Omnia vs. iPhone

We’re not going to make any reference the letter after H cellular device murderer here… those talks are tired. But what we WILL do is show some pictures comparing the Samsung Omnia with the iPhone. Afterall, both of these bad boys will be on AT&T and before you drop some hefty coin, you want to make sure you’re buying what you want.

Not bad looking - either of them - eh? See the difference in the upper left hand corner? That’s the Omnia’s 5MP phone compared to the 2MP of the iPhone - one of the nice edges that the Omnia offers.

The Omnia also appears to be slightly thicker but also shorter and less wide. But don’t get the idea that its “stocky” or “frumpy”… they are pretty compareable as you can see below:

[Via IntoMobile]

Samsung Instinct Software Updates?

The guys at CrunchGear apparently went forum perousing (or more likely got a tip) that the Samsung Instinct will get a software update on June 30th.

There have been a few little bugs with the Samsung Instinct and supposedly, this quickly pushed update will cure those ailments. So if you’re inclined to believe a rumor from a rumor from a forum that nobody has ever heard of… follow these directions on the 30th and see if the Instinct Gods shine on you that day:

[Via CrunchGear]

Samsung Omnia: Coming Soon to AT&T

Rumor has it that the Samsung Omnia will suit up for the Blue Team with AT&T offering the phone in the near future. And by near future we mean July, August or September. Seeing as how initial conventional wisdom reported the Omnia wouldn’t make it to the states, this news couldn’t be any more exciting.

In addition to the regular AT&T multimedia features such as AT&T Music, AT&T Video and AT&T Navigator, the Omnia will also feature AT&T Mobile TV!

Here are some other specs to keep your mouth watering:

[Via Samsung Omnia]

Sprint Goes Gangsta: Instinct Movie Trailer

We mean Gangsta as in Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs style gangsta, not Tupac Shakur from Juice style Gangsta. So would that make it GangstER? Who knows.

The point is, Samsung & Sprint are obviously heavily invested in making the Instinct a huge success and the latest way to help their handsome handset fulfill its potential? Viral video marketing. We admit… its pretty funny:

That’s 2 Instinct articles in a row… we know. What can we say? We’re mobile fat boys - if they feed us good material we’re gonna eat it right up!

Samsung Instinct: 1 CENT Less than iPhone WITH Service

Originally thought rumored at $199.99 you’ll be pleasantly suprised, and quite frankly we’re amazed, that Sprint has priced the Samsung Instinct at $129.99. After running a HUGE, $100 Million ad campaign based on Instinct vs. iPhone, the $199 cost seemed to fall in line… but that line stands corrected!

The Instinct, which has received incredibly high praises from sources across the board, was already poised to get its fair share of looks. Now, with a MUCH lower pricing point, the Samsung Instinct for Sprint looks like it could be a real powerhouse - offering a high-end phone for a mid-range price.

The Instinct is available ONLY on service plans that come with unlimited data, starting at $69.99/month for 450 minutes and obviously, unlimited data. So lets see…

$129.99 for the Instinct
$ 69.99 for the service (at minimum)
=======================
$199.98

HAHA… Sprint and Samsung FTW!

Just as we predicted, the pricing for the Instinct is 1 penny lower than the iPhone 3G… AND you get unlimited data for that price on the Sprint Network.

This is going to make a LOT of soon to be Instinct owners and Sprint customers very, very happy. And, its going to make those planning on buying the iPhone 3G on July 11th think twice.

Here is the full press release from Sprint:

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–June 18, 2008–Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced pricing for Instinct, a new wireless device that offers consumers an industry-leading user experience by combining full touch-screen functionality with the fast speeds available on the largest national mobile broadband network. When the device launches on June 20, it will cost just $129.99 with a two-year contract after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Customers will be able to purchase Instinct through Sprint retail stores, Web (www.sprint.com) and telesales (1-800-SPRINT1.) Best Buy is Sprint’s exclusive retail partner for Instinct from June 20 - August 28.

In order for customers to experience the full capabilities of the device, Instinct must be activated on a pricing plan offering unlimited data. Customers can choose from Everything plans for individuals starting at just $69.99 per month for 450 voice minutes or Talk/Message/Data Share plans for families starting at $129.99 per month for 1500 voice minutes to share between two lines. Instinct complements Sprint’s signature Simply Everything Plan offering both unlimited nationwide voice and data services for just $99.99 per month. The Simply Everything Plan offers premium services, including GPS navigation, email, web surfing, Sprint Music Premier and Sprint TV Premier, while letting customers easily budget for phone expenses.

Instinct was recently named “Best in Show” in the third annual Emerging Technology (E-Tech) Award competition in April at CTIA Wireless 2008. Instinct was also honored as “Most Innovative Product at CTIA Wireless 2008″ by the editors of LAPTOP, a leading mobile technology magazine. CNET also recognized Instinct as the “Best Cell Phone” in its annual Cream of the Crop CTIA 2008 awards.

The innovative device speeds up the user experience like no other touch-screen phone and brings the customer’s most-used applications and contacts within a single finger tap. Instinct has a high-tech look with large, vibrant touch-screen featuring localized tactile feedback, called haptics, which transform the virtual QWERTY keypad and other screen interactions into a sensory experience. The device also offers a Speech to Action button providing many functions using speech activation for calling, texting, picture messaging, traffic, movie, sports, news, weather and search.

As Sprint’s first EV-DO Rev A consumer-centric device, Instinct provides the ability to quickly browse the Web, access business or personal e-mail, share pictures, listen to commercial-free radio and more at broadband speeds. Instinct also provides smooth access to GPS applications including Sprint Navigation, with GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions and one-click traffic rerouting as well as Live Search for Sprint, powered by Microsoft, providing easy access to directory information on-the-go, interactive maps and one-touch click to call access.

Instinct boasts many advanced features including Visual Voicemail, allowing users to listen to messages in their order of preference and manage them with a simple tap of the screen. This device also provides support for corporate and consumer (POP3 and IMAP) email, multitasking capabilities that allow the user to play music in background mode while surfing the Internet, texting or playing games, a 2.0 megapixel camera with camcorder and expandable microSD memory of up to 8GB. Additional features include advanced stereo Bluetooth(R) 2.0, SMS voice and text messaging with threaded text, picture caller ID and Sprint Mobile Sync.

Instinct comes with everything the user needs to enjoy the device’s full capabilities right out of the box. Contents include a 2GB microSD(TM) card that can hold approximately 2,000 songs from Sprint Music Store, two standard 1,000 mAh batteries offering up to 5.75 hours of continuous talk time each, battery-charging sleeve, travel charger, USB cable, 3.5mm headphones with built-in microphone, and carry case with stylus. Customers can access the latest information on Instinct at www.instinctthephone.com.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving nearly 53 million customers at the end of the first quarter 2008; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

[Via Sprint]

Samsung Omnia Gets Tagged & Dated

It didn’t take long for the Samsung Omnia to take front and center as #1 phone you want but cannot have. The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 is on that list but questions concerning the keyboard could drag it down and the Sony Ericsson C905 looks amazing but has a drawback here and there.

And thus is the glory of not-yet-released phones - we can bask in the glory of their potential without harping on the flaws that will inevitably be made apparent - no phone is perfect. And the Omnia’s main flaw, at this point, seems to be the fact that I can’t get one in the United States.

Laugh all you want geeks in Singapore, Europe, China and Taiwan… the Omnia will be rolling out from July through August in a store near you.

With the option of 8GB or 16GB internal memory and a MicroSD slot adding another 16GB, this bad boy could hold a whopping 32GB of data. Even with a 5MP Digital Camera it will take a long time to fill it up… plenty of space for music, business files and whatever else you need.

[Via SlashPhone]

The Green Thumb of Samsung

Start your hybrid engines… Fasten your hemp seatbelts… and get ready to make a call on your brand new environmentally friendly phone from Samsung!

China and Korea will soon see the Samsung W510 and the Samsung F268 - mobile phones that were made with protecting and preserving the environment as a focus. In addition to the actual DEVICES being made of more environmentally friendly materials, the phone has features that “think green” for you.

For example, when your battery is fully charged the phone will provide an audible alert. Not only will this help preserve the life of your battery (and money) but it also wastes less electricity from whatever source you’re plugged into.

Here is the official press release for the 2 phones:

Seoul, South Korea, June 16, 2008 - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced two environmentally friendly mobile handsets, W510 and F268, at the World IT Show in Seoul.

W510 is Samsung’s first mobile phone with ‘bio-plastic’ made from natural material extracted from corn. Samsung has been making an effort to develop more renewable and eco-friendly material compared with common plastic produced from petroleum.

Moreover, when producing W510, Samsung did not use any heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, and applied water-soluble coating.

Samsung F268 and all its accessories, including charger and headset, do not contain BFRs (brominated flame retardants) or PVC.

In addition, Samsung F268 has an alarm function to encourage users to unplug their charger when the device is fully charged. The product is following the Energy Star requirements as well, which are strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Both W510 for the Korean market and F268 for the Chinese market will be launched in June.

“Samsung is striving to continue to be a strong corporate citizen that contributes to environmental sustainability,” said Geesung Choi, president of Samsung’s Telecommunication Business. “Now we are trying not only to launch more environmentally-conscious products with more renewable material and less energy consumption, but also proactively set up a phone recycling system.”

For more information, please visit www.samsungmobile.com.

About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2007 consolidated sales of US$103.4 billion. Employing approximately 150,000 people in 134 offices in 62 countries, the company consists of four main business units: Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business, and Telecommunication Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

[Via PhoneMag]

Samsung Omnia Video Review Galore!

Greg Kumparak got his greasy hands (he said it first!) all over the Samsung Omnia, pushing our jealousy to the limits. However, we forgive him because he shared an awesome video of his experience with the phone:

That thing looks devilishly delightful. Kind of curious to get a better look at the QWERTY keyboard as the buttons for each letter look kind of narrow and difficult to press.

The responsiveness of the touch screen doesn’t seem, at first glance, to be one of the best out there. In the below video, which was actually filmed by a Samsung rep and posted by Samsung to YouTube, selections seem to have a bit of lag time and scrolling up and down by “flicking” doesn’t yield the response one might expect.

Decide for yourself:

The final video is almost guaranteed to raise your estrogen levels. The extended demonstration of the touchscreen is pretty amazing… but its the accompanying music that has us wondering if Bette Midler produced this masterpiece.

We hope you enjoy these videos. Personally, we would describe the feeling more as “satisfied”… we won’t feel full enjoyment until we get one of these bad boys in our hands!

[Via MobileCrunch, MobileBurn, PPCSG]

Samsung Omnia: Quick Video Review

The nothing-short-of-gorgeou Samsung i900 Omnia got kidnapped by the guys at MegaWhat.TV for a little less than a minute as they give us a quick run down of the Samsung Omnia and its main features.

They come to the conclusion that while its a beautiful phone with amazing specs, great multimedia and the whole 9, that is will mostly please the fans of Windows Mobile. Apparently, the UI does nothing to hide the Windows Mobile 6.1 Operating System which the average cell phone consumer would likely consider a bit clunky and hard to navigate.

Other phones with Windows Mobile have spent some time on the User Interface to pretty-up the experience. While the Omnia seemingly makes no attempt to hide its Windows foundation, the device doesn’t come out until August so you never know what could happen between now and then.

Than being said, this is a pretty sweet phone any way you look at it.

[Via MegaWhat.TV]

Incredibly Amusing Samsung F480 Video

Talk about thinking out of the box… this promotional video from Samsung illustrates the “customizable touchscreen” of the Samsung F480 Tocco with an incredibly amusing abstract video.

Check it out… you’ll probably find yourself watching it more than once:

The video just hit the Youtube front page and you can find the Samsung F480 promotional site here: http://samsung-f480.com

4 New Sprint Phones Launching Sunday

Sprint is launching 4 brand new phones on Sunday, Father’s Day. And while they are technically “new”, you’ll likely think they’re about as “groovy” and “jiving” as the forced lingo your wannabe cool dad uses. ALL of the following phones feature Push-To-Talk Technology.

First up is the the LG LX400, is a clamshell with push-to-talk Q-Chat feature, 1.3 MP camera, GPS and bluetooth that will set you back $79.99 with a 2-year contract and rebates:

Next we have the Samsung Z400 which claims it is rugged enough to pass Military Specification 810F for conditions such as dust, temperature and altitude. Doesn’t this sound like the upcoming Motorola Adventure for Sprint? These two will likely go head to head, with the rugged nature being the top selling point. $99.99 with 2 years and rebates.

The Sanyo Pro-200 and Pro-700 are pretty run of the mill as well, but do boast e-mail support. The Pro 200 runs $49.99 with 2 years and rebates. The Pro-700 is the exact same phone but ruggedized to pass those Military Specifications 810F you keep hearing about.

[Via Sprint]

Instinct vs. iPhone 3G Heats Up at $199/Each

Samsung and Sprint themselves played up the whole Instinct vs. iPhone thing with a $100 million dollar advertising campaign featuring promotional videos that directly pit the two phones against eachother. Obviously, the Instinct won each “battle”.

While the annoying “iPhone Killer” crap gets perpetuated by bloggers, analysts and fanboys across the globe, the Instinct ad campaign was the first time it was purposefully force-fed by the competing manufacturer/carrier themselves. Many predicted once the iPhone 3G was released, the Instincts talking points against the iPhone would be moot and the “iPhone Killer” hype once again debunked.

But as the story unfolds, the Instinct has gotten tremendous reviews across the board and looks to remain competitive. One of the most exciting developments for the iPhone 3G was it’s $199 price point. After spending so much on head to head comparison ads did you really think the Sprint would let them walk away with a differentiating factor of price?

Of course not, and thats why the Samsung Instinct will $199 dollars with a 2-year Sprint Contract… JUST like the iPhone 3G.

I’m not sure what the marketing guys at Sprint are thinking, but if I were them, I’d change that pricepoint to $198.99 and get some more mileage out of those head to head Instinct vs. iPhone videos. Cmon Sprint, it will be amusing!

i900 Announced As Samsung Omnia

Ladies and gentlemen, Samsung is REALLY on a roll. Just yesterday the tech web voted (via reviews) the Samsung Instinct an overwhelming winner, with some even calling it the best Samsung phone AND the best Sprint phone ever created. That title may only last a short lived single day.

Samsung has just announced that their much rumored i900 will be officially named the Samsung Omnia. While the Instinct is a fabulous piece of hardware, it only straddles that smart phone line. The Omnia pulls the other leg into the pool and the specs make this bad boy look like it’s time for adult swim.

Here are the Samsung Omnia Specs you’ve been waiting for:

According to several sources, the Samsung OMNIA will be unveiled at CommunicAsia from June 17th to 20th. It will be made available for sale in the Southeast Asian market starting from the same week. The phone will be available in the European market from July.

Will it come to the US? (Cross your fingers)

[Via PhoneMag, IntoMobile]

Samsung Instinct for Sprint Unboxed!

The mad rush by blogs world wide for the coveted title of “first to unbox” has been undermined - at least for the Samsung Instinct - by a Sprint employee. We don’t really care because we get to see the goods! And… you might want to know “the goods” are coming to a Sprint store near you on June 20th!

Josh33_unc from SprintUsers.com got a text message from a buddy who works at Sprint… with pictures of HIM unboxing the beast:





[Via SprintUsers]

Samsung i900 is I-Want-It Worthy

There have been a lot of phone rumors dropping where, with one look of the phone, you think, “I want it.” The Samsung i900 definitely fits into that category. Scroll down for pictures.

Speculation on Specifications (say it 10 times):

Not too shabby, eh? Not at all… and those pics you’ve been waiting for:

[Via NaviGadget]

Samsung Instinct Gets June Release Date

Sprint has confirmed that the Samsung Instinct will be available soon… very soon!

With an e-mail update from the folks at Sprint, we learn that “Slow Ends This June”. Other sources are confirming that the phone will be available in June… June 20th to be exact.

We’re thinking a lot of Sprint folks have been waiting for this. If you all want to huddle up and talk with each other about your soon to be new phone, hit the Samsung Instinct Forum.

Instinct vs. iPhone

Sprint has been somewhat shunned for dropping a cool million on a Sprint Instinct vs. Apple iPhone campaign with the purposes of proving it can unseat the iPhone based on performance. The problem is that half the iPhone’s glory stems from intangible, perception based affection.

The ease of use. The Apple brand. The App Store. The User Interface…

Still, the Instinct SHOULD get points for matching up with the iPhone. Trying to take the iPhone head on by directly comparing them is a risky move, since being dubbed an “iPhone Killer” is a cliche that has gotten very old very quick. Why make the comparison when the rest of the universe is going to do it for you?

Nevertheless, the people SHOULD be viewing the Instinct has a hot commodity. Take a look at these 5 videos from the campaign and tell us what YOU think:

(UPDATE: it appears the video isn’t working for some. If not, you can see the videos here)

FAST INTERNET

LIVE TV

GPS FEATURES

DIGITAL CAMCORDER

MUSIC DOWNLOAD

So… who wins? We’re guessing the Apple folks will say, “Once the 3G iPhone drops, there will be no comxparison.” But even if they’re right, you have to give the Instinct credit for matching up very, very, very well.

We’re excited for this phone to say the least.

Mobile TV Standards Pursued by LG & Samsung

On May Fourteenth Two-Thousand Eight, we learned of Mobile T.V.’s fate.

Don’t ask us why we just broke into rhyme. For some reason the recent Press Release from LG, the one where they submitted an official proposal to adopt governmental mobile TV Standards, it reminded us of the Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue thing. Anyways…

The proposal was submitted to the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) which company executives feel will, “help accelerate the ATSC standardization of mobile TV technology, which will benefit both consumers and broadcasters.”

They’re probably right. LG and Samsung devices have been the two leaders in featuring Mobile TV and right out of the gate, the pictures were clear, loaded fast, almost no buffering, had great channel selection and you really couldn’t have asked for much more for an infantile technology. Unfortunately, consumers haven’t been amazingly fast to put it to good use, as Mobile TV viewership has been slow to grow.

It’s kind of a no-brainer for the industry and based on the press release, the partnership will be moving forward relatively soon: “ATSC is expected to adopt the mobile/handheld DTV standard for the North American market in early 2009 following trials of the technology by the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC), a group of leading U.S. broadcasters who are vigorously promoting the development and early deployment of mobile DTV.”

Lets just hope porn channels don’t start popping up or vehicular homicide rates will increase by double digit percentages.

Verizon Glydes in with Samsung u940

The worst kept seCrAT is out of the bag as Verizon finally admits and launches the highly anticipated Samsung Glyde.

It was first released to oohs and ahhs for a variety of reasons… it looked the part and acted the part of a super sexy phone, and the “y” replacing the “i” evoked the thought of a certain sex lube for some. Maybe that’s the idea… not so subliminal advertising? This phone will give you an orgasm!

Did it?

In all seriousness, the Samsung Glyde packs some serious punch that is getting mostly glowing reviews and it’s not hard to see why. Unfortunately this thing isn’t available for sale online or in stores yet, but we’ll expect that to change within the next 48 hours. Let us know if you’re the first to break that barrier!

We’ve got our Samsung Glyde Forum all ready for the folks that are eager to pick it up to discuss the phone so make sure you stop by!

So let the debate begin… Glyde or Voyager? Glyde or Instinct?

Samsung Glyde Pictures and Rumors

The Samsung Glyde which will some point be available at a Verizon Wireless Store near you may also be available… for FREE… at… BestBuy?

That’s an image picked up at EngadgetMobile and they were tempted to say it is a screen shot of BestBuy’s internal system. You’ll notice all those FREE, FREE, FREE listings and basically, the Glyde could be free at BestBuy with any new contract or contract extension.

We talked about BestBuy’s Cell Phone push with their Carphone Warehouse deal… but this would be pretty big news for them if Verizon doesn’t have the same offer. We can’t imagine that they wouldn’t but the Glyde doesn’t seem like the “Free” phone type.Could BestBuy be purposefully taking a loss to draw attention to their mobile sales department?

Right now it is all rumor and speculation so let’s move onto something that is real, hard (that’s what she said) evidence: Samsung Glyde pictures.




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