Samsung Instinct HD (Sprint) Cell Phone

Fans disappointed with the minor upgrades in last spring's Instinct S30 will be pleased with the Samsung Instinct HD ($250 with a two-year contract from Sprint; price as of 9/25/09). This iteration of the cell phone bumps up the features considerably: Not only does it support HD video-out (as the name implies), but the handset also has a sleeker design, a 5-megapixel camera, and--at last--Wi-Fi connectivity. But to get HD video-out, you have to shell out extra for a mini-HDMI-to-HDMI cable.

The Instinct HD measures 4.6 by 2.3 by 0.5 inches, the same dimensions as the S30; it weighs 4 ounces more than its sibling. The HD, however, has a slicker look, with rounder corners, a shiny piano-black case, and silver trim. The black matte backing feels nice in the hand, and I experienced no discomfort holding it during long phone calls.

Call quality was solid over Sprint's 3G network; voices sounded clear, and the volume was ample. Call recipients said my voice sounded loud enough, with no static or hiss. One of my contacts said that the phone seemed to pick up a lot of background noise, though.

Like the previous generations, the Instinct HD has three touch-sensitive icons underneath the display; these icons light up brightly when you start the device. The Home icon at the center always brings you to applications. If you want to make a call, you press the Phone icon to the right, which brings up the speed-dial menu. The third icon, a left-pointing arrow on the left side, lets you step back to the previously active screen.

I found the 3.2-inch touchscreen mostly responsive, particularly while I was using the on-screen keyboard. I encountered some sluggishness, however, while scrolling through Web pages, browsing my music collection, and using the Unlock slider. If you're planning on loading a lot of media content onto the Instinct HD, be aware that you might end up taking a while to find what you want.

As for the user interface, not much has changed from the older Instincts. The Instinct HD retains the lackluster Favorites screen--basically an empty grayscale screen that you can populate with your most frequently used applications. Though the screen is intended to show off customization capabilities, it looks pretty drab; once again, I think Samsung would have done better to make the phone default to the Main screen, which is filled with eye-popping icons for commonly used apps such as e-mail, navigation, and the calendar.

Sign up for ITworld's Daily newsletter
Follow ITworld on Twitter @IT_world

• Email
• Print
• Share
  • Slashdot
  • Digg
  • Stumble
  • Reddit
  • Newsvine