Samsung Instinct vs. Apple iPhone – Round 1
By Will Park on Sunday, June 8th, 2008 at 12:40 PM PST In Samsung, Sprint, Videos, iPhone
We all know that handset manufacturers (and their partner carriers) that aren’t the iPhone are gunning for the all touchscreen form-factor that’s proved to be so popular among smartphone fans. But, this newest advertisement from No. 3 US wireless carrier Sprint (NYSE: S) may be the first case of a carrier overtly going for the iPhone’s jugular.
Here we see the Sprint Instinct going heads-up with the iPhone in a battle to the death. Well, actually, it’s more a battle to see which can record video, and the end result a bit anti-climactic, but hey, who are we to judge the marketing team that dreamed up this clip?
Sure, the iPhone doesn’t do video. That sucks. But, is the Samsung Instinct really going to be able to hold it’s own against the 3G iPhone? If Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) keeps video recording off the next-generation iPhone, we’ll all be sorely disappointed – but not enough to keep us from buying the 3G iPhone.
ahh…. after the new specs have been revealed of the 3g iphone… this is funny… Instinct = Winner…
Are you Fricken Kidding me? IPhone is best thing since apple Pie. I have an instinct..its Ok, but my wife and kids Bailed on me and left me an INstinct and 2 more years left on the contract…They have Iphones…No comparison. Iphone is more like a “Free Spirit” where as the Instinct is an Iphone wanna be, with CANNED features where sprint wants you to BUY everything…and I can’t get rid of this Fricken NASCAR Sh!t Icon on the d@mn thing… I got nothing against NASCAR but I also have no interest in it being on my phone. Iphone has APPS galore. Phuck they even have SmartStart where you can remotely start your car with you Iphone! D@mn!! Iphone is a Technical GOD!
EVDO Rev. A is still faster than 3G..hell, i think regular EVDO is still faster than 3G.
not to mention sprint has a WiMax data network on the way, which will be awesome for big data users like myself.
instinct wins in everything but the trendy department.
wow that ad is so sad.
I think I’ll do a youtube “ad” showing how I take VIDEO with my 1st gen iPhone. It’s called Show Time, an app by polarbearfarm.
Nevermind, just lol @ instinct when it comes out with the app store next month.
RIP “smartphonies”
when will the phones fight?
hello everyone…
I have read all the posts and I was quite amazed how you guys have analized all the information and compare the iPhone and the Samsung Instinct. But I think it’s not about the phones that we need to focus more. Whether Instinct has an excellent GPS etc.. or iPhone has an excellent OS etc.. What matters most is the needs are met. Its quite important that we dont only enjoy the phone that we have but for it to benefit us whatever type of persons we are. We have different needs and wants. And Im quite sure that every person who has iPhone or Instinct is satisfied not because its one of the latest phones, but those devices were able to help them meet their needs and wants. Its always a plus factor that we have a pretty good and updated phone but the important thing is we are happy with our current providers and with the phones we are using. As for Instinct and iPhone debate? Let us just respect each other’s opinion because for sure iPhone users are happy with the iPhone and services and instinct users are happy with their instinct phones and services. Let us just leave it that way.
You all have a great day!
the samsung instinct killed the iphone with way better network and way better prices and nothing going to change my mind about that apple wanted bout $500.00 for the ipnone and samsung droped the best price with only $130.00
o.o you could get the iPhone for 150 refurbished same thing as brand new basically.
are you kidding Iphone kills the instinct.. 3g iphone 200$ comes with mac osx the screen is better more storage space its going to have the app store which TONS of developers will be creating awesome apps for the iphone..and gps and 3g is fast as shit. instinct = SHIT
^^^ jealous much
One can’t really be better then the other! It’s really a preference of features. Sure, someone who wants a video recorder on their phone would probably go with the Instinct as with someone who wouldn’t use it may want to go with the iPhone. There will always be 2 sides to the arguement. You opinion is based on which side you choose. I stand on the Instinct side, manly because I do record videos (ALOT of videos) on my phone and the iPhone isn’t currently offered in CDMA. Also, I’m not a fan of Macintosh OS. Bad experiences!
wow…anyone who thinks the Instinct is better than the 3G iPhone is dilusional!
It’s the future that’s more important to me concerning features. If I have to jailbreak the iPhone 3G like I did with the iTouch I’ll do it if tethering becomes possible (which is on the Instinct)or door-to-door GPS (maybe a new developer software) or video which as above mentioned is possible with the old iPhone. I see more potential in the wings with the iPhone, and since I have a Macbook Pro for my needs I think I’ll hope for these software improvements to come and bank on the iPhone 3g.
I have both the Instinct and the iPhone and I like the Instinct much better. Responsiveness is better, interface is better, and GPS is much much better. Web browsing sucks on both of them! My opinion for what its worth…
What’s all this talk about about 3G like it’s something “NEW”. Oh wait for AT&T it is. Sprints been running with 3G for years and is now about to upgrade to 4G and WiMax have fun playing around on 3G. Instinct has the best Network to run with.
Like I said before, everyone will have their preferences, but I have to go with Drew on this. 3G isn’t that big of a deal anymore. AT&T needs to kick up the speed already. Sprint HAS been running 3G for years and once 4G and WiMax finally hit the market, AT&T’s browsing and data speeds will have no compare. So when it comes down with a decision for me, its the Instinct due to the MUCH better network!
For me the iPhone is a good choice. In fact I have already sold my iPod Touch (which I was very happy with) to ease the iPhone 3G $200/$300 price. I am coming from Sprint and going over to the Dark side guys, sorry. I know too much about the Mac OS, having had many PC’s and Macs in the past, and would kick myself for missing out on the iPhone 3G with the Mac OS. All I want is a phone and an iPod touch rolled into one and anything more than that is icing on the cake. I’m not deep into business or stocks. I barely watch TV at home, but I do like DVD movies and have watched many a DVD on my iPT. After some serious thought I know the iPhone is the only device for me. Not being able to tether is a downer, but I hear Sprint is charging an additional $20 to $40 for that; something I could never go for anyway, so I’ll wait on a software or jail break solution for that on the iPhone 3G if any.
Different strokes for different folks is the bottom line. For me it’s iPhone hands down.
Exactly Bill! Everyone has there own preferences. You like ur iPod Touch and Mac OS then the iPhone is the ideal choice for you. I hope all goes well with you and AT&T! You made a good choice my friend!
What I may do though is just get the phone service only on the iPhone and KEEP the Sprint Expresscard with EVDO so I can have internet on my Macbook Pro and even share it thru Wi-Fi with the iPhone 3G. There ya go; best of both words for me….or not…depending on what I hear from new iPhone users with HSPDA service that some of you seem so critical about. Just have to wait and see.
I must agree Sprint has a fabulous EVDO network though; I’ve used it enough to know that. In fact I’m using it now.
That seems like it would be a good choice sense you can’t tether ur iPhone once u get it. Do keep in mind though that you will have two service providers… lol. But then this way you wont be completely movieing over to the dark side… Just half way… You would be like duct tape. lol.
True that! I may be sitting on the fence awhile with EVDO waiting to see how the land lays in my area with HSPDA.
Good call, with Sprint running CDMA data and AT&T going with the GSM, I would definitly check to see how their coverage and speed differs from one another before letting go of one and finding the other to be unsatifactory! Do some comparisions…
To be fair, both Sprint and AT&T will be running 3G networks for the next couple years. I am a huge supporter of WiMAX (as long as Sprint can launch it before 2009 – otherwise they’re up a certain smelly creek), but WiMAX (which is officially a 3G technology by the by) doesn’t help any of Sprint’s short-term handset plans. Future handsets might be equipped to handle mobile WiMAX, but as it stands, there are no Sprint phones that will do WiMAX.
That means that AT&T and Sprint will effectively have the same 3G data speeds. But, the problem with EVDO is that the evolution pathway isn’t as flexible and expandable as the UMTS/GSM architecture. AT&T has plans to get 20Mbps HSDPA up and running in 2009/2010 until it can light off its LTE network.
I see arguments that Sprint’s data network is the best, and it’s just not completely accurate. They may have the edge now, but in the next 12-18 months, things are going to change. WiMAX is going to be critical to Sprint’s future – I hope they can pull it off in time (before HSPDA+ and LTE ) are viable data alternatives.
disclaimer: I have Sprint broadband data service because it has better coverage.
I have tried many times to share my Sprint EVDO card’s data connection through my MacBook Pro’s Wifi and “Internet Sharing” settings through Mac OS X, but it just doesn’t work. I could be doing something wrong…
Now, I tried the same thing with my HP Pavilion laptop and was unable to do so as well. I think they have some sort of lock against it. You could always buy one of those aircard wireless routers that emit the broadband signal as wifi. You just plug ur card into it and it does the rest. I was considering getting one of those so I could buy a wireless adapter for my Xbox 360. Definitly something u should loook into!
I can say that sharing my Powerbook Wifi with my iPod Touch never fails but trying the same thing with my Macbook Pro works only sometimes. Also note that i am plugging a Sprint Novatel Expresscard into either one to get EVDO. In fact i am sending this post via iPod while linked by Wifi to my 17″ Powerbook; it has always worked flawlessly.
Interesting that Internet Sharing via WiFi is possible on the Powerbook but not the MBP…
Recently, I mean really recently I find the MBP is now working, not sure why or how long. Maybe it was the firmware upgrade I did on the iPT. I had to de-jailbreak it because I am selling it. Mind you the MBP seems to share with other laptops no problem. I think the real problem was the iPod touch. Hope the new iPhone G3 doesn’t have the same annoying problem.
the only true difference any more is what company do you want ATT or Sprint
these phones are equal
Respectfully disagree; either phone has some things the other does not.
iphone = computer in my pocket. What is the instinct?
up here in Canada, Apple’s iPhone is launching on the Rogers network. Here-in lies the problem for me. The iPhone is a lovely device, however after being ~royally~ screwed over (and actually yelled at a number of times) by customer service representatives from Rogers, I refuse to return to them. They are the only GSM carrier here in Canada (Fido is linked with Rogers, before anyone thinks to say otherwise).
The company I am currently on has yet to ever do anything wrong for me. I have never ~ever~ had a billing issue (I had at least 10-15 with my last carrier). This would be Bell Mobility. The Instinct will be carried on their network, along with so far one other network.
While I do love a lot of the features of the iPhone, the (possible) lack of a chat application such as MSN or even Yahoo! messenger is a ~huge~ kick in the rear for me (someone please let me know if I am wrong on that) along with the fact that there is no CDMA version and never will be for the foreseeable future. So for me, the Instinct is very close and (on Bell’s network) offers integration with windows live messenger and windows live mail (all I essentially need when it comes to the smartphone side of things).
So for me, the Instinct works out to be a little better.
As a side note, does anyone know what the OS is? It is looking like a customized version of Windows Mobile 6.1 or Symbian OS… but I could be quite wrong.
If anyone has an Instinct does your live TV video flicker due to slow framerates? The one on display did and it kinda turned me off. In fact the screen froze temporarily while the audio kept playing. It did that a few times. I hope this is not the norm, but due to the location of the device.
Bill, My instinct does that sometimes when I am in closed areas. When Im in the classroom with out wifi, its hard to get it steady, But when I was at the sprint store, it did the same thing, so Im guess its a norm..Which sucks..
I have used both phones and anyone that claims that the Instinct is better than the iPhone has no clue what they’re talking about. Most of them are just apple haters to begin with because of their growing popularity. The instinct seriously sucks, avoid at all costs. If you want a smartphone with a touch screen, get an iPhone, you’ll be glad you did.
hmm, damn can someone just unlock the thing Via T Mo Sim card? would that mean that you’d still be getting EDGE tech instead of 3G?
Ok now that the iphone 3G is out i realy feel bad for all of you iphone 3g owners.
All the gas money your gonna waist paying onth after month for you bills.
And many things Instinct has that iphone does not.
Picture mail
Video recording
turn by turn gps
evdo rev A
and many other stuff not mentioned.
just feel sorry for the people that waited in line for days just to get nothing.
EVDO Rev. A. Might have a slightly higher potential broadband speed of 3.6 Mbps, however 3G is superior by leaps and bounds to EVDO Rev. A in MOBILE PHONES because 3G can handle both data and VOICE while EVDO Rev. A is a data-only network. This is why providers including AT&T use EVDO Rev. A for its Air Card service.
Regarding the Samsung Instict, the Instinct features a small vibration response upon use of the touchscreen while the Iphone 3G does not. The Instict supports and Sprint currently includes: Live TV.
The Instinct IS a 3G phone. I see people here stating that it is on EVDO Rev. A. Again, the Instinct handles data and voice simultaneously hence it can only be 3G.
I absolutely LOVE my Instinct phone! I couldn’t decide between the iPhone and the Instinct but the video feature and MMS did it for me. Plus it’s cheaper and it was more accessible to view it.
The only thing that’s disappointing is the fact that you cannot send SMS to certain countries in Europe. I was told that Sprint doesn’t get good rates with all countries so they just don’t service them.
I’m so pleased I made the iPhone G3 my decision! There is even some 3rd party software out their called iCopy that not only works, it lets me know there may soon be an easier software solution developed in the future from Apple for copy and paste. The App Store is icing on the cake. To put it simply this is the best technological device I have ever owned and I am over 50. I can buy full length movies or rip and watch DVD’s from 3rd party software to watch later on trips. The huge 16 GB storage is more than I need. The interface is so simple a caveman could do it. Youtube videos are smooth. Internet access is quick, maybe even more so than my Sprint Expresscard. I did not need to read a manual. In short I could not be happier. Apple has come thru with this one, hands down.
Sprint won’t be around long enough to launch 4G or WiMax. Don’t any of you read or watch the news in terms of business? Sprint is doomed…after Verizon bought Alltel they are now a distant 3rd place in terms of wireless carriers in the U.S. They DON’T operate internationally because only the U.S. still offers CDMA, they shut down over 3,000 stores, let go over 8,000 employees, and lost over 800,000 customers in the 4th quarter ALONE of 2007. They acquired a new CFO AND CEO because their predecessors left. Sprint will be a distant memory in 4-5 years; they have nothing to offer. Why do you think they now offer a ’simply everything’ plan? Because they need to offer something that will draw customers in; AT&T and Verizon can afford NOT to offer something like that. Sprint will be bankrupt and go out of business soon. Long live the instinct? Please, even if it was better than the iPhone 3G (which it’s not) have fun showing off a phone that no longer has a network to run on.
Iphone..good..Network…Sucks..Intinct..good..Network..Great
What about the inability of Iphone to download music? I am not talking about transferring it to the phone.I used the Iphone 3g the other day and could only watch youtube videos to hear songs on vacation. The Instinct has 50 radio station to choose from. Instinct also has the capability to use a stylus, maybe it was the Iphone I used but it didn’t recognize one. I am still undecided but instinct has sparked a strong interest.
I was surprised one of the apps named Pandora can give you the singers own radio station to listen to his/her songs. I see there is so much the software developers can do futuristically. I already have the app for AOL radio but frankly I don’t listen to music much nowdays, since I jailbroke the phone 3G and got it to tether both my Powerbook and Macbook Pro at the same time. Now I can surf via WiFi using either my PB or my MBP, both connected wirelessly getting the net signal from my iPhone, and I found the speed twice as fast as my Sprint Expresscard at my home location. TWICE as fast according to one of those broadband speed web pages.
So happy I stuck with Apple. I will keep the Express card perhaps a week longer tho as I am still evaluating.
I think it is samsung instict because its smaller and it has the exact same device an iphone has
It depends on your needs but definitely not the same device. You need to at least re-read this thread more carefully or do more research elsewhere.
Hey iPhone users… you guys always on that 3G network?? Yea, how about 50% of the time… yea way to run on Edge most the time guys, oh and aahhhh… How’s that monthly bill treatin ya? Sprint plus my 25% discount, hahahaha 75 bucks and I’m on my phone all day….. get a life, iPhone is not an iPod and ATT is NOT Sprint, Hey ATT users tell me what a dropped call is, because I don’t know… hahahaha Buy an Instinct, break your contract and save money, have a better phone and better service, think for yourself, don’t be an Apple…
For some users talking all day would give ‘em lock jaw. I never go over my 450 minutes because I don’t need to. Minute surplus overkill even if unlimited is a non issue with me since I will never need them. Glad your Sprint deal is working for you tho; get an Instinct. For my needs iPhone is perfect. No dropped calls yet so yeah, I don’t know what a dropped call is either. And it’s 3G all the time with me, that’s why they call it iPhone 3G, not EDGE. 70 bucks a month is less than 75 last time I checked….hahahaha…
Have fun not havin all the stuff I have, TV, Video, Free Music, hahaha, I have a 450 plan i pay 55 for, i’m just saying 75 and its unlimited everything…. ur a loser hahaha and my phone is better so is my service