The Instinct was Sprint’s most popular device last year, so it’s natural that they’d bring on a follow-up. The S30 makes a few big changes and a few small ones. The biggest-small change is the screen size, changing from 3.1″ to 3.2″ of resistive touchscreen goodness. The form factor is different, incorporating rounded edges and a slimmer profile. The color addition is nice. Black is the new beige after all. The microSD card slot supports up to 16GB of music now instead of the 8GB that the previous generation Instinct did.

Other features include:

• 2 megapixel camera
• bluetooth
• threaded text messaging.
• Speech to Action button providing many functions using voice activation including call, text, traffic, movie, sports, news and search
• Calendar synchronization access to Microsoft Exchange Server and IBM Lotus Notes
• Access to Corporate and POP3 email including AOL, Gmail and Yahoo!
• Mobile Sync to restore contacts if the device is lost, stolen or damaged
• Dimensions: 2.1 x 4.6 x 0.5 inches; 3.9 ounces
• Display: 3.2” TFT (240 x 432 pixels and 262K vibrant colors)
• Standard Lithium (LiIon) battery: up to 4.6 hours continuous talk time

[via engadgetmobile]

The Samsung Instinct s30 has pre-installed applications like Microsoft, Live Search, Opera Mini 4.2, Visual Voicemail and Sprint TV. The touch screen will feature a QWERTY keyboard with haptic feedback. Other features include:

• 2 megapixel camera
• bluetooth
• threaded text messaging.
• Speech to Action button providing many functions using voice activation including call, text, traffic, movie, sports, news and search
• Calendar synchronization access to Microsoft Exchange Server and IBM Lotus Notes
• Access to Corporate and POP3 email including AOL, Gmail and Yahoo!
• Mobile Sync to restore contacts if the device is lost, stolen or damaged
• Dimensions: 2.1 x 4.6 x 0.5 inches; 3.9 ounces
• Display: 3.2” TFT (240 x 432 pixels and 262K vibrant colors)
• Standard Lithium (LiIon) battery: up to 4.6 hours continuous talk time

Instinct S30 will also be more “open” than its predecessor, with access to core Java APIs (application programming interface), including messaging, multimedia and Bluetooth, which allow developers to take advantage of the phone’s features. By providing this open access, Sprint is providing what developers have been seeking and making it possible for them to create more sophisticated and innovative new applications for customers to use on the Instinct family of phones.

“We are excited to introduce Instinct s30 into our portfolio in a few weeks as we continue the tradition of innovative and easy-to-use touch-screen devices that will appeal to a broad array of our customers,” said Kevin Packingham, Sprint senior vice president of product and technology development. “The original device surpassed our highest expectations for both customer interest and industry accolades. The enhancements on Instinct s30 make it even more versatile for our customers, and access to core Java APIs, such as messaging and multimedia, will make it even easier for more developers to create new applications.”

Sprint plans to extend access to these Java APIs to the Instinct s30’s predecessor, Instinct, within the next few months through an over-the-air software update. The Java APIs will then be available on all future Java-enabled Sprint phones.

[via engadgetmobile]

Samsung Instinct Mini: It looks like the rumors are true indeed. We’ve confirmed that Sprint is set to get its paws on a smaller, slimmer Instinct and it’s currently slated to launch on April 19. It will be an addition to the Instinct family rather than a replacement for the current model and it will be available in copper or graphite. Saucy. The bad news – EVDO Rev 0.

“Instinct has been a great success for us from both a sales and innovation perspective,” said Kevin Packingham, Sprint SVP of Product Development. “We are thrilled with our customer’s response to this dynamic, well-integrated and easy-to-use wireless phone. Bringing the price under $100 will make it even more accessible to customers who want the best of Sprint’s 3G network on a powerful touchscreen device.”

Much of the success of Instinct can be attributed to its industry-leading 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. Additional features include advanced stereo Bluetooth 2.0, SMS voice and text messaging with threaded text, a true HTML Web experience, picture caller ID, a 2.0 megapixel camera with camcorder, haptic feedback and expandable microSD memory of up to 8GB.

[via phonemag]

The calendar feature is an extension of Mobile Email Work’s existing access to business email accounts. Sprint worked with SEVEN to create Mobile Email Work, which now allows Instinct users to access work calendars from Microsoft Exchange Server 2000, 2003 or 2007 accounts, or IBM Lotus Domino accounts.

Mobile Email Work with corporate calendar synch includes monthly and daily views of the user’s calendar, along with an appointment view that displays the details about each appointment or meeting. Reminders bring upcoming appointments or meetings to the user’s attention. Reminders bring upcoming appointments or meetings to the user’s attention. Users can edit existing appointments, accept or decline meeting requests, or create new single-date, multi-date or all-day appointments. Users also can delete appointments and meetings. All changes made on the Sprint phone are automatically synchronized with the user’s desktop calendar.

For Instinct users, the corporate calendar feature will be provided as a software update to customers with Mobile Email Work. Customers who are new to Sprint Mobile Email and want to activate the service can do so directly through the email menu – no software download is required. Once email is activated, customers will be prompted to accept the upgrade to enable corporate calendar access.

In addition to the Samsung Instinct, Sprint plans to extend corporate calendar synch to additional non-PDA phones in the future.

The new award-winning Samsung Instinct provides the ability to quickly browse the Internet, access business or personal email, and share pictures with one finger tap on the touch-screen phone. Additional features include:

• Two batteries with more than 11 hours of talk time
• GPS navigation and live search capabilities which enables users to find what they’re looking for with voice guided, turn by turn directions, and 3D maps
• Digital voice mail
• Stereo Bluetooth
• Plus exclusive applications and content like “Sprint Music Store”, “NFL
• Mobile” and “NASCAR” Sprint Cup Mobile

The exclusive $99.99 handset pricing will be available to RadioShack customers who sign up for a new Sprint Simply Everything Plan. RadioShack customers who upgrade their Sprint service will receive $129.99 pricing on the Instinct.

The push update over the air roll out plan is not clear though, it is up to the service provider to turn on the update notification batch by batch. Some users reported to have received the full updates, but some users reported a partial updates. See the change log below:

• Picture Mail
  • Reduce system busy errors for large picturemails
  • Reduction of “408″ timeout errors when sending large picturemails
• Browser
  • Optimized vending machine shopping experience
  • More robust and user friendly access to Yahoo, Hotmail, Best Buy, YouTube
  • Remove feature that sent browser back one page with camera button
• Sprint TV/Radio
  • Optimizations to resolutions for streaming video playback
  • Reductions of pausing. freezing and “flashing” during streaming video playback
  • Greatly increased start up and channel change speed
• Sprint Navigation
  • Session will no longer run in background, preserving battery life
• Sprint E-Mail
  • Ability to save email address from favorites menu
• Sprint Music Store
  • Eliminates skips when listening via Bluetooth headset
  • Eliminates periodic timeouts for Websync of music
  • Eliminates changing of tracks when turning on screen from sleep mode
  • Eliminates periodic failure of skip button
  • Eliminates play/pause stopping after 30 – 35 minutes of music play
• Push Info Services/Pocket Express
  • Increased ability to play video clips
  • Content for movie listing displays correctly
  • Eliminates periodic error for movie details/review
• Visual Voicemail/Mobil Sync
  • Handle and present voicemail notification when out of data service
  • Eliminates “choppy” playback when dragging progress bar
  • Contact picture/image now shown correctly in playback form

Here is a list of the fixes or changes on this update:

• Elimination of issues by where data services are disabled without user preference
• Elimination of NAI corruption upon provisioning if new NAI is shorter than the previous
• Reflect reoccurring calendar appointments
• Improved volume – Bluetooth headsets
• Utilize saved pictures as background image
• Reduce fluctuation in signal bar and other functions related to RF/Network quality
• Eliminate “echo” on conference bridge

As the next update is coming in soon, you may want to wait for the next software update. There is no official words that you have to apply this patch before the next major update.

Source [buzzaboutwireless] via [engadgetmobile]