Samsung Instinct, second pass, this time in a room with real lighting! Besides learning that it'll come out for under $300, we took another look at the web browser, which we weren't super impressed with earlier, partially because its slick, headlining interface feature—panning through a website by tilting the phone up or down—was brokified. Turns out, the dark discotheque room is what nuked it, since it made it impossible for the camera to detect any movement.
It's actually a pretty nifty UI feature, though it doesn't quite make up for the browser's other flaws—zooming could be much better and no portrait mode, though we're told they're working on both (pop-up keys on the keyboard might be on the way, too). We were also told that the platform will be continually evolving and show up on other Sprint devices, so at least theoretically it's only going to get better. [Instinct Coverage @ Giz]










Comments
But what OS is it running?
I hate tilt controls. I ride the bus. I don't want to have to place my hand-held device in a gyroscope to use it while in transit.
"almost like a tilt sensor"
would it really have been that more difficult/expensive to put a real tilt sensor in there? I still think dragging the page around like the iPhone is more intuitive and it has a tilt sensor.
That's kinda clever, I like that.
@Ghede: You could always just stick your finger over the camera.
How does it distinguish between intentional tilting to scroll and just tilting/etc. when you don't want it to move?
The camera stuff is a joke... Just enough light... Just enough contrast in the background.... Kill it!
This makes the LG Glimmer I'm about to get on my shit Alltel network look fucking dumb.
Wow, isn't there a quality assurance person at Samsung with enough clout to block crap like that? It just hurts the brand to have such gimmicks. That "feature" is nice to show off for about 2 seconds until you realize that its completely unusable. And that's with decent lighting.
i don't think it's so much about tilt browsing than it is about having a workable accelerometer in the phone.
but srsly, what OS is it running.
There are way too many problems with something like this. I really hope this "feature" can be easily turned off, or else I think a lot of people will be very pissed off.
This sacrifice of tilt sensor does not please the usability gods.
I dont understand the point of using a camera on a phone to move pages and stuff, i don't want to look like i'm flying a starship while surfing the net. Unless i'm allowed to make cool sound effects. Obviously Samsung is trying to find ways to NOT act like the iPhone, so it's taking their best features and reinventing them.
The question you have to ask: would Bono use this? Probably not.
[i144.photobucket.com]
I think I would get pretty annoyed in less than 30 second reading website like this.
the video clearly said there is a button you hold down, that makes the camera lock on to something and perform the tilt feature. This is not something that will be left on constant...watch the video before you comment negatively
@youngjjohnson: What they said.
Still a pretty stupid idea, especially if it doesn't work that well in the dark. Just get a damn accelerometer!
Ok I watched the video. Now can I say it looks pretty suck-ass?
For one thing, this feature would be better suited to a 3rd party novelty application. But now, since they're including it, it will probably be pretty effective at convincing users that Samsung should have sprung for a real motion sensor.
Chill out people, watch it again. He says there is a button on the top to activate it, so it doesn't just roam on it's own. It's Samsung, have a little faith. I'm sure that won't be the only way to browse the page. Not to mention it's still Beta, and this viewing is a gift from them, so stop writing to your Congressman about it.
you mean "borkified" or "borked" I believe, not "brokified"
also, the tilt feature is stupid. Shoulda stuck with one finger scroll.
why does every iphone competitor basically just try to copy it? I doubt you can beat it at its own game. They need to find a new avenue of attack.
@redkamel: Agreed... I think by the time everybody starts putting the final touches on their iPhone Clones, Apple will have come out with something better than their original. I think the designers at companies like Samsung need to focus their energy on their strong points.
1. They are really nice people. They could consider a job at Wal-Mart as a door greeter.
2. Quit making phones and consider refining their refrigerator line-up. They make a very nice french door, stainless steel, bottom freezer, refrigerator. Much better than any phone they make, plus it keeps your ice cream at the perfect scooping temperature.
or...
3. Their name (in this case) Samsung rhymes with Ram Dung which is one of the highest quality manure available to farmers - so just continue making shit.
They are all focused on the iPhone 1.0 of January 2007 and can't even get close... Once 2.0 is out and all the really cool third party applications, it is going to be a mad scramble!!! It will be worst than when the iPhone first came out!
if it was apple dat did this everybody will be saying that its super fantastic and the best idea ever.But since its samsung or somebody else everybody will start criticising it
Its just a gimmick - no one is really going to use it. Maybe to impress some dames. To bad it is on a network that will be going out of business if they don't actually make a decent decision about their network.
That seems like a really bad idea. I mean, what happens if you sneeze? Or are on the bus! Web pages going all OVER the place. Seems like the only place that'd be super awesome would be like, when I'm sitting in my office. Which...
right.
The iPhone is Apple's first attempt at a cell phone. Don't worry, the iPhone will get better. Samsung has been making cell phones for a while now, and they've had more time to learn how to do it right. It makes sense that Samsung would have such a great phone out of the gate. Apple is playing catch-up, so give them a little leeway to get the bugs worked out.
Damn. Porn must suck on that thing. If you weren't crosseyed before, you will be.
But, actually, seems pretty cool.
Obviously no iphone killer...
But it got me thinking...
Iphone = Jesusphone
Jesusphone killer = joophone?
All in fun, guys, don't boot me :)
The OS is modiified version of the croix/touch FLO OS the GSM version comes with on the F490/F480
@apt94jesse: Good one.
@apt94jesse: maybe they should call it the "Pilate" instead of the Insite, as a clever joke.
Looks very cool, until you realize you can't practically use it unless you've mastered the zen-like ability to freeze the motion of your body or the space around you. Of course, even if you abandon your life, travel to some remote region of Tibet and develop these skills, when you return you can still only use the browser in well-lit places, Grasshopper.
"with real lighting!"
Powerthrist? Win.
@migs_inc: Good god. Way to make us all want to throw our keyboards through our monitors.
As has been pointed out before, this is a feature ACTIVATED BY A BUTTON THAT YOU HOLD DOWN. I know retards like you haven't mastered the zen like ability to watch a goddamn video and actually parse the audio and visual information at the same time, but jesus, it's been said like five times in the comments.
On another note, I have perfected the zen like ability to hold down shift. And it feels gooooood. Off for some valium.
@Ghede: Here's an easy solution: Don't buy it.
Epic meh.
I'd much rather use the touchscreen to scroll than some gimmicky tilt feature.
@m4ximusprim3:
Yeah, but how do you prevent it from accidently scrolling when you tilt it...
Just kidding.
Of course it's not thos ONLY way to view web pages...You can use the touch screen to scroll web pages, or you can use the "gimmicky tilt feature" as some have put it. For the poster who is worried about the dark, hey, if you're browsing the web at the club, you certainly need more help than anyone here can offer...
Antichrist Phone? 666 hours on standby?
iPhone killer? eh... Looks like crap.Plus rumors of the new iPhone with 3G and GPS,why would anyone care about any other phone? Overview for the Haters. 1) Give up all hope, Apple is the future of all things cool. 2)Anything Apple does will be copied.3) You will always suck for not wanting to own said cool products,and cry about them online only to bring me joy.
The tilting feature would be annoying. Iphone's swiping feature is annoying. When are these jackasses going to realize that it's NOT a pleasure viewing webpages on 3" screens?
The fact the tilt feature has a button to activate it rocks. Why the hell are people crying about this feature? If you don't like it you're not forced to use it. It has much more potential with other programs too. I can't wait to play Labyrinth on my phone :)
Wow....
Just look at all you dunbazzes that didn't pay attention to the 20 second clip......
They show/speak clearly that you have to hold a button on the side in to enable the tilt function...
Why can't you whiney azz pay attention for more than 10 seconds??????
Pleaze....
@babj615: Those same "dunbazzes" probably stopped reading your comment after the fifth period (punctuation, not measure of time).
@Ghede:
Comment on Video: Samsung Instinct Lets You Browse Web Pages with Tilt Navigation (Plus, It's Under $300) If you listen to the video, they say something like "you push this button on the top" to activate the stupid camera feature. Just dish out the extra $100 and buy what this phone pretends to be. An iPhone!
sucks
They had more than a year to build an iPhone Clone and they still don't have a good zooming and portrait mode?!?
Damnit. I'm really excited about this phone. But,
"Sprint said the device will require activation on a Sprint Everything pricing plan, which offers 450 voice minutes and unlimited data for $69"
I already have that with SERO, and only pay $30 a month. Why must these carriers tie their cool new phones with shitty service plans?
I've seen a few questions on the OS the Instinct is running. Can we dream and think possibly that it can support Android in the future??
First of all an iPhone that is 3G in the US will still only be AT&T Edge which is the third slowest data network in America. Second, of all there is no memory expansion in the iPhone. Third, there is no requirement to change to a simply everything plan with this phone, Sprint is just marketing the phone with their new price plans. This phone is a standard EVDO Rev A phone that is compatible with any plan. Sprint is not going to require someone to leave their SERO plan, fair and flexible plan, power pack or family plan. There might be a conflict with someone who is on an old free and clear plan, but the whole point of this phone is data. Sprint can care less what plan you are on as long as it is one that makes you happy lowering churn with customer retention is key, not pushing customers away by requiring them to change their rate plan when the new phone comes out.
The best fans website is at w w w. instinct-samsung .c o m
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