Cell Phone Review: Samsung Instinct

The Instinct is Sprint's best multimedia phone at this point in time. Samsung got it right when they released this phone. I go through cell phones like I go through shoes. There are so many options on this phone and so may different features that allow it to become more than just a cell phone. It becomes a necessity; part of your daily lifestyle. I have used many Windows Mobile and Palm OS phones, and I truly believe that up to date, the Instinct is Sprint's best multimedia phone.

Let's first start off with call quality: I have read some reviews stating that the call quality of the Instinct is iffy. I must say that in the months I have experienced this phone, I have not had any problems in making or receiving calls. I believe that call quality tends to be related to reception and is coverage dependent. In my case, I haven't had any issues. Most of my calls are clear, crisp, and loud. I have noticed that the signal indicator does fluctuate more than my previous phones, but it doesn't seem to affect any of the phone's operations.

The touch interface: I haven't had too many issues with lag time when I move from application to application. The touch screen is extremely responsive. It has a landscape QWERTY keyboard that is great. Most touch screen phones take some getting used to as each are different in their layouts. The Instinct comes with a stylus but I don't really use it too much. Typing on the Instinct becomes much easier also after getting used to the interface.

Battery Life: Battery life is just as good as any multimedia phone. I use Microsoft Exchange and AOL push email and I talk about 2-3 hours per day. I also text regularly and surf the web regularly on my phone. I can get through ¾ a day without charging my battery. The beauty of this phone is that it comes with two batteries! It's enough to make anyone jealous. Now, I rarely switch them out as I just plug in my Instinct when I come home from work, but in the event of an emergency, you do have a spare!

Camera: The picture quality is decent. What do you expect in a cell phone? This phone does not come with a flash and will give you an average cell phone picture. Nothing spectacular!

Cons and other items: Sprint TV and radio are great to use on this phone when you have some free time. Make sure you stay in EVDO if you are using though, otherwise you will mostly get pixelated and frozen screens. Windows Live Search is awesome. You no longer need to use the On Demand feature because you can open up Windows Live and simply say what you are looking for and it will find it in a second. Visual voicemail is a great feature on this phone and I have found that it is a bit easier to use than the iPhone. The Instinct does not have WiFi, but maybe this will be released in the next model if there is one. When surfing the web, at times the screen is cramped because of the side bars. Also, you cannot view PDF or Microsoft Office files. One major upset in this phone is that you cannot sync your Outlook contacts and calendar. That is a major pain when you are used to using Windows Pocket PC and Palm OS phones. Also, with the threaded texting, there is no way to change the colors. It is very had to see the difference when you are in sunlight.