Mossberg reviews Samsung Instinct, accidentally previews iPhone 3G
By Thomas Ricker 
posted June 12th 2008 5:40AM
posted June 12th 2008 5:40AM
It's a given that Mr. Mossberg has a thing for Apple's gear. In his opinion, it's simply a better choice for his mainstream readership. It's also obvious that Sprint and Samsung are intent on besting the capabilities of the first generation iPhone with their new Instinct. Still, we can't help but to giggle like Japanese school girls when his review of Samsung's Instinct turns into a preview of the iPhone 3G. By our quick count, he mentions "iPhone" 31 times to just 19 mentions of "Instinct." His bottom line as you'd expect is that the "ok" Instinct simply can't compete with the iPhone. Then again, the iPhone 3G can't be used on Sprint's network... or anywhere else until July 11th.
Did any one else think Mossberg was wearing a police uniform when viewing his picture from the main site?
Yawn, I'm so tired of iPhone now, I thought apple stuff was supposed to be high end. Epic fail with the 3G version Stevie.
is the iPod high-end?
it has 70% market share ffs
Good point Vince, Mossberg is the puppet master! Dance senile puppets - dance!! :D
As is apparent in his video and post, he's clearly a biased journalist. Fail.
isn't he right? Jobs my saviour said an astounding ammount used 8 or more features of the iphone. Witch means its easy to use, even for low end people (new term for lesser technofile people :-). Think about the windows mobile with its task manager (!). Yes another argument from the wwdc 2008 keynote.
Wow, I laughed when I found out that many Engadget readers (well, commentors anyway) are pretty much anti-Mossberg.
Yeah, what the hell is going on around here? Engadget generally had readership bias towards apple products, just like some other sites have bias toward Microsoft (e.g. Daily Tech). As recent as a few months ago. Is Apple becoming the new Microsoft (love to hate)? Or is there a large shift in readership (whether random or orchestrated)? It's quite worrying, not because I care too much about the bias itself (as long as it's not obnoxiously out of whack) but because I need to know which WAY the bias blows so I can evaluate all the comments to get a feel what people think about a new product. For example, comments about iPhone and Mossberg like on this thread would be par for the course on Daily Tech. Over here, they would imply that 3G iPhone is a *terrible* product - maybe even worse than Air - and that Apple is on a highway to Hell.
Hahaha professional fanboy. Though I agree. A bit.
Cripes, if his job is to review a cellphone he should review said phone. Not yammer on about a competing product. It he wants to do a side by side comparison, it should not be billed as a review of a single phone. Apple fanboys make me sad.
If Samsung Instinct is rumored to be an iphone clone, he has to compare it to the original. If hes obvioulsy biased, it will just hurt the iphone in the long run. (had to type this twice as safari on my iphone crashed damnit)
Again I say ... Samsung started the comparison on their own website. You can't criticize a journalist who continues the comparison.
http://nowisgood.com/
@vince
good point. I'll show moss' review to my dad, maybe he'll get an iphone.
Well done Engadget - by my quick count you mention iPhone 6 times and Instinct only twice - as Andy TGD says Mr Pot meet Mr Kettle...
the only thing that bugged me really is when he called the confirmation feedback from the samsung "gimmicky". force feedback for a touch screen device is a much needed feature on any touch screen device.
Oddly enough I saw a commercial for a Samsung product preceding a movie at the theatre(I hate that) in which they mention the iPhone at least 5 times. They even used the hack phrase iPhone Killer…
Does anyone else have the urge as soon as they see Mossberg's archaic face, to kick him as hard as possible squarely in the nuts? I'm so tired of seeing UBER-Fanboi #1 weigh in with his Apple-biased opinions. There should be a disclaimer in every piece that reads "as good as this product is, it will never compare to the Apple counterpart" just to save Unkie Walt some brain cycles and keystrokes from his arthritic fingers.
Guys, this is what you call a Senior Moment. Anyone who remembers when electricity was first brought to their street is TOOOOOO old to be reviewing technology. It's sort of like that crypt keeper guy that's running for president. There's a time and a place for guys like you to go home to your nursing facilities.
2nd rate hack, pure and simple.
I cant for the life of me even begin to understand why this guy is taken seriously by anyone.
It seems that he has only two jobs:
1. Promote Apple products.
2. Make sure no one thinks the competition could be as good Apple.
Why on Earth hasn't the WSJ ditched this loon is beyond me.
The last line of the article implies that the iphone will work on Sprint's network as well on July 11th...
...but i'm pretty used to poor writing from engadget.
This article was not a review for the instinct, it was about an iphone clone.
That is why he mentions the iphone so much. I'm pretty new here. From what I've gathered a large percentage of the people here are angry turds.
Mossberg is now the paid hacks of Rupert Murdoch. He gets equipment to review for free. If he were to bad mouth Apple, Steve Jobs would personnally tell Apple to stop supplying him equipment.
He mentions that he does buy equipment but I bet he doesn't pay the same as us peons.
This guy is such a Steve Jobs tool.…
I think that Samsung/Sprint had this coming to them. They are dubbing this an iPhone competitor, so everyone is going to base their review against the iPhone.
However, the article does not a) really review the Instinct or 2) fairly compare and contrast the two units. Either or would do the Instinct more justice.
I've been reading the WSJ and thus his articles for years and he has written many articles like this pushing Apple products whenever possible, even when unecessary.
There was one article from more than a year ago after iPhone was announced where he was comparing the Samsung Blackjack against the Treo 750. I remember him inserting a paragraph about how iPhone might beat them both.
I am an Apple desktop & iPod user and like their products. However, technology reviews, especially from a mainstream paper like this, should be more objective.
What in the hell does task manager have to do with the user interface on Windows Mobile?
CORRECT.
Imagine making mention that all these wannabes are pathetic imitation attempts of iPhone.
What the so called tech writers/bloggers continue in failing to mention when reviewing this piece of "me to" device is the touchscreen. As Mr. Mossberg has pointed out, its nothing more than your basic "ANCIENT" ATM type screen. Yet writers/reviewer provide the impression as if its just like the iPhones screen, but association of the word "touchscreen". Good job Mr. Mossberg.
I will not agree with you that this article is a good piece, by any means. However, touchscreens on phones today are nothing short of ridiculous. They use a stylus for "precision" which they most certainly are not. They need to be calibrated, but don't hold the stylus wrong or you'll be off a little bit everytime you try to tap something. Using a finger to navigate Winmo is terrible. I navigate mainly by means of hardware buttons, but am forced to tap every now and then and i don't pull out the stylus so i can get to my damn sent folder in email. Fat fingers + inaccurate touchscreen = sucks. These touchscreens with two films (cant remember name) make them even more inaccurate, seriously, its time for an update.
Sorry to break it everyone, but this Samsung is a cheap iPhone knock off. (Only it isn't any cheaper). You simply cannot review it without comparing it to its inspiration. Even Samsung realizes this (seen the ad yet?).
Wow, enlightening.
Tool
Walt sucks like a $5 hooker.
i learned absolutely nothing
how old is he?
O look another IPhone story. Wow big suprise engadget, maybe Mossberg could get a job you. Although I have to agree with Mossberg. The Iphone 3 is a high class hooker that only has a few new tricks. The Samsung instinct is a cheap whore that is about 30 years past their prime trying to be the high class hooker.
As for the on going comments about WinMo its not the greatest touch capable os out there. But with a few minor tweaks and some additional software (mostly free) the touch experience is actually pleasant. Yes things will lag still, but hell I'm sure even the iphone will lag at times with all of the 3rd party apps coming online.
im sick of hearing about the iphone, EVEN in reviews NOT ABOUT the iphone.
hahaha.. Boomers. I HATES boomers. LAME.
My god, that guy's reviews get worse every year. It's amazing he gets paid for that. I haven't seen the Instinct or the iPhone 3G, but I do have a 3G smartphone from Sprint and WiFi is completely unnecessary (I have it and never use it) since Sprint has a very good 3G network with very high speeds, exceeding that of most DSL lines.
I believe the instinct also has GPS, as do most Sprint phones. No idea how well it's implemented, but force feedback on a touchscreen phone is not a gimmick, Apple has licensed it for the iPhone and hasn't seen fit to implement it yet.
Some better criticisms for the Instinct, is music and applications. I wouldn't be shocked if it did do cut/paste and had stereo bluetooth (some of the iPhones bigger ommissions)
"...giggle like Japanese school girls..."
You do realise that Samsung are S.Korean?
Not saying that Japanese school girls don't have the right to giggle about electronics, just pointing out that "..giggle like Korean school girls..." would be more appropriate in Samsungs case.
At first I thought, "Oh, Mossy's review can't be THAT bad."
Then I read the review. Heck, he can just take the middle 3 paragraphs and copy/paste them into his upcoming iPhone review. Why? Because he doesn't even mention the Instinct in them! At all!
That said, I just ate my hat and you all are right: He's a shill.