The Great iPhone Blog

Sprint's Instinct is so special the carrier is holding its own super special event. Unfortunately, it hasn't quite finished baking, so the full feature set wasn't entirely ready to go—we had to visit different "stations" to check out each feature individually to keep us from diving too deep. The iPhone-challenging visual voicemail, for instance, ain't quite live. Plus, it locked up when I was messing around with the music store, and needed a hard reset for the more money shot voice command features, which still didn't quite work (or finding a McDonald's is just too much). And the web browser doesn't, um, touch mobile Safari, at least not in its present state.

There's no accelerometer and website viewing is landscape only (conversely, navigation is portrait only). No pinching or pulling, either, you tap a zoom button multiple times to get the level you want. Bleh. It tries to make up for being less dynamic with a mode that lets you pan through a site by moving the phone around, using the camera as the sensor. But, it didn't quite work, at least not for Giz, which loaded painfully slow, despite the 3G connection.

Haptic feedback has a lighter touch than the Voyager, though when you scroll through a list, it does this weird undulating vibration wave throughout the entire phone, which is both neat and slightly unnerving. Since it's so beta (dare I say buggy?), it's hard to gauge its true iPhone-killing potential right now, but we'll be keeping our eye on it. (Props to Dave Zatz for letting us jack his iPhone for the size-off.) Video coming up soon.

written by iPhone Fan

Unity Games Coming to the iPhone PC World - 56 minutes ago A wave of iPhone games built using the Unity game engine seem likely, as the company behind Unity begins developing a games development solution for the ...

written by iPhone Fan

iPhone killers, product spam and Windows Mobile 6.1 oh my! It's CTIA 2008, and we're here, so there's lots more mobile (and hot hands on) action where that came from. [Giz at CTIA 2008]

written by iPhone Fan

Mr. T likes his multi touch gestures, but doesn't like the lack of gold. Mr. T needs to know why the screen isn't golden even if he does enjoy catching his reflection from time to time in the iPhone's mirror-like finish. Hey Mr. Goldstriker International! Give Mr. T the solid gold iPhone that Mr. T wants before he calls Mr. Steve Jobs with your tonsils. Or his iPhone that's only half-gold.

written by iPhone Fan

Samsung's Instinct may be the best stab at the coveted title of iPhone killah this CTIA. The 3.1-inch touchscreen phone has localized haptic feedback, plus three hard navigation keys. If it sounds familiar, it's because we've seen versions of it before, but only in Korea. Mind you, this is not the LG Prada-ripoff Samsung F480, which had a much smaller touchscreen.

The Instinct rocks EV-DO Rev A and GPS, in both cases besting what's in the fruit phone. And then content and app wise, Sprint's own wares are basically swapped in for Apple's: Sprint Music Store, Navigation, TV, Visual Voicemail and a full HTML web browser—everything except a la carte music included in the $100 monthly subscription fee. EVERYTHING. On top of that, its customizable homescreen is amazing (and actually customizable, unlike other similar phones). You can check out all of the iPhone-like attributes in our 20-screenshot gallery. We'll be getting our fingerprints on one shortly, but in the meantime, there are more pics and hard data after the jump, uhhhh, fool.

More body shots:

Samsung Instinct™
The Ultimate in Touch Screen Speed and Simplicity

Samsung Instinct, exclusively from Sprint, offers consumers an industry-leading user experience by combining full touch screen functionality with access to the fast speed of Sprint's EV-DO Rev A Mobile Broadband Network. Samsung Instinct provides easy access to Sprint exclusive multimedia content, business or personal email, GPS navigation, live and on-demand TV content, full song downloads, streaming radio and an impressive HTML Web experience. Samsung Instinct offers localized haptic feedback and a new level of customization by allowing the user to access their favorite applications with a single touch. This stylish handset provides an expansive touch screen display and three navigation keys that keep all of the device's features and applications within immediate access. Samsung Instinct offers Visual Voicemail, stereo Bluetooth® with audible caller ID, expandable memory up to 8 GB and a 2.0MP camera with camcorder.

ENTERTAINMENT/PERSONALIZATION
• Sprint TV® with an extensive selection of live and on-demand programming including Sprint Exclusive Entertainment (SEE), the industry's only made-for-mobile sports and entertainment video
programming network
• Sprint Music StoreSM allowing users to wirelessly download full-length songs directly to their phone for just 99 cents each
• More than a dozen streaming-radio applications, including Sprint Radio with more than 150 channels
• Sprint Media Manager PC to phone transfer application
• Background music mode allowing the user to play music while text messaging, playing games or surfing the Internet
• Customizable Favorites menu

PRODUCTIVITY
• Sprint Navigation with GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions, one-click traffic rerouting and more than 10 million local listings
• Live Search for Sprint, powered by Microsoft, provides easy access to directory information, integrated GPS-enabled directions, interactive maps and one-touch click to call access
• Voice to Action button providing many functions using voice activation including call, text, picture messaging, traffic, movie, sports, news and search.
• HTML Web browsing
• Visual Voicemail allowing users to listen to messages in their order of preference and manage them with a tap of the screen
• 2.0 megapixel camera with 2x digital zoom and video camcorder
• Advanced Stereo Bluetooth® Wireless Technology with audio caller ID
• Access to corporate and consumer (POP3) email including AOL, Gmail and Yahoo!
• Threaded text messaging provides a view of the full conversation
• Mobile Sync to restore contact information if the device is lost, stolen or damaged
• Phone as Modem connects the phone with a computer for Internet and email access

SPECIFICATIONS
• Dimensions: 2.17 x 4.57 x 0.49 inches; 4.4 ounces
• Display: 3.1" TFT (240 x 432 pixels and 262K vibrant colors)
• Standard Lithium (LiIon) battery: up to 5.75 hours continuous talk time*

written by iPhone Fan

Forget 10 million in '08. Analyst predicts 45 million iPhones in '09 Ars Technica, MA - 4 hours ago Even if 1 percent go for an iPhone, that could mean almost 40 million phones in China alone. The last important factor is an expected lower-priced iPhone ... Analyst: Big Apple iPhone orders, sales goals 'make sense' The Industry Standard all 10 news articles

written by iPhone Fan

LG's touchscreen Vu hasn't exactly been a well-kept secret by any means. But now it officially exists for AT&T, in two flavors: one with mobile TV support, one without. It's got HSDPA 3G goodness and a full HTML web browser, which is hopefully snappier than the last time we saw it. As is popular these days, the touchscreen has haptic feedback, plus three navigation keys. We'll be putting this head-to-head against any other iPhone-throne pretenders we find at CTIA, if there are any. Vu will be out in May, but perhaps as some kind of April Fool's Joke, AT&T is not revealing prices, making this almost, but not quite, a complete non-announcement. [AT&T; Beauty Shot (sans T) from Akihabara News]

LG MOBILE PHONES OFFER A NEW VU INTO MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT

HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SLEEK TOUCH SCREEN HANDSET DEBUTS AT CTIA

SAN DIEGO, APRIL 1, 2008 — LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A. Inc. (LG Mobile Phones) announced today at CTIA Wireless 2008 the availability of the new Vu™ by LG, a sleek and stunning touch screen handset with a view into mobile entertainment's newest offering, AT&T Mobile TV. With a large three-inch interactive touch screen accompanied by a minimalist scroll bar design, simplicity is only skin deep. The Vu by LG, offered exclusively through AT&T, is equipped with video, music, and camera features, in addition to offering first-time access to AT&T Mobile TV.

Running on AT&T's 3G network, the Vu offers access to AT&T Mobile Music which provides fast access to downloadable music from eMusic and sideloading compatibility from Napster-to-go and any unrestricted MP3 audio file in addition to streaming digital radio by XM Radio. Loaded with AT&T Video Share, Instant Messaging, and HTML web browsing with touch navigation, the Vu offers the best of AT&T's features in a stylish and fashionable handset.

"The Vu makes a strong statement about aesthetics and functionality thanks to its sleek, smooth exterior and its intuitive, three-inch touch screen technology," said Ehtisham Rabbani, vice president of product strategy & marketing at LG Mobile Phones. "We believe consumers will also embrace the robust entertainment options available via the Vu - benefiting so many busy lives on the go."

"With all of the entertainment and features of the Vu, including AT&T Mobile TV, this phone is a true remote control for your mobile life," said Carlton Hill, vice president of Product Management, Voice Products & Affiliate Marketing for AT&T's wireless unit.

The AT&T 3G network offers download speeds between 600 and 1,400 Kilobits per second (Kbps) and is available in over 265 markets, increasing to nearly 350 by the end of 2008, including all of the top 100 U.S. cities.

Additional features of the Vu by LG include a 2.0-megapixel auto focus camera with video record, and Bluetooth® capability for music, TV and voice. To enhance AT&T Mobile TV experience, the Vu by LG also includes an extendable TV antenna for increased reception. Please visit the LG booth (#449) to check out the Vu and other innovative LG handsets.

The Vu will be available through select AT&T retail locations or at http://www.att.com/wireless beginning in May 2008. For LG's complete handset line-up please visit: www.LGmobilephones.com.

written by iPhone Fan

CNET News.com

Symbian CEO pitches middle ground between iPhone, Android CNET News.com, CA - 1 hour ago What do you think about the iPhone? And what do you think of Apple's participation in this market? I think it validates what we've just been talking about, ... Iphone 'drives higher smartphone sales' Inquirer Cell Phones Face Extinction As Smartphones Take Over InformationWeek Smartphones will soon turn computing on its head CNET News.com CNET News.com - Macworld UK all 23 news articles

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Goldstriker launches "Nightfire" leather and gold iPhone Sky News, United Kingdom - 2 hours ago Goldstriker are offering yet another variation on a luxury blinged up iPhone, the "Nightfire" edition. Due to be the flagship handset of the new ShSh! ... iPhone gets leathered ElectricPig.tv A Leather Covered iPhone Cellular-News all 3 news articles

written by iPhone Fan

Apple's plans for iPhone Enterprise Server revealed InfoWorld, CA - 52 minutes ago This was Apple's iPhone Enterprise Infrastructure Server. Eyes wide and fingers trembling, I ran the installer (which took all of 5 minutes to complete) and ...

written by iPhone Fan