Sprint and Samsung Mobile today announced the upcoming availability of a new wireless device, Samsung Instinct, which offers consumers an industry-leading user experience by combining full touch-screen functionality with fast speeds available on the nation's largest mobile broadband network. This revolutionary device speeds up the user experience like no other touch-screen phone and brings the customer's most-used applications and contacts within a single finger tap. The "Instinct" received the "Best In Show" during the Emerging Technology (E-Tech) Award competition, which took place during the CTIA Wireless 2008 convention in Las Vegas. For those who have been looking ut for iPhone alternatves, Instinct may deserve a look.The Samsung Instinct was first voted "First Place" in the Mobile CE Smartphones category by a panel consisting of 31 judges. The "Best In Show" award was then chosen by CTIA attendees. Not surprisingly, attendees voted via text message. CNET also bestowed an award on the Samsung Instinct during its Cream of the Crop CTIA 2008 Awards. The phone was given the title "Best Cell Phone" by CNET.
Sprint and Samsung first announced the Samsung Instinct April 1st. The phone is expected to compete with the iPhone because of the touch screen technology used by the phone in addition to its virtual QWERTY keyboard and voice activation features. The phone is also the first EV-DO Rev A device by Sprint which is marketed toward consumers. The Samsung Instinct is capable of accessing a number of Sprint services, including Sprint Navigation (GPS navigation), Live Search for Sprint, Sprint TV, Sprint Exclusive Entertainment, the Sprint Music Store and Pocket Express which provides news and access to weather, sports and movie showtimes based on zip code. The Samsung Instinct is expected to be available in June.
As Sprint's first EV-DO Rev A consumer-centric device, Samsung Instinct also provides access to Sprint exclusive services and multimedia content, including:
* Sprint Navigation, powered by Telenav, with GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions, one-click traffic rerouting and more than 10 million local listings
* Live Search for Sprint, powered by Microsoft, provides easy access to directory information on-the-go, GPS-enabled directions, interactive maps and one-touch click to call access
* Sprint TV(R), with an extensive selection of live and on-demand programming
Sprint Exclusive Entertainment (SEE), the industry's only made-for-mobile sports and entertainment video programming network
* Sprint Music Store, allowing users to browse and wirelessly download full-length songs directly to their phone for just 99 cents each
* Pocket Express(R), with up-to-date information on sports, weather, news, movie showtimes and other options customized to the user's zip code
The Samsung Instinct sure looks promising; check out more at Sprint's News Release. It may not be a cut-throat competition to the iPhone, but if it delivers what it promises, Sprint could at least keep its current customer base from moving over to AT&T.
