Instinct

Retail
June 7, 2010
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HTC EVO 4G breaks Sprint's first day sales record

By on June 7, 2010 at 2:55 AM.

HTC EVO 4G breaks Sprint's first day sales record

dan-hesse-celebration

Turns out the ages old adage that a cutting-edge product plus hype equates to big first day sales, as Sprint today announced that the Friday saw the HTC EVO 4G smash the carriers records for first day handset sales. Not only did it outsell the previous two record holders in the Palm Pre and Samsung Instinct, but in its first 24 hours of availability Sprint sold three times more EVOs than Pres and Instincts in their first 72 hours of availability combined. Of course we wish that Sprint would reveal the actual numbers, but we’ll cut them some slack. They’re in for a pretty tough week. More →

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General
September 24, 2009
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Sprint makes the Samsung Instinct HD official; September 27th, $249.99

By on September 24, 2009 at 10:28 AM.

Sprint makes the Samsung Instinct HD official; September 27th, $249.99

samsung-instinct-hd

This certainly doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but Sprint has finally made the Samsung Instinct HD official this morning. Best Buy first spilled the beans back in August and a steady flow of information has been trickling in ever since. When Sprint mentioned the handset in a newsletter to Premier customers two weeks ago however, it became painfully obvious the Instinct HD would get official soon enough. So feast your eyes, Sprint fans — the 3.2-inch touchscreen touting Instinct HD features a 5 megapixel camera, “HD” video playback via a TV-out port, “HD” video recording, the full Opera Mobile 9.7 browser, Wi-Fi, a proximity sensor, haptic feedback, an Ambient Light Sensor and an accelerometer. The handset will become available on September 27th through Best Buy and then on October 11th through Sprint channels. Pricing is set at $249.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate on a 2-year contract (rebate is instant at Best Buy). Anyone planning to dive right in or will you try to hold off until Sammy’s new Instinct sheds the early adopter tax?

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Rumor
September 16, 2009
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Sprint’s Instinct HD said to be available as of September 27th

By on September 16, 2009 at 12:27 PM.

Sprint’s Instinct HD said to be available as of September 27th

sprint-instinct-hd

Ah, the Samsung Instinct HD. We know practically everything about it short of when it is going to launch and how much it will cost. A gaffe from Best Buy last month led us to believe that the Instinct HD would be dropping no later than the 26th however, and now an alleged internal Sprint memo has seemingly confirmed this. Okay, technically the memo says the handset will be launched on the 26th and available on the 27th, but what’s one day, really? Packing a  3.2-inch HVGA touchscreen display, 5 megapixel camera with video capture, Wi-Fi, accelerometer, HD video-out, visual voicemail and a “PC-like web experience”, the Instinct HD is expected to go for between $99 and $149 on contract, meaning it will compliment Sprint’s new Any Mobile, Anytime plan in terms of affordability and features. Hit the jump for the full text from the alleged internal memo.

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General
September 11, 2009
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Sprint announces the Samsung Instinct HD, but only to Premier customers and possibly by mistake

By on September 11, 2009 at 7:47 AM.

Sprint announces the Samsung Instinct HD, but only to Premier customers and possibly by mistake

premier-instinct-hdGranted this isn’t typically how we learn of new handsets from Sprint, but anyone still not convinced that Sprint is indeed preparing to launch a new variant of the Instinct can now rest easy. Sure, last month we exclusively told you about the phone appearing on Best Buy’s site and then about a week later it popped up again in live shots, but some people just aren’t happy until they hear it from the horse’s mouth. For those people, we’re happy to inform you that the horse’s most recent newsletter sent out to Premier customers includes the little image and ensuing blurb you see to the right. Whether or not it was included by mistake is unknown but it was in fact included and as such, it’s more than safe to say a launch is almost at hand. The blurb highlights “a 3.2″ screen, enhanced visual voicemail, simpler texting, improved browsing and a 5-megapixel camera,” so consider those the main talking points once Sprint does finally unveil its new Instinct. As for when that might happen or how much the HD will cost, no word yet we’re afraid. Soon, Sprint fans, soon.

Thanks, Tom!

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Rumor
August 28, 2009
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Samsung Instinct HD live shots emerge; launch imminent

By on August 28, 2009 at 7:39 AM.

Samsung Instinct HD live shots emerge; launch imminent

Earlier this week, we exclusively scooped the presence of Sprint’s upcoming Instinct HD on Best Buy’s website and the simple fact that it hasn’t been pulled suggests a launch is imminent. For a bit more supporting evidence, someone apparently got a little excited because a handful of live shots hit the Web yesterday, including several device-on shots showing off the UI. Barring the horribly lame clownfish wallpaper we sincerely hope was added by the user and not on the handset by default, we’re seemingly looking at a pretty sexy feature phone here — clearly in the same vein as previous Instinct models. Sleek case, nice big touchscreen display, 5 megapixel camera, HD video-out… It’s definitely a solid offering as long as it launches at a decent price. Hit the jump for some more shots with varying levels of blurriness.

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Exclusive
August 23, 2009
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Samsung's Instinct HD shows up on Best Buy site

By on August 23, 2009 at 10:00 AM.

Samsung's Instinct HD shows up on Best Buy site

S50, M850 and Dash be damned, it’s pretty clear now that Samsung has latched onto the “HD” trend for its latest Instinct handset. Spotted by one of our eagle-eyed readers on Best Buy’s website, some of the Instinct HD’s most talked about specs are now confirmed, including the 5 megapixel camera with video capture, HD TV-out, Wi-Fi and visual voicemail. Pricing and availability info aren’t yet listed, but the wording, “Prices effective Sunday, August 23rd – Saturday, September 26th” certainly suggests a launch some time before September 26th. As for other info to be gleaned from the listing, the Instinct HD will be a Best Buy retail exclusive (sorry, The Shack) and an Essential Message & Data plan or an Everything Plan with Data will be required with activation. Hit the jump for an the enlarged pic of the Instinct HD.

UPDATE: We’ve added an exclusive shot of a Best Buy promo sheet after the jump as well.

Thanks, Benny!

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Rumor
August 9, 2009
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HTC Touch Pro2 and Samsung Instinct s50 to hit Sprint on September 3rd

By on August 9, 2009 at 12:41 PM.

HTC Touch Pro2 and Samsung Instinct s50 to hit Sprint on September 3rd

Sprint subscribers might be feeling somewhat slighted thanks to the carrier’s poor showing in this morning’s exclusive, but don’t fret. Thanks to an alleged leaked Sprint document, it looks like the HTC Touch Pro2 and Samsung Dash, or Instinct s50 (official successor to the Instinct), are slated to be released on September 3rd. There’s no shortage of info and pics of the Touch Pro2, which will be available on each of the four major US carriers, but the s50 has yet to be seen — officially or unofficially. Could this be the AMOLED device headed to Sprint that everyone’s been hootin’ and hollerin’ about? Is it possible that the device will also be sporting Android in light of CEO Dan Hesse’s announcement that Sprint is finally ready for the matured OS? We’ll know in less than a month, but we’re guessing (and hoping) that the distinguished honor of being Sprint’s first Android-powered handset is reserved for the HTC Hero.

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News
April 20, 2009
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Samsung Instinct S30 now available from Sprint

By on April 20, 2009 at 7:44 AM.

Samsung Instinct S30 now available from Sprint

While this handset didn’t receive as much fanfare as its predecessor, it’s still a decent upgrade for those who are currently on Sprint. Is it worth switching carriers? Well, that’s entirely up to you but we’re thinking it might be smarter to hold off for, oh we don’t know, the Palm Pre perhaps. If you were a big fan of the original Instinct and your calendar is full of giant red X marks however, today is your day. For $129.99 with a two-year contract and mail-in-rebate, this slim touchscreen phone can be yours. The S30 is much like its older sibling but Samsung has trimmed a lot of the fat and made the UI a little more user friendly. The glitches and bugs that plagued the first Instinct should be ironed out now as well. If you were looking to upgrade, now would be the time — but before you rush out to the Sprint store, you might want to check out Best Buy first if you’re planning to snag one along with an Everything Plan.

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Retail
April 16, 2009
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Best Buy to offer Samsung S30 for $49.99

By on April 16, 2009 at 2:33 PM.

Best Buy to offer Samsung S30 for $49.99

The slightly smaller, sleeker successor to the Samsung Instinct is hitting Sprint retail stores on April 19th and it looks like Best Buy might be besting Sprint’s offer. With a two-year contract and $100 mail-in-rebate, the S30 will be retailing for $129.99 from Sprint but the pictured flyer shows Best Buy dropping $80 from that price. Of course, if you read the fine print it says that you’ll need an Everything Plan with data — something that Sprint retail stores won’t be requiring for its purchase. The way we see it, if you’re planning on grabbing one of these phones next week, you may as well get the Everything Plan and pick up the phone for less. With a device like this, you’re going to want unlimited data and all that jazz anyway.

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General
April 1, 2009
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Samsung @ CTIA

By on April 1, 2009 at 3:45 PM.

Samsung @ CTIA

We apologize for the delay in getting some sexy CTIA news coming your way but technical difficulties — ie, relying on an AT&T USB modem for connectivity — have been a bit of a road block. No matter… Welcome to AMOLED world, aka Samsung’s CTIA booth this year. As you can see from the giant AMOLED sculpture-thingamajig welcoming visitors to the Samsung booth, Sammy is making it a point to let us know that it means business when it comes to handset displays. And it does, by the way, mean business. Samsung has a handful of handsets on display and the common theme among more current models is a big, bright, gorgeous AMOLED touchscreens. Hit the jump to see some highlights plucked from Samsung’s line up.

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General
March 31, 2009
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Samsung lets slip the new Instinct S30

By on March 31, 2009 at 11:57 AM.

Samsung lets slip the new Instinct S30

A sleeker and more compact version of the Samsung Instinct is coming, so grab your camping gear and find your nearest Sprint retailer. Or not. An official picture of the Instinct S30 — or what many thought to be the Instinct Mini, though it looks like that was just an internal name used on some Sprint documents — has slipped out from Samsung so one would have to imagine that it’ll be hitting stores pretty soon. The original Instinct was relatively solid except for the sometimes-troublesome battery door, so we’re hoping this one will be built like a rock. Of course, when the Instinct first arrived its main competitor was the iPhone, but now it will have to contend with the second and then third generation Jesus-phone as well as Sprint’s own Palm Pre. Sprint will have to be aggressive with marketing this handset, but please… No more cheesy “save-the-day” or “find-a-husband” Instinct commercials.

[Via Engadget]

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Rumor
March 20, 2009
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Sprint to get Instinct Mini and Red Lotus in April; BlackBerry Curve still OOS

By on March 20, 2009 at 9:34 AM.

Sprint to get Instinct Mini and Red Lotus in April; BlackBerry Curve still OOS

Well lookie here – a freshly leaked BrightPoint document points to the upcoming launch of the rumored Instinct M810 Mini and a red version of the LG Lotus. The Mini is still listed as being available on April 19th in both graphite and bronze for a pricey SRP of $449.99. The document also reveals the April 19th availability of a red version of the LG Lotus for $299.99 and the similarly priced Sierra AirCard 402. Those interested in the red Lotus however, should note that it will only be available to “preferred retailers” and “exclusives”. Also of note is the continued “out of stock” status of the BlackBerry Curve 8330. The Sprint Curve has been out of stock online for a few weeks with brick and mortar stores reportedly carrying a dwindling stock of the popular handset. From the document, it appears that a refresh of the SKU and a replenishment of the stock is not expected until late March. Hold on a little longer Curve fans, as that could be any day now.

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Rumor
March 12, 2009
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New live shots of Samsung’s Instinct Mini; now with more blurrycam!

By on March 12, 2009 at 4:27 PM.

New live shots of Samsung’s Instinct Mini; now with more blurrycam!

The Samsung Instinct Mini — now reportedly designated the S30 — has been photographed yet again, this time in a hit or miss copper getup. According to new reports the “Mini” designation may have been tossed, perhaps due to the fact that the phone isn’t really all that mini. Pretty odd though, considering we’ve seen it referred to as the “Instinct Mini” on several Sprint documents. Regardless, the Instinct’s new sidekick will apparently also be available in blue along with copper and graphite, as was revealed back when we scooped the April 19th release date. Hit the jump for a second blurry snapshot.

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