CTIA: Samsung launches new Instinct s30

Samsung has decided to play it safe by announcing the Instinct s30, a successor to the ultra-talented Instinct that adds only minor tweaks. Launched last year, the original Instinct deftly integrates voice activated Web searches with GPS navigation and telephony. It ranks respectably in our cell phone Ratings (available to subscribers), even if there are better carriers than Sprint, its exclusive carrier, as our Ratings of cell-phone service (also available to subscribers) indicate.

The Instinct S-30 will be available April 19 from Sprint, at $130 with a two-year contract and rebates. The new phone appears to retain the best qualities of its predecessor. It adds built-in instant messaging, however, and promises improved Web-browsing via its default browser and Opera Mini 4.2. You'll also now be able to synch e-mail with Microsoft Outlook.

The new Instinct is also slightly rounder and thinner than the original, measuring 2.1 x 4.6 x 0.5 inches. It weighs 3.9 ounces. Like the original Instinct, it supports microSD cards, and the maximum capacity it supports has doubled, to 16 gigabytes. That said, it isn't clear that you'll actually need that extra storage, since the resolution of the camera remains only 1.9 megapixels and you still can't open e-mail attachments. — Mike Gikas