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]

[Stephanie C Posted 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.

[(Unverified) Posted May 6th 2008 5:03PM]

I will be switching from Verizon to get this phone. I had the Glyde for a few days and hated it.

I would like to have an IPhone but I have a Motorola S9 bluetooth headset and I need to be able to play mp3s on the train which unfortunately the IPhone is not able to utilize stereo bluetooth.

I realize I am "downgrading" by going with Sprint but it would be the same had I chosen AT&T.

For me, my chief concerns are the ability to play mp3s and videos I burn onto a microsd card for my entertainment purposes during the commute. Since the IPhone can't handle stereo bluetooth without an adapter which I refuse to get I will be getting this.

Samsung got it right. They added in all the stuff that I wished the IPhone had. They will be getting my business.

[(Unverified) Posted May 6th 2008 5:08PM]

I would also like to add the ability to remove my battery without being forced to ship it back to Apple and the ability to drag and drop my multimedia files without being forced to use ITunes which I do not use on my PC.