Samsung sure managed to
move a lot of these Instincts, but the real question is: how many are
on their way back tomorrow? With the 30-day trial period quickly closing in on the earliest of adopters, we've seen a myriad complaints about Sprint's iPhone slayer (its words, not ours), and the first official software update isn't rumored to occur for at least another week or so. For those folks who plan on sticking with it (or those who've already said their final goodbyes), what would you have Sprint include in the next firmware? Better still, what would you change about the design? Are you sick and tired of the inexplicable reception fluctuations? Are you fed up with holding down a button to unlock the display? Aggravated with lockups twice a day, everyday? Enraged by the omission of a "force roam" option? And really, could Sprint have made the battery door any more impossible to remove? Rant on, ranters!
posted July 18th 2008 6:30PM
ive never had an issue removing the battery cover. put the phone screen down in your right palm.. with your left hand press firmly and slide up. not hard at all. id prefer this over a flimsy/loose cover any time.
PAM is not possible with a plan yet BUT you can disable modem nai and use PAM for free... even better. oh and people complaining the dont get calls while theyre online... you can fix that too. ##debugmenu#
ddtm off for calls ringing thru
modem nai off for free PAM usage
and now onto 3rd party apps. this phone has already been 'hacked' to allow 3rd party apps to run without being signed correctly. the only issue here is lack of developers. THE PHONE IS ABLE TO RUN 3RD PARTY SOFTWARE.
stop hating. this phone was named an iphone killer simply for having faster data services that the FIRST iphone. it was never compared to the iphone 3G.
Love you man, I knew about the NAI, but not the DDTM.
Thanks a million!
For others go to ##3282# to increase multimedia buffer to at leaset 20sec. Thus giving you a better browser/TV experience.
I'm not sure how many of you have actually used the Instinct, but I knew it had no chance competing with the iPhone in long run about 30 seconds in, and here is why.
1. Start a video on the instict.
2. Tap to display controls.
3. Look what happens.
Video gets choppy, pixelated. Animation for controls to come in does the same. This speaks to a poor OS. Much like the desktop computing revolution, the mobile computing revolution is going to be dependent on a solid OS construction because the amount of mobile processing done is going to exponentially go up in the next few years. I don't think there is anyone out there who would disagree that from a technical stand point, the OS X Mobile is far ahead of anyone else. Android is a close competitor, hell even RIM and Windows Mobile could have a chance with a big over haul. But some engineering team in Korea making the OS for the instinct has no chance when competing with the legacy OS foundations that Apple, Microsoft, Google and RIM bring to the table.
That was my first impression at least.
hmm... i think i've seen this before. wait, some retard always suggests this. (on optimus maximus edition, on p2, etc etc) adding an apple logo? apple officially ditched aesthetics when it released iphone. now it added "3g" for its new iphone. yup. that apple logo would help SELL the instinct, but not actually MAKE IT BETTER. so shut the hell you fanboy, cuz no one likes you
actually I rather like the phone it's got some real potential, yeah the browser does suck, (i'm sure because I'm used to Om) but comparing any phone to another is just f***ing ridiculous, iphone is going to be an iphone its a f***ing mac you snobs, the instinct is a samsung and for those who can't get that through their trendy little heads I feel sorry for you. yeah same form factor but different platform. when I purchased this phone I wasn't looking for an iphone clone, I was looking for a phone that had a decent mp3 player, and a cool ui with a decent browser(well I FAILED on that one) any who on with my list(all of these btw can be fixed with software upgrades):
1. java keyboard support(one day, one day)
2. real mp3 player options(not just play,rr,ff and buy)
3. options for changing the screen lock(like one press unlock, not hold and unlock)
4. a fix for f***ing album art(I used monkey media to embed album art in mp3 files and it still is "iffy" on loading what is beautifully displayed album art)
5. ui customization( god, can't I even change the colour?)
6. I mean this goes without saying but the f***ing browser ( I have to use the stylus to browse which helps a lot, but it's slow, takes up screen real estate and well it's fugly... speaking of... the whole glass button / carbon fiber ui skin is fugly, it just doesn't translate well to the phone )
7. and finally the camera software(you can't change ANY settings, none, what the hell is up with that)
went to instinct from iphone when after 14 days when back to Att.
ON the instinct.
call quality is better.
no direct sync with outlook, you have to go through mobile sync. (took me 5 days and many calls to cs to get it work)
sometimes it takes voicemail an hour to show up.
not many third party app.
Internet browser is BAD, VERY BAD
Gps is great
live search is great.
email some times comes through, as soon as it hits my inbox. but most of time unless i manual fetch it. it may take days.
the os lags sometime going through screens.
keyboard in portrait mode is a joke(don't know why they did this)
it feels good in your hand.
can not see the screen outside in the daylight at all.
battery life is very good.
overall could have been a great little phone, if it was not rushed to production.
any more questions just ask.
I think the best way to change the instinct is to change it in for cash and buy an iPhone.
1. OUTLOOK CALENDAR SYNC
2. A FULLY CAPABALE AND INTUITIVE FILE MANAGER; AND ALLOW STORAGE CARD TO BE ACCESSED FROM MORE MENUS (i.e. Notes, ringers, etc...) INCLUDING THE ABILITY TO SEND FILES VIA BLUETOOTH (to printers or other devices)
3. THE ABILITY TO "SELECT ALL" OR "CTRL +SELECT" IN VARIOUS MENU'S TO MAKE IT EASY TO DELETE ITEMS
4. THE ABILITY TO EDIT THE "GUI" AND/OR MOVE ICONS AROUND (CHANGE ORDER) IN ALL SCREENS
5. ADD MORE COLOR OPTIONS TO SOME OF THE MENU SCREENS AND TEXT CONVERSATION
6. The ability to back up text msgs, call logs, task...
7. A Tasks List/ To-Do
8. Team with Google, and incorporate their Picasa Web Picture Album
9. ADD MULTIPLE KEYBOARD OPTIONS LIKE HTC:
The option to switch to a full QWERTY keyboard layout FOR TEXT MSGING(i.e. see HTC Touch Keyboard)
--The option to switch to keypad style texting
--T9 word & expanded word prediction
10. Scale large album art for MP3's and to fit to the screen
11. Set separate ringers settings (i.e., volume, vibrate only) for text messages and calls
12.Fix the 3-way calling to easily conference in a call-waiting callers if desired by using the add caller button or something similar
13.Voice Record/Memo
14. Clock settings to 24hour/Military time
15. Sprint TV is extremely pixilated most of the time
16. Unable to bookmark some websites
17.Increase Max ringer volume
18. Contact list should have a constant visible index to quickly select. Its too easy to call someone while scrolling/looking through the history.
19. Sprint media manager software recognizes jpeg, BUT NOT JPG
20. Enable option for the screen to go off during a call to save battery life
21. Allow auto lock (password) to be set to a time, and not activate each time the phone goes to sleep
22. Fix Exchange server for POP3. Since there is no field to authenticate, one cannot send messages or hence set up accounts
23. Ability to Encrypt Data on Storage Card (or maybe even password protect folders)
24. Option to Select, Cut, Copy, Paste
25. Sync Notes As Well
26. Option To Receive Calls At All Times (regardless Of Streaming & Other Activity)
27. when searching contacts [text messaging], once you've hit contact the 'back' button should take you to the same place in your contact list, not back to the 'A's. Way too easy to 'hit' a contact while trying to scroll the list, so you get to the wrong contact, then back button takes you back to beginning of the list - makes it virtually impossible to select someone deep in your contact list...
28. Lift the 160 character cap on typing a text msg. You should be able to freely type your entire message, and let the carrier break the msg into the appropriate number of messages. (As does the touch, iphone, mogul...and every other device in competition)
Also:
The GPS sucks because after you input an address, you cannot skip to a particuler point in the directions. (i.e. if there are 15 steps in the directions, and you are trying to commit the last 3 to memory because you are, say..., riding a motorcycle, you can't bypass the first 12 instructions)
Live search suks, because you can't input the address and other info like you can on a WM device. you must speak your command based off just what it prompts you to do.
UGH..................
I'm gonna give sprint/samsung a chance to make this work, but if not by the time the Touch pro hits... I will sell this instinct, switch my second line to AT&t (for you know what...) and keep the touch pro for my main sprint line.
I purchased mine a few days after release and I must admit, a few times I've been tempted to return it. Think I'm going to keep it though. I like the phone, the GPS integration is as well done on a mobile device as I have ever seen. Web browsing is not great, but I've never been a big fan of web browsing on a phone. I much prefer a solid RSS aggregator. The provided Handmark solution looks like a good start, as they have the movies service integrated with GPS. I've had mine lock up a few times (very few). There are lots of things to give me iphone envy, but for now, I'll keep the Instinct. I'm curious to see what this device ultimately brings through a few *key* software upgrades and through 3rd party apps.
I have an Iphone 3G and my friend has an instinct, I dont see why people make a big deal about wifi. If Im paying AT&T 30.00 bucks for data then I will use as much of there network as possible. Wifi may be faster but I am paying to use AT&T's service so I sure in hell do not want to give AT&T money for nothing.
On the instinct thing, my friend only let me play with it for a little bit because he kept bragging about the features that it has that my iphone doesnt. I did notice the web browser needs improvements, like smoother scrolling....
I'll be keeping my instinct. For me, it's the best value for the price. The only thing I wish they would add is the ability to do some kind of photo editing. I can't even rotate or crop an image to add into my contacts.
I know Operamini is coming soon, so there isn't much point in complaining about the browser.
I like the texting, the menu set-up, the tv, the network speeds. I have never dropped a call and the phone has never locked up.
Overall, I don't see much to complain about. If you want something more, pony up the extra money for an iPhone, WinMo, etc. If you want a pretty cool phone at a good price, Instinct is a good choice.
I would add a bigger screen, have only one button on the front and that would of course be the home button. I would add wi-fi and id make the back either black plastic or white plastic and id let it come in either 8 or 16GB.I would also add an apple logo....
It's not consistant. Weather and email only work sometimes. I restart the phone probably 10 times a day to help with this...the phone is just annoying... I love the form factor. Hate the lock button. Miss Slingplayer. The browser sucks hairy nuts.
there is a gsm version of the INSTINCT and it works very fluid it also has a 5 mp camera.....f490 by samsung .......youtube it and see for yourself.......if this phone was released in america the iphone would not fair very well
I would stop producing it and recall each and every one!
I hated the UI on mine and two weeks after having it the mic would only work intermittently. People couldn't hear me half the time. I prefer the UI on my iPhone. I love Sprint's rates and coverage. Better than my iPhone's. I hated being forced into portrait mode for most things. When I finally got Sprint it understand I wanted to trade in my Instinct due to the mic problems, they tried to charge me $450 for another phone. I finally got them to understand the phone was faulty but I couldn't get a replacement for 2-3 weeks as they were out of stock so I got a Blackberry Pearl instead.
Very Good.... 30 days trial period is good concept....
apple already did its called the iphone
all jokes aside...make the screen more responsive, WIFI, multitouch
Its not horrible - the browser could be a bit faster.
I would recommend an Invisible Gadget Guard (www.invisiblegadgetguard.com) to protect the screen from scratches - it seemed very prone to getting beat up in my pocket before I covered mine (unlike iPhone version one).
Had the Instinct. Cancelled my account on the 25th day of the 30 day guarantee. Bought a.....
DARE!
Won't go into the Iphone bashing nor bash the Instinct. Neither suit my needs nor desires. The Dare does. No amount of fixes could make me return to the Instinct as part of my decision was based on Sprint's performance as a corporation. But here's what needs to be fixed from my point of view, based on the classification of being a FEATURE phone and not a SMART phone:
1. More UI customization
Wallpapers have been popular since they were 2 toned. Who would pay to dl a wallpaper from Sprint when it can only be seen for 5 secs, between acknowledging you pressed the lock key a deciding you just wanted to check the time? Favorite & Speed Dial should be configurable to icon view.
2. More camera options
Neither the Iphone nore the Instinct can compare to the Dare's 3.2 mp camera and lens. But ignoring the physical difference, the Instinct doesn't have the BASIC options I'd expect on a camera phone. No changing resolution, zoom, wb, and basic effects (just a b&w option).
3. More media player options
I've had other Samsung phones. They've had the ability to at least change the effects like music type (jazz, rb, rock) and an eq would be nice.
4. IM
IM kept the sidekick alive. I believe the lack of an IM app is pure laziness or greed on Sprint's part, hoping to save the dev time / money by leaving it to 3rd party devs. Regardless of why it shipped with no IM capability, handing a test phone to any teenager woulda prevented how it shipped with no IM app.
5. 3rd party app support
By customizing the virtual keyboard interface and forcing any developer to write specifically for the Instinct if they wanted the user to input txt, the Instinct cannot be considered 3rd party application friendly,
Actual bug wise, anyone who buy ANY cellphone within the 1st 3-6 months of its release is an Early Adopter and should expect bugs. My Dare has bugs, the Iphone had bugs and the 3g prolly has bugs. They'll get addressed according to how important the devs believe they are. People complaining about bugs on the Instinct needed to do a stint with Helio.
Here are a couple of things I would like to see added.
1. PDF Viewer
2. Addtional "Live Search" Details (Hrs of operation, Web Site link)
3. When Unlocking... Press or Slide a Screen Button. (Holding the Buttion is a pain. I can't tell you how many times I have turned it off because I held it just a bit to long)
4. Transparent Icons. I would like to see my Background all the time, not just when I'm unlocking the phone for those 2 Seconds.
5. More Photo Options... Rotate, Crop... (Not just when I'm setting it as a background pic)
6. Signature Block for each individual Email Account.
7. Third Part Application/games
Better browser, Flash Support within said browser. bigger screen, normal SD card support.
but seriously for $129 and reasonable plan rates it's a decent phone as is.
it's just not a mobile computing platform, which a lot of people were expecting when Samsung started comparing it to the iPhone.
Alright alright.. Let me first say.. iPhone lovers just go away.. I didnt wanna pay the 400$ to get the iPhone as a new customer then they wanna do a backround check.. thats creepy.. Sure Monkeyball looks cool but.. Gosh something better is gonna come out why spend a crap load of money like that. Plus get raped by AT&T No thanks..
2nd : Sprint has the best 3G network around.. you can have 1bar but still get great service no dropped calls switches to roaming and no roaming charges..
3rd. Yes the phone has glitches. But so did the iPhone..
4th. You can have MP3s as ringtones. Just use Myxer. It give you a minute of it thats all you really need. I have a Trio also and it does it but I barely get through 20 seconds of the song so.. just use a shorter version.. to listen to the whole song throw it in the Media Player.. ( Which has its own issues.. )
Overall.. Yes it has its bugs but give Sprint and Samsung some time and let them work it out. Nothing is perfect at its first attempt.
It's $130 people. They knew they were going to have issues and rather than charging an arm and a leg they are basically giving them away. Yes there are issues, but for a new product it's not bad. I find it fun to work with and generally easy to navigate. It's not a work machine like my Treo, but it also doesn't weigh a ton either.
Had one for a week. Really cool phone - fun as a toy for my 2 yr old, but as a phone it was a little dissapointing, especially when billed as an IPhone slayer. The lock button on top is ergonomically designed for lefties - why not make it simpler? When I press the phone feature I want it to pull up the dial keypad, not my contacts or history. The calendar is AWFUL! Only 70 entries and the calendar memory is full. How can you compete with any other smartphones/PDAs with such a weak calendar? $20 phones have a better calendar than this. And the repeat function didn't work. And even if it did, your only options were to repeat once daily, weekly, monthly, yearly. How about a way to edit the repeat function to however often you want? And doesn't sync with readily Outlook? Come on.
Like I said, really cool toy for my two year old, but if they want to compete on the level Sprint wants to compete on with this phone, they've got to come bigger than this. It's almost insulting. It's 2008; they should be ashamed. Maybe if they had been more concerned with making a good product rather than beating the IPhone to launch, they wouldn't see so many going back to the store, as mine did.
I'll wait awhile and see if the next gen improves. Until then, I'm sticking with my cheap phone.
Yeah, you are right. Your two year old probably needs a phone. Also, the only feature worth sending a phone back over is the calendar.
I have had my instinct for 2 weeks, I love it... mostly.
Its a phone, not a mobile computer/entertainment system, but the video's i loaded on look great and my ringtones sound just like when I sent them thru myxer.
IMPROVEMENTS
The BROWSER! come on, it needs to be able to access a secure site!!!
My weather update has been trying for 10 minutes to update, but its not happening for the 3rd day in a row.
I would like the option to go back to the last screen I was on when I come back to it after the screen has gone dark, not just the favs.
Contact search would be nice, I got a couple hundred and that swipe down the side can be touchy.
Can the favs be square boxes like the main please?
Picture rotate would be nice
A charger port on the bottom for a cradle would be awesome
CONGRATS
The GPS is amazing.
Cell coverage is great, but then I am in LA
Web browsing is fast and the images that show up are great.
I love the big button text thing. My fat fingers only misstype one out of 20 letters now compared to 1 of 3 before
Ok, several of u have your facts wrong. It's like half of you don't even have the phone. Shonit: It does have a normal head phone jack. I listen in my car all the time. Cajones: The phone can be used as a modem, the software was on the included CD, and it does sync with outlook. Engadget: Just lightly press down and up from the bottom of the battery panel with both you thumbs, and it opens. I guarentee it.
However the browser does suck, the TV quality is crap, third-party apps would be nice, but will take time, and the computer program for music and video doesn't work for me.
However I'm gonna give the phone a chance. A new update is coming out at the end of this month, and will include:
Physical device: better volume though bluetooth headsets
Picture Mail: reduction of 'system busy' errors when sending large picturemails
Browser: more user friendly customer access to Hotmail accounts, Best Buy,YouTube and Yahoo! sites.
Sprint TV: reduction of pausing and freezing during playback of streaming video clips
Navigation: navigation session will not longer run in background after user goes to 'home menu'. This will improve battery life
E-mail: save e-mail address to the favorites menu
Music: removal of periodic 'skips' when listening via bluetooth headset
News: increased ability to play news story video clips
Voicemail: phone can now present voicemail notifications when device is not in data service
Hope this reasures some people.
Really? Just lightly press down and up and the battery door comes off? You guarantee it?
IT DOESN'T WORK.
I guarantee it.
You need to use blunt force to get it off.
if it had a 640 x 480 resolution as well as play protected/purchased aac media files from the itunes store. then it would be perfect
what is so good about wi fi anyways i have a ipod touch with wifi i prefer the instinc i could use the internet anywhere i go not like the wifi that i could only use it where there is a router
So I got the phone about a week ago. I have a few wishes:
1. Allow me to change the look of the main screen. I was to be able to use a picture or animation for my home screen. Lock screen can be customized, but how often do u stare at your home screen?
2. Allow me to access my downloads. I downloaded a powerpoint presentation, a few images and some other files I assumed would be no problem, and cannot for the life of me find any screen to access my files as in previous samsung phones (i.e. A900 file manager).
3. Allow speech to text for text messaging. (A900 had it)
4. Allow dialer to be a favorite.
5. Add editing software for images.
6. Improve browser. (Seems to be a consensus)
Although I didn't find too much of a problem with it, it still needs work.
7. Simply allow for more customization.
A word from an objective customer:
1. Sprint is a great network for the most part. I have friends with both iPhone and Sprint, and the consensus (At least 75% prefer sprint)
Sprint offers the "Simply Everything Plan" for $99/month
A comparable iPhone plan with data pack runs over $30/month more than Sprints plan.
The phone is really nice. The GUI is fun, and more impressive than any video or tutorial I have seen online.
Haptic Feedback is awesome!!
This is a great phone for text messaging. I can type more accurate and efficient on my phone, than any iPhone. In fact, I've found iPhone texting to be very annoying.
The phone really needs a File Manager system, which you can go in and view your files in a file explorer type window. I don't know why they didn't include this as they did with the A900.
The clarity is amazing. I love the resolution.
I did notice variable reception. I never did with the A900.
My battery life is awesome. Compared with my friends iPhone (we use the phones a LOT!), the battery life is great.
Speakerphone should be a button instead of a slider. (It sometimes didn't want to slide to turn on.)
I love the threaded text messaging, allowing you to track and follow text conversations.
I love the GPS and 1 button push Window's live search compatabilty. It only takes 1 button to get directions from the window's live search directory.
I wish the camera had more controls. Brightness, Contrast, White Balance, Zoom, auto-focus. I don't mind it doesn't have flash, as camera-phone flash is not too great anyways.
You CAN set mp3's as ringtones using rumkin.com's Sprint phone uploader in combination with mpTrim or some other sound editing software to choose the exact part of a song you want. I've done it successfully dozens of times already.
The volume rocker doesn't always display the volume in certain screens.
I think 90% of these things can be improved with a GUI. Considering the phone has great hardware, it would simply take a new update to improve issues, and allow for customization. (I hear this is actually coming out very soon)
The phone is overall great.
I will NOT be returning this phone. I love it. I am a tech guy and love gadgets, and something about the iPhone doesn't do it for me. I love the unit itself, but service, price and non-conformity point me to Sprint.
This phone is wonderful for 90% of people out there that want a touch screen phone. There will always be the 10% that wants the best technology, and love Apple. I personally think since I got the phone for $79.99 (Had previous issues from my old phone and got a credit) and I only pay $99 unlimited with FREE GPS, I am in a great place. (P.S. iPhone GPS sucks!!!! Its not turn by turn, and gives you this circle that shows location instead of pinpointing.)
I have tested the GPS in several locations, and it is accurate to less than 10 feet for me. I am VERY impressed with the navigation feature. I was going to spend triple the cost of the phone and a Garmin Unit, and don't need to now! Yay!
Sure there are setbacks, but I am confident these will be resolved. If not, ohh well. I spend more money at a club buying overpriced drinks in one night, than I paid for this thing.
Any questions/comments or rants can be emailed to getstarted@get-known.com
one word, CAMERA! love the phone, except that the camera simply sucks!!! No FLASH or other options, wtf ??? is it constantly daytime in China or something? Every other Samsung cell phone close to this one has a flash and even 3mp-5mp instead of just 2 megapixels. Not sure why Sprint decided to shave these "normal" features off. And why include a stylus without a phukkin slot to carry it in ??? If Samsung would have corrected these few minor glitches it would have, without a doubt, blown the iPhone outta the water! guess we'll have to wait for that "next-generation" Instinct to reveal itself, one that works in dim-lit areas. i also agree about the plan, i already had one that included everything i needed and more and still had to upgrade to the "simply everything", a lotta sales bull-crap if you ask me. i guess samsung and apple are beginning to make a push for their stand-alone digital still/video cameras since they suck at camera flashes or video-capturing respectively.
Lookout HTC Diamond and new Blackberry with touch-screen, you have some predecessors to learn from !!!
Seems that a lot of people that are bashing the phone don't and have never owned it.
I have one, and I love it. I hate cingular/at&t. I had their service before, and it plain sucked. I'm a happy sprint instinct owner.
Even though it does lock up sometimes, etc. I'm sure the iPhone had it's share of problems not even one month into launch.. nobody remembers things like that, I guess. It seems engadget is determined to bring this phone down. Wonder how much Jobs pays for all of the orgasmic entries on here about the Jesus Phone....
the web browser sucks. does anyone know the date of the software update thats supposed to help support java.
I like the Samsung Instinct, it's size, touch screen and the Instant Visual Voice Mail is really convenient! But there are a few things that I would like to voice my opinion on that would make the Instinct a better, more functional phone. Since my SprintPCS contract expired, I've been looking at different phones to find the best one for my needs and lifestyle. The PDA/smart phones are a little much. I decided to go with Samsung because of the last 2 phones I've had and I like the basic functionality of them. (My last phone was the Samsung SPH-A920) I am surprised to find out that the Instinct is missing some of those things...
- The ability to set the volume of the Alarm different than the volume of the phone's ringer (I sleep during the day and don't want my phone turned off, but rather set to "1 beep" and the Alarm set to high to wake me up at a desired time)
- Can't record a conversation
- Can't record a voice memo
- The ability to enter an event on a previous or past date into the calendar - the phone gives me the error… "Invalid time"
- No Task list
-The camera... what's the deal with it??? The 2.0 is nice, but that's all it's got! No zoom, no flash, no editing, no fun frames, and worst of all... no self-timer?! GEEZE! Someone sure dropped the ball on the camera features!!!