Sprint licenses Visual Voicemail for the Samsung Instinct

It looks like Samsung's Instinct won't just be kinda-sorta doing some iPhone stuff -- it will be doing actual iPhone stuff. Sprint announced that it has licensed Klausner's Visual Voicemail (yes, Visual Voicemail) for use in the familiar looking device, adding weight to the argument that this is the carrier's official play for the iPhone market. If you'll recall, Klausner sued AT&T and Apple over the feature, which it claims violated two of its patents. Now all they need to do is throw Cover Flow, Google Maps integration, and some wiggly icons on there, and this race will really get heated.

[Via I4U News]

[peshue @ Apr 6th 2008 7:16PM]

Great, I hope more companies start licensing it, regular voicemail is absurdly outdated.

[snitch @ Apr 6th 2008 7:22PM]

Things will really get heated if apple where to come out with granted patents for all this stuff from the early 80s, remember they're a software company after all. I mean come on it's not like they didn't know they where going to get sue at some point for this. Maybe they know something Klausner's don't know

[tubbingsurf3 @ Apr 6th 2008 7:24PM]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=snKmsPe78H8

[15minutesdeep @ Apr 7th 2008 11:01AM]

Why did I just click that?

[alloneword @ Apr 6th 2008 7:27PM]

This whole visual voice mail thing still confuses me. Why is it so revolutionary. I get all my voice mails emailed to my phone as attachments. It shows me who rang, and when, then I can work out what one I want to listen to. Sounds a lot like the Apple thing, except it isn't in its own menu.

[smayton @ Apr 6th 2008 7:34PM]

Anyone who buys this obvious iPhone knockoff is probably someone who would buy a v-twin jap harley knockoff. You have no class.

[mykie @ Apr 6th 2008 7:47PM]

What makes you think that Apple and AT&T should be the only companies to be able to sell a touch-driven cell phone?

[jake @ Apr 6th 2008 7:53PM]

@smayton
Wow, another excellent first post on Engadget (sarcasm).

On the "smartphone-ness" of the iphone, I agree it's missing a few things like other members mentioned. But the recent release of the SDK, exchange support, and the rumored 3G iphone will place it squarely in that category. The "iphone2" will be a phone to look out for. Again, holding out for an android phone or an iphone2.

But in terms of marketing, the iphone is in every sense the same kind of consumer phone that the Instinct and some recent LG models are. Maybe it's a better testimony to it's ease of use, but I see lots of people who would NEVER consider a "smartphone," buy an iphone. The marketing angle is different, smartphones are marketed like a business tool that's also a phone; the iphone is just marketed like it's a very cool gadget/internet surfing/media device.

[jake @ Apr 6th 2008 7:54PM]

"the iphone is just marketed like it's a very cool gadget/internet surfing/media device" ...
oh yeah, and a phone.

[David @ Apr 7th 2008 7:15AM]

You have that so backwards.

It's the Harley people that have no class, and/or more money than brains.

I'd take a Japanese or Italian bike over your Harley junk any day of the week.

[Rob Schoenfeld @ Apr 7th 2008 3:15PM]

The Iphone is more of a status symbol rather then a smart phone.. Everyone who owns them had to pony up a small fortune to get it (except engadget writers, they just have to meet their daily apple blog posts.). Owning one lets everyone else know your better then they are. Also the Iphone UI is pretty solid. I mean a four year old could use it with little or no learning curve. What I don't understand is why in the hell did MSFT license exchange to Apple.. Very strange move.

[People Have Really Sunk to a New Low! @ Apr 9th 2008 11:20PM]

Rob Schoenfeld, that was never true on my part.

@smayton, it was already speculated many times over that the iPhone would be imitated. As long as they don't do anything that's an outright blatant copy of the actual iPhone, there are things that they can get away with. We've already seen a few iPhone features copied by other manufacturers. Popular things get imitated all the time. Although I don't understand how Meizu(I think that's the one) never got sued because that IS almost a direct copy.

[aaron @ Apr 6th 2008 7:42PM]

We heard you the first time, buddy.

[Jack @ Apr 6th 2008 9:55PM]

I'm not your buddy, guy.

[CraigJ @ Apr 7th 2008 12:46AM]

I'm not your guy, friend.

[aaron @ Apr 6th 2008 7:43PM]

My previous post is to QVGA...grr

[Seth Rubenstein @ Apr 6th 2008 7:50PM]

Other problem, the interface is complete shite. I mean thats what makes the iPhone. It's not the technologies, they already existed just not all in one device, its the seemless interface that connects the technologies that make the iPhone great.

[Tomegun @ Apr 6th 2008 8:05PM]

Apple is an industry leader and some people just hate them. Would we have phones touted as "iPhone killers" without the iPhone? Would the Instinct just happen to have this form factor and OS without the iPhone? Once the iPhone App store opens up what excuse will people have for not using it for business?

Say what you will, but Apple makes products that look sexy and work as advertised.

[okayokay @ Apr 6th 2008 8:32PM]

What do you do now, that makes the concept of recording a message in the absence of speaking to someone, outdated?

You must be the guru of the recording industry, and now that you have seen to it that the quality of music is exponentially better than it ever was,
you are bored.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Apr 6th 2008 8:47PM]

Samsung Instinct says, "When I grow up, I want to be just like the iPhone." Well, you know what they, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." I don't care if Samsung licenses Visual Voicemail just as long as they don't try to get a license for running OSX. Hey, they also ripped off the "i" at the beginning of the the name Instinct.


SARCASM ALERT!!!

[Ryan @ Apr 6th 2008 8:54PM]

Wait? Don't I already have this, oh no sorry that's my iPhone. Lets welcome the new generation of iPhone knock-offs. Isn't it funny? It seems no one can come up with their own designs they just copy Apple. hm. I guess Mac's are better than PC's

[ethana2 @ Apr 6th 2008 9:26PM]

some expressions to remember, Ryan:
x86 = x86
Linux > OSX > Windows for quality
Linux > Windows > OSX for hardware compat.
Windows > WINE > ReactOS for windows software compat.
compiz > quartz > aero for composting
Linux > OSX > Windows for portability
Linux > OSX > Windows for performance
Linux > Windows > OSX for end user flexibility.

...and end user flexibility? That's what matters. OSX sucks.

[Abuzar @ Apr 6th 2008 11:04PM]

Hey Ethan.

End user fuctionality

Windows>Linux>OSX

That's what REALLY matters.

[CraigJ @ Apr 7th 2008 12:55AM]

To some functionality is most important, however to a lot of users ease of use and lack of complexity is important so in some cases Windows > OS X and in others OS X > Windows and in others OS X = Windows. It all depends on your level of ability, your threshold for bullshit and having things hidden from you or in your face, but most of all, it depends on what exactly it is you want to do, and how you want to do it. For most things I prefer Mac OS, for some things I prefer Windows, and for some other things I prefer the Linux command line.

c-c-can't we all just get along?

[daniel @ Apr 7th 2008 3:58AM]

Wow you guys made an article about Sprint licensing Visual Voicemail for the Samsung Instinct into another Mac v PC "debate"/argument. Very clever.

[ethana2 @ Apr 6th 2008 9:12PM]

gmail + GrandCentral + WiMax

...quit wasting our time with halfway solutions. I don't check my voicemail now, and I won't until it is emailed to me by my provider.

[ethana2 @ Apr 6th 2008 10:35PM]

I hear windows users still have to keep track of hardware drivers. I'm dead serious.

[Abuzar @ Apr 6th 2008 11:39PM]

Ethana, you're the clak of the Linux side.

[ethana2 @ Apr 7th 2008 12:52AM]

Does this clak fellow offer unlimited free tech support for people who migrate and comprehensive personal computing consultation?
[e-mail]

[Abuzar @ Apr 7th 2008 1:07AM]

Nah, but you're the closest equivalent.



I'm gonna send you SPAM by the way.

[ethana2 @ Apr 7th 2008 1:40AM]

Note the '@gmail.com'
(spam? What's that?)

CraigJ, we'll all get along in five years. Right now, there are a few companies like EA, creative and lexmark that need to see some numbers.

[Scott @ Jul 3rd 2008 11:24AM]

Linux is good at being a server and being secure, it fails horribly at everything else.

Linux is flexible if you're a system admin, if you're a regular user, it's a big, giant, prick.

Amish people use linux, because they're stubborn.

I have an instinct, it works fine. Who cares if it copied the look, it's a big touch screen, wtf is it supposed to look like?

[Anthony H. @ Apr 6th 2008 10:24PM]

"Linux > Windows > OSX for hardware compat."

You're kidding right?

[Scott @ Apr 6th 2008 10:30PM]

For one thing. Sprint has a bad rap cause of the cs. But the network rocks. has the most 3g coverage of any carrier. If you look in rural areas gsm sucks (thats you att)/ also att gave in to bushes wiretapping.

As far as coverage sprint has the most roaming agreements of any carrier. Meaning verizon , alltel and us cellular. att has ummmmmmmm att and t-mobile.



Sprint rocks, and its only gonna get better

Yea and sprint everything plan for 99 is everything, voice, web, texting, picture mail, gps.

Verizon and att has just voice.

And sero plans.

I get 500 anytime minutes, night and weekends starting at 7. unlimited wed and unlimited text messaging for $30 dollars a month. Beat that att and verizon

[DP @ Apr 6th 2008 11:47PM]

How funny is it to look at some of the comments that you know were supposed to be a reply:

"No, the UI."

[ld @ Apr 7th 2008 12:50AM]

omg, why does everyone forget that the iphone is copying touch screen phones from lg. i'm sure samsung had some version of a touch phone before apple as well. it's like, ooh apple created a touch phone and this is a totally original idea by apple. stupid americans or should is say stupid apple lovers.

[jake @ Apr 7th 2008 1:51AM]

Well, though I agree it's a little overboard to have so many "omg they copied Apple" comments (esp with this one like somehow Apple INVENTED visual voicemail and anyone who uses it is COPYING them), there is a little bit of truth in that few people gave half a sh*t about full touchscreen form factor phones before the LG prada/Apple iPhone (most touchscreen phones were slider phones with the few full touchscreen phones being PDA phones like the Nokia 7710 (2004), Motorola A1000 (2004), Samsung i700(2004), etc).

[jake @ Apr 7th 2008 1:59AM]

"few people gave half a sh*t about full touchscreen form factor phones"...
have to add, in America, at least. Other countries have probably seen a much larger variety of and more advanced phones, which explains why the iPhone was such an amazing seller in the US, while in Europe it was much weaker, not a flop, but considerably weaker.

[periks19 @ Apr 7th 2008 4:14AM]

Why are there are lot of people here saying samsung copied the iphone is not like the iphone was the first touchscreen phone. Now voicemail apple sure did not invented. Now sprint is licensing voicemail doing it the legal way. Sure the iphone is a great device and had lot of success selling not hating on the iphone, but there are alot of people who are hating on the instinct a phone that is not even out yet more hating on sprint. Whats the problem with sprint yes of course CS thats about the negative thing people come out when talking about sprint how bout positive things like better data coverage than att and faster for example the evdo rev a broadband cards and upcoming handset with rev a like the instinct, update for touch, and currently the mogul rocking rev a. Instinct is a phone that is similar to the iphone physically and has important capabilities that the iphone is missing. Even when the 3g iphone comes out this phone will still be faster with rev a well it wouldn't be that bad for iphone2 users using 3g anyways it will be fast too but not like the instinct. One thing to mention has anyone noticed how on the apple/iphone website or tv adds when you check see the videos of the iphone on the internet the iphone is connected using wifi instead of edge? Anyways i think is bad in way fooling potential (normal people that don't know that edge is slow) customers that when you buy an iphone the internet will be as advertised: for example, a friend of mines bought an iphone and now complains about how slow surfing the internet and expensive is which brings out the second thing he complains the iphone bill. The point is when the iphone came out many normal people bought the iphone because it was a nice looking device and hot, but the hard reality hit them with the first bill and the slowness of the internet. Many switch back others are stuck with att. The top 3 things iphone users complain about is 1. The network 2. Expensive bill 3. Slowness of internet. Like sprint will heavily advertise the instinct a nice looking phone is a good move. They will have a nice/hot looking device in june and would get many new customers not surprised to see att customers with iphone going for the instinct so in conclusion it is a good move by sprint to heavily advertise and was a good move by samsung to bring the instinct to sprint. Most of the people hating here are either apple fanboys or att loyals.

[Rob Schoenfeld @ Apr 7th 2008 3:15PM]

My eyes are bleeding. Paragraphs for god-sake man..

[Jay @ Apr 7th 2008 5:19AM]

wth. why do ppl keep saying that it's an iphone knock off. LG's prada phone came out more than a year earlier than iphone.

[wifiguy @ Apr 7th 2008 6:11AM]

If your definition of a smart phone is you gotta be smart to use it than the iPhone is not a smartphone because it's too easy to use. In other words, it's the smartphone for dumb people.

[David @ Apr 7th 2008 7:19AM]

I only buy GSM phones, so what Sprint offers is completely irrelevant to me, no matter how great (or not) it is.

Now then, why won't T-Mobile license this Visual Voicemail technology? Why? Oh...I dunno...

[Mark @ Apr 7th 2008 9:22AM]

I like how everyone makes their own definition of a smartphone: "It can't record video and until it does, it's not a smartphone."

[PS3guy @ Apr 7th 2008 9:57AM]

No osx no sdk no thank I'll pass

[Phoenix Sanders @ Apr 7th 2008 3:05PM]

After reading all these posts its pretty ridiculous that people still think the iphone was the first full touch screen phone. Like what has been said many times before on engadget there have been touch phones before the iphone including the prada phone. Also, regarding the blog thing the instinct wont need google maps because it will come with sprint navigator which includes TURN by TURN gps. Also the only reason the iphone wasn't a giant flop is because it was easy to use and because Apple is genius in the marketing of any of their products. I think all of the little teenagers who saw it were amazed by how it could go on the internet and view youtube, and all the wannabe business men that were to lazy to learn how to use a winmo, palm, or symbian. which are all way better if you are a business man.
As for the teenagers i still know people including adults and teenagers who think the iphone is the ONLY phone that can access the full internet and view online videos which is completely crazy and when skyfire and rev a for the htc touch comes out my phone is gonna e complete.

[loosely_coupled @ Apr 7th 2008 9:03PM]

...

[ridwan_shah @ Apr 9th 2008 12:03PM]

Just wanted to let u guys know especially @Chris and @Matt, Sprint has issues with their customer service over the phone. but as far as extending the contract for all lines when u upgrade 1 line or when u change plans, is totally false as of November 07. I know cause I work there in a corp store. Also when I even have to call customer service, i am frustrated by the end of the call, cause a) communication gap, b) they are not knowledgeable of the billing systems as we are in the States.


@Matt: If ur Major ret. store Sup or Manager advises u to say that all lines contract increase due to 1+ line upgrade, please inform them of company info falsification. I bet u get a corporate cell phone rep who comes in maybe every 3 months to do updates, ask him/her for updated info.

[Mobile Phone Diva @ Apr 9th 2008 11:49PM]

To those who think this isn't an iPhone copy, I do think that this phone is meant to be an answer to the popularity of the iPhone. It's true that Apple was never the origin of the touch screen phone, but it's their interface and the styling that's being imitated all over now.

[okayokay @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:36PM]

my comment should appear as a reply