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- Samsung Instinct Reviews
also known as Samsung SPH-M800
Samsung Instinct ReviewsSamsung Instinct Reviews
1. DON'T GET IT...EVEN IF LOOKS COOL, DONT GET IT!!!
30 Sep 2009 by Elijah Williams
43.3%4.3out of 10
Oh my gosh, i hate this phone! I got it in july of 09 and its semptember now. When i first got the phone i noticed it had a *few*(and i say this term lightly) minor glitches that i figured i could live with. I liked the camera quality but hated how time consuming and phisically taxing it was to just to text. The very next day after the return policy was up, the phone started shutting down randomly, freezing up when doing basic functions, wouldn't update correctly, being very unresponsive and to top it off the only 2 tiles on the web tab i can use now are the Live Search and Web. The rest like weather and news just try to load and then kick me to the call menu.
Now that i cant return i just use the phone for the only thing it can do right: music, tv, and web browsing. If i had the choice to go back in time, i would slap myself and tell me to go with my 1st choice of the Exclaim. please just realize that this phone sucks bad. I wouldn't wish the heartache and frustration from this phone on my worst enemy.
Nice Design
Camera
Music player
sprint tvEverything else!
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2. After A Year
2 Sep 2009 by Dre89
86.7%8.7out of 10
I've had my Instinct for a full year now, I got it just a few days after it first came out and (in spite of it's little bugs) it's one of the best phones I've ever had.
The best feature is the one I didn't ever think of when I bought it, the Instinct is near unbreakable. I've put mine through alot, first was a fall down a flight of concrete stairs, then there was the pool, the times my little sister tossed it across the room, and lord knows how many times I've dropped it.
As for the other goodies in this cookies jar: The web browsing is what I really bought this phone for. The native browser works great, although it was very average before the updates, but by downloading a third party browser the true ability of this phones web powers are realized. Also is a great texting phone, the on screen keyboard responds perfectly even for the largest fingers. Beautiful display is great for pictures and it's camera preforms pretty well for 2MP. GPS works great but I've only used it about 3 times.
Email has it's goods and bads, 90% of the time it's no problem but the other 10% you'll be cursing the phone for acting a fool, luckily if you get mad enough to abuse it it can take it. Plays media off the memory card perfectly, great sound and picture, but when playing streaming media (ie Sprint TV or Radio, Youtube Mobile, etc) it is horrid. Music player has great sound and can really pump it out of the speaker but lacks the features to make it great, plus it is the most buggy part of the whole phone and will really push your buttons if it decides to kill your SDcard, and no one knows this better then me I've lost 2 to the evil 505 error.
Oh and as for the phone part of this device: Perfect, but the telephone was perfected a long time ago lol. Call quality is perfect.
Durable
Great Web Browsing
Responsive Touchscreen
Easy To Use
Great With Internal MediaALL Default Programs Can Be Buggy
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3. It's okay
22 Aug 2009 by rhino629
63.3%6.3out of 10
My last phone was the green rumor and I now have the pink Instinct.
LIKES: It is SLIM and LIGHT and will fit in my pocket. It has an EXTRA BATTERY with its own charger. The battery life lasts me a few days but I just use it for texting and phone calls. The TV, GPS and web browsing do drain the battery but will last about 8 hours. It comes with a micro SD card. The phone has SURVIVED MY DROPPING it a few times. Not throwing but accidental dropping. I use the USB CORD (with either the USB wall plug or car plug) quite frequently although you MUST remember to "disconnect" the phone from the "computer" in order to receive texts and phone calls. It keeps track of TEXTS based on contacts and in a CONVERSATIONAL MODE. The GPS has been a lifesaver a few times. It is great as long as you have a good signal. I like that I have a favorites screen that gives me access to the apps I use most often instead of having to go through multiple screens. I have noticed the NEWS features are pretty up to date. I love the EMAIL. I have three yahoo accounts and it lets me know when I have new email. It displays up to 25 emails for each account. It is text only though. I occasionally have trouble with outgoing mail not being delivered.
MAYBES: * I installed the SOFTWARE to manage my phone on the computer. I quickly uninstalled it since it was easier for me to manage the information on the SD card. * I haven't been able to use the phone as a temporary DATA MODEM like you can with a Treo or other Smart Phone. * TEXTING is ok as long as you don't have big fingers and don't type too fast. The screen looks awfully red when you use a lot of texting abbreviations. * The CAMERA is alright as long as you don't need to zoom or use a flash. * TV STREAMS like a dial up modem. And don't use it if you are moving. It is not even worth the trouble then. You can personalize CONTACTS with ring-tones but unlike the Rumor you can't personalize text-tones which was a feature I loved. I like the multiple fields for the contacts although I wish they would get rid of the pager icon and use a fax icon instead. I make sure I put in addresses so I can pull them up when I use the GPS feature. I can't wait until I can either find out how to BLOCK UNKNOWN OR BLOCKED CALLERS. You can block those texts though. The WEATHER feature is touch and go but usually in the ball park.
HATES: WEB BROWSING. Part of the reason I got this phone was because of the larger screen for internet. It is slow and difficult to maneuver. The touch screen for the web is horrible. I am surprised I haven't cracked my screen tapping it to try to enter information into the web page. You have to touch multiple times. Each time. It seems that I adjust the size of the font when I touch the screen instead of being given a way to either enter information or follow a link. And pray that you don't have to enter information into a form. Even if it has drop down menus and buttons. Way to piss a person off. I will say that I have a screen protector on my phone but the screen setting is at its most sensitive and works with all the other features. CALENDAR: I filled up the calendar in two months. And I only had my husband's and kids’ schedules in it. I had to delete past appointments in order to schedule new. I don't like that if you choose the option to repeat appts it doesn't. If it says it repeats it, the repeated appt doesn't show up in your calendar.
DON’T USE: Music, Radio, Games, Clocks, Shopping, Sports
All in all, the phone gives me enough features to function. But I won't rave about it. And I wouldn't buy another one.
Extra battery
Battery life
Slim, lightweight
GPS
News
Customizable contact informationWeb Browsing
Touch Screen
TV
Limited Calendar Input
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4. I disliked this phone
20 Jul 2009 by Kls2125
56.7%5.7out of 10
I got this phone about a week after it came out. As you may know, you have thirty days to return the phone. I realized that it was time to return it the seond week I had the phone.
It was very entertaining, and appealing. Based on design, and the features it provided.
But other than that.. it wasn't worth my time.
It was as though the minute you play a game, it cuts out 20% of the battery right then and there!
Also, when I would call a friend, if I connected another friend to the line, the only way I could disconnect them is if I hung up the phone completely, or if they hung up. Even then, when the person on the other line would hang up, I wasn't able to connect someone else because it still showed them as on the line.
Another dislike would have to be the battery! At first, I thought it was a good thing to have two batterys, but it would have alot more beneficial if you had an extra battery along with a charger to the phone itself. Multiple times I had to tell a friend that my phone is going dead, so I have to hang up and switch the battery, and that I would call them back as soon as my phone powers back up. That was just pure ridiculous. Not only for me, but for my friends too.
Very entertaining.Texting
Battery! The battery was horrible.
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5. I love my instinct
13 Jun 2009 by Jean
100%10out of 10
I bought my Instinct at Christmas time and got it for 49.00 dollars out the door. I have and still do love the phone. I did the research before buying the phone and got what I wanted. I think all the bad reviews are from people who didn't do the research and was expecting the phone to do more than what was advertised I wanted a good media phone with great features and that is what I got. Maybe I got the phone after all the updates and got a better phone than the people in the beginning but I love my phone.
Pros:
The visual voicemail is the best thing I love about the phone and which makes me not want to switch to the pre. I have gotten to use to this.
The gps system is great I can't tell you how many times I have gotten lost and my instinct has guided me through.
The email is so easy and smooth. I don't need to sync my phone for work so that is not a problem for me. I just need to check my mail and it works perfect for that.
My tv has always been clear and smooth I think it is all about where you live I live in the S.F. bay area and we have great 3g coverage. Since I have had the phone I probably have dropped one call and not sure if it was the other party or not. I use the phone as my primary phone and talk all day on it.
The music player is ok. Not ipod quality but it does the job none the less.
I can tether to my laptop even though sprint says you can't. And my internet is as fast as my dsl. In some cases even faster.
The touch screen works perfectly. I can nine times out ten get the response I want when I hit a button. And I think that is pretty good for a phone.
Cons:
My cons are not deal breaker but they are a little annoying.
There is no way to hang up from a three way call unless one of the parties hang up and then you can't make another three way call without hanging up.
When strolling it goes a little to fast.
No wi-fi but I knew that before I bought it.
That is it for the cons because I did my research and I knew exactly what I was buying.
Looking forward for the instinct 2 coming up because it is exciting to think a better version of this phone is come. I will be in heaven.
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6. I HATE THIS PHONE
15 Apr 2009 by gentlemanalways
26.7%2.7out of 10
Of course like most people I was going crazy over what I thought was going to be the Sprint's best phone, Was i sadly mistaken... This is the worst phone, The screen freezes, The Keyboard sticks, The Internest is slow, Youtube Videos are poor quality, there are not instant messenger apps like on Blackberry or the iPhone, No flash on the camera, nothing to really do on the phone you can watch streaming t.v. but you mite as well watch still photos and the radio because thats all you get is the still picture and the sound NOT A GOOD PHONE AT ALL.. I WISH I NEVER BOUGHT IT!!!
Slick appearance, touch screenEVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE PHONE, APPS, PICURES, NO FLASH, POOR VIDEO QUALITY, STREAMING VIDEO IS SLOW AND WACK, INTERNET IS SLOW, KEYBOARD FUNTIONALITY IS NO GOOD... DON"T GET THIS PHONE
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7. I hate this phone
1 Apr 2009 by Anonymous
26.7%2.7out of 10
I have had the Instinct since just before Christmas, it was the only Christmas present I got for 4 people becuase it was all I wanted. I had the phone for just over the 30 days and it started acting up. For 3 weeks I was unable to use any feature that involved the internet. The visual voicemail has never worked on the phone. I really wish that I never got this phone, it is a PITA! You can't text with it. For the money, buy a blackberry or iPhone.
Text
Camera
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8. mr
28 Mar 2009 by Glenn James
83.3%8.3out of 10
Hold the Phone! My instinct isfantastic, I love it! BUT! For the money I spent, you would think it would have a flash for the camera.
Glenn James, Eugene, Oregon
bluetoothNo Flash!
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9. INSTINCT DO NOT BUY!!
27 Feb 2009 by rodney peterkin
36.7%3.7out of 10
i got the intstinct when it frist lauched. this phone was okay at first but of course after the first 30 days it started from there i'm on my 2nd replacement. i wish i wouldn't have brought this device. it freezes up, and sometimes it won't even let me answer the call or hang up. the sprint tv and videos, etc always messing up and the radio as well. it's a lot more. i think i going to get a blackberry.
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10. It's not as bad as you think.
15 Jan 2009 by Hellbinder
73.3%7.3out of 10
This is a good balanced phone to have. In it's own way it can be used quite well. The problem I see with it is the broswer. It doesnt work very well, very slow. (It has nothing to do with Sprint 3g). I got a free app (Opera Mini). To get it, go to mini.opera.com in you cell's web browser. It works amazing. Very fast page downloads and works great to read blogs and such.
Other than that, the music sounds great.
Email is ok. Not a big fan of it since you hace to syncronize having the cell phone connected to the computer.
Other than that, the cell phone is a good phone for everyday use.
Nice sound
Good interface.
Love the SMM messaging
Video recording capability.Internet Browser sucks. (Opera Mini makes up for the falure that is instincts own browser)
No IM apps.
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Based on 43 opinions