Samsung Instinct Review
From this morning's innovate section (B1).
MONCTON - The Samsung Instinct is an elegant, full-featured touch cellphone that is arguably the best consumer device Bell Mobility has ever launched in Canada.
But it's not in the same league as Apple Inc.'s iPhone.
While the Samsung Instinct ($130 on a three-year contract) looks undeniably like the iPhone, the similarities are only on the surface.
Both phones feature full-screen touch capability, meaning there is no physical number pad or keyboard. Both use finger touches to navigate between programs such as web browsers, e-mail programs and GPS navigation.
Both feature YouTube as well as Facebook integration.
The Instinct even boasts several features that the iPhone lacks - a QVGA camcorder for recording video, multimedia messaging services (MMS) and haptic feedback. Haptic feedback allows the Instinct to respond with subtle vibrations to the touch, which lets you know when you've pushed a button.
The Instinct's GPS system also offers features lacking in the iPhone such as full, turn-by-turn directions with voice automated guide and 2D and 3D maps.
One feature the Instinct lacks that the iPhone has is Wi-Fi connectivity. This gives the iPhone a distinct edge when it comes to mobile browsing speed when Wi-Fi is available as well as savings on data usage as Wi-Fi data doesn't count against monthly limits.
Yet for all its added features, the Instinct remains a 'me-too-phone' and is burdened by a slow and clunky user interface. Surfing the web on its browser was pouring-molasses-on-a-cold-day slow at times, despite being on Bell Aliant's advanced EVDO high-speed mobile data network in Moncton. Using the browser was frustrating at times as well because the software's zoom-in and zoom-out button for web pages lacks the sophistication and the ease of Apple's pinch and spread finger motions.
The Instinct isn't an iPhone-killer because it lacks Apple's winning combination of elegant hardware, sleek, easy-to-use software and tight integration with the iTunes Music and Applications store.
Unfortunately for Bell Mobility and Aliant, Rogers Communications Inc. has a lock on the iPhone in Canada.
The iPhone can only run on Rogers' GSM network, so beyond any contractual deals between Rogers and Apple, there's also a technological hurdle that both Bell and Telus would have to overcome in order to offer the iPhone. This technology barrier also means Rogers customers can't switch their iPhones over to rival services.
Both Bell and Telus use a CDMA-based mobile network. GSM is widely used in the United States and around the world.
But while the Instinct won't necessarily knock the iPhone off the top of the smartphone hill in Canada, that doesn't mean its not going to do well as a close runner-up.
Bell's introduction of the Instinct does take advantage of one of Rogers' key weaknesses: price.
Bell Mobility is offering a $10 a month unlimited data plan with the Instinct while Roger's best plan (a promotional deal that's scheduled to be discontinued at the end of August) is $30 for six gigabytes of data. Now, in fairness, six gigabytes a month on a handheld device is virtually unlimited. Even under heavy usage, the average iPhone user is going to be hard pressed to break past one gigabyte of usage.
But Bell's data price point is compelling and could herald lower prices from Rogers once demand for the iPhone plateaus. As it stands, Rogers is still experiencing unprecedented demand for the iPhone with new shipments arriving each week.
The Instinct retails for roughly $70 less than the iPhone. However, that doesn't include the cost of upgrading the Instinct's memory from the two gigabyte card included with the phone to an eight gigabyte card (about $40), leaving the Bell device with a roughly $30 edge over the iPhone.
Both devices are fairly close when it comes to voice and data plans, including features such as text messaging and caller-id. The Instinct's $129 price comes only if subscribers buy a $15 voicemail, text messaging and mobile web browsing.
Bell's cheapest plan is about $59.70 a month, including fees, before taxes. Meanwhile Rogers' cheapest iPhone plan is about $67.50 including fees, before taxes.
For those who are in an existing Bell contract and don't want to terminate it or for those who prefer Bell's service to Rogers', the Instinct makes for a compelling upgrade.
But for those looking for the bleeding-edge of smartphones and want the ultimate mobile user experience, the iPhone is still the clear choice.
(Image via Bloomberg News).
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Fab5 (Uber5) plan: $25
(The $20 price you quoted I could only find on a share plan, which comes only with a minimum of two phones, meaning it's really $40).
Mobile Internet (No email service included): $10
Unlimited E-mail: $15
System Access Fee: $9.70
Total: $59.70.
$60 voice and data plan (which, if you get it before the end of August, is 6 gigabytes or pretty much unlimited web and e-mail).
$7.45 system access fees is $67.45.
Now, I'm willing to admit a mistake if there is one, but having gone through both the Bell e-mail and website for pricing details, that's the best I've been able to figure out.
I've spent some time with Bell's "uber" sales staff and another trip to the website:
Here's the pricing breakdown from them:
$25 (cheapest voice plan)
$15 (fun bundle - includes unlimited web browsing, no e-mail - he suggested web-access like hotmail, which doesn't cut it if we're comparing Apples and Samsungs here).
$15 unlimited e-mail.
$9.70 system access fees.
Total: $64.70