performer. It costs less than the 3G—$130 vs. $199, with a two-year contract—and it has some features, like voice activation, that we expect even the new iPhone won't have. It's a little narrower, and thus more palm-friendly. However, it lacks iPhone features like WiFi access and the ability to handle Office-type documents. It's also offered by a carrier that's fared worse in our recent cellphone service Ratings (available to subscribers) than even AT&T, the exclusive iPhone carrier, which has been middling in subscriber satisfaction.

As we reported earlier this year, the Instinct has an iPhone-like 3.2-in. (diag.) touch-screen display with a virtual QWERTY keyboard.  In our labs, the display was responsive and easy to read under most lighting conditions and the virtual keys proved to be well-spaced and, with the aid of vibration feedback, easy to hit with minimal errors.

Like the iPhone, the Instinct has a Rolodex-like interface for perusing your photo and music collections with a swipe of your finger. It proved easy to use. Surfing the Web was fast enough on Sprint's 3G EV-DO network, and you can even scroll up or down a Web page by tilting the Instinct while holding down the camera button. In messaging mode, you can use the included stylus to scribble numbers, letters, symbols, and punctuation (which the Instinct instantly converts into typed text) or to select Web links when surfing the Net—handy when links embedded on Web pages are too close to pick off with your finger.

You can even control the Instinct without touching it. The Speech to Action function, for instance, lets you search the Web, make calls, send pictures or text messages just by just speaking out terms. These searches, which take a little effort to master, are enhanced by Instinct's GPS technology, which factors in your current location while processing requests. For example, in Live Search mode, say "restaurant," and you'll see listings of local eateries. Select any in the list to call or to add to your contact list. You can also push the virtual car icon for audible, step-by-step driving directions to your selection.

Voice quality was very good when talking, good when listening—on a par with other CDMA phones. Talk time is adequate—just 3.75 hours. But the phone does come with an extra battery.

Besides GPS navigation, the Instinct comes with a music player and multitude of multimedia applications, including streaming TV and radio, music downloads, and game services. It supports Bluetooth data and stereo headsets and has a 1.9-megapixel digital camera that can record video. Like the iPhone, it has HTML support for glitch-free Web browsing; a visual voicemail application that lets you review your messages in any order you wish.

On the downside, the Instinct is a bit sluggish launching multimedia applications, and doesn't automatically switch views between landscape and portrait. And like the iPhone, it's also missing some useful features that are quite common on other phones, such as single-key, last-number redial and preset or customizable text messages.

Bottom line: The Instinct's a good choice if you're not already heavily invested in Apple's world—with, say your music collection in iTunes—and you're a satisfied Sprint customer in the market for a very capable phone with advanced features at a reasonable price. Others may want to consider other iPhone-like phones such as the LG Voyager and Samsung Glyde and, after next week, the new iPhone.

—Mike Gikas