Samsung InstinctQ for Sprint passes by the FCC and turns a few heads

It’s been a little piece of time since we saw that photo of the G1-esque Samsung InstinctQ emerge, and we were starting to wonder what had become of our newest QWERTY cutie. Well — the M900, as it’s also known — has just ducked through the old FCC, and though we didn’t really learn anything we didn’t already know, it was just nice to see its face again. The Sprint-bound, CMDA / EV-DO-loving Android slider will pack Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and we have to say that it’s looking pretty fly to our eyes. We’re not sure when this bad boy’s going to hit reality, but the FCC appearance makes us think it won’t be too long now.

[via Unwired View, thanks Ryan]

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Samsung InstinctQ for Sprint passes by the FCC and turns a few heads originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget Podcast 163 – 09.20.2009

We’re a couple days late, but the podcast is back, people. Join Josh, Paul, and Nilay as they run down another hectic week in news, including the Zune HD, some hands-on impressions of the Motorola CLIQ, and the latest in the ongoing Apple / Google saga. Get clicking!

P.S.- Josh recorded this on on the road, so he had some audio troubles — thanks for bearing with us.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Song: NOISEWAVES – As Days Go By (Family Matters Theme Song)

Hear the podcast

00:03:00 – Google says Phil Schiller himself rejected Google Voice from the App Store
00:13:35 – Zune HD review
00:37:50 – Archos 5 Internet Tablet makes an honest PMP out of Android
00:44:04 – HP’s new DreamScreens pack Pandora and Facebook into a wireless photo frame
00:50:00 – HP ENVY 13 and 15 bring luxury to the everyman, look like MacBooks
00:59:39 – HTC Hero for Sprint hands-on and impressions
01:04:05 – Motorola CLIQ

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Engadget Podcast 163 – 09.20.2009 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Instinct HD gear starts turning up at Best Buy

A funny thing happens when a major new handset’s released on a big carrier: matching accessories come along for the ride. Cases, chargers, armbands, screen protectors, you name it — anything to get you to double your spend before you walk out of the door with your multi-hundred-dollar phone. Of course, those accessories frequently aren’t perfectly synced with the phone itself — they ship a few days beforehand or after the fact, so stuff like this is bound to happen. In this particular case, the upcoming Instinct HD is getting some silicone protection ahead of time courtesy of Best Buy, which should go well with those invisibleSHIELDs you picked up a few weeks back. Meanwhile, the phone itself is expected just a handful of days from now, so at least it’s not totally insane to start stocking up on accessories now.

[Thanks, Matt G.]

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Instinct HD gear starts turning up at Best Buy originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Hero for Sprint hands-on and impressions

When we first caught wind of HTC’s Hero coming to Sprint, we were more than a little hopeful that the issues we experienced with the European version would be alleviated. If you’ll recall, we had a bit of a love-hate affair going on with the chinny, wine-drinking iteration of the Android-powered phone due to a seeming lack of horsepower required to push HTC’s totally amazing Sense UI. In the last few weeks, we’ve heard lots of chatter about the forthcoming Hero update and the wonders it would do for the speed of this phone… but unfortunately there’s no such luck in the US, CDMA version of this device.

So, the point here is we were planning on doing a whole new review to showcase the differences between the old and new version of the Hero, but there really aren’t any besides the obvious physical changes. Sprint has added some great new apps, like its visual voicemail, which works like a charm (oh by the way Coleen, you got that job — maybe you should give them your new number too), and Sprint Navigation, though it’s also muddied up the mix by including the yawn-maker NASCAR app. Of course, this phone provides a full-on 3G experience, unlike the European version (for obvious reasons), and Sprint’s network seems as snappy as ever — general web browsing was a noticeably more enjoyable experience, for instance.

Here is what we can say about the phone: the industrial design of this version versus the older model is a marked improvement, chucking that awkward chin shape for a proper bottom half, and rearranging the hard buttons so that you’re not constantly getting your hands cramped up. We also have to mention the trackball, which is the most comfortable we’ve ever used. While the performance is still not where we think it should be, the Hero is an awesome addition to Sprint’s growing line of serious contenders in the smartphone game. If that new update is all it’s supposed to be (and if Sprint is expedient in bringing it to market), many of our complaints should be quelled — and this will be the killer device we know it can be.

Update: To commenters asking for a longer review, or asking about discrepancies in our findings versus other sites — we can only report on what we observed. In our eyes, there is nothing significantly different or improved about the Sprint version to warrant a second review. There are some very minor differences in camera quality, and obviously the network performance is better (since it’s not EDGE), but a full-length review did not seem necessary (you’ll note many of our contemporaries also have short-form reviews). While reports may differ (especially those stating that this phone has the updated ROM we’ve heard about), we’re still seeing the same kind of sluggishness and slowdown we experienced with the European version. What we said in the original Hero review very much applies to the Sprint version, and we suggest you take a peek.

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HTC Hero for Sprint hands-on and impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint Hero Review: Faster, Stronger, Uglier

Take the most daring Android phone yet, but make it faster, stronger and better (but blander). You have the Sprint take on the HTC Hero, which happens to be the best Android phone you can buy.

I said the original version of the Hero was “daring” and “ambitious, but tragically flawed.” (Read that review first.) If it was Batman, the Sprint Hero is Superman: Nearly perfect, but goddamn boring. HTC has taken the striking, aggressive angles of Hero v1 and flattened them out into a rounded, far more generic looking phone. It’s not hideous, but it’s lost its power to captivate as a geek fetish object.

Everything else about this version of the phone is better: The software, which is exactly the same content-wise on the HTC front as the first Hero, has been seriously optimized, so it doesn’t suffer show-stopping slowdowns anymore, even with a full set of HTC’s widgets running. Speedwise overall, it’s about the same as a G1 running the stock Android OS—bearable, but not exactly a blitzkrieg. (The iPhone 3GS is way faster, to compare.)

Interestingly, while HTC says the hardware is exactly the same—except for the CDMA chips to get it on Sprint’s network, obviously—there are some differences we noticed. The screen, while the same size, actually seems to look a little bit better on the Sprint model. Not worlds better, but if you look close, the difference is there. The colors are a bit more saturated, the viewing angle a little wider. Also, it’s got a bigger battery: 1500 mAh, compared to 1350 before. The bigger trackball is a plus, since it takes less thumb movement to get around, meaning less carpal tunnel problems in the future.

And, while it’s very possibly firmware at play, the 5MP camera shoots, on average, about twice as fast as the first Hero, and the metering in low light seems to be way better, too. Both of the shots above were taken using the same settings on each phone, with the old Hero running the original firmware it shipped with. (Still not great, but better.)

The only real new bits, software-wise, are a handful of pretty standard Sprint apps: Sprint Navigation, NFL Mobile Live, Nascar, SprintTV and Device Self-Service. Everything else, from the keyboard to the multitouch browser looks the same, just faster (and in the case of Flash in the browser, more reliable too, since we could actually watch videos this time around). Which is dandy, since HTC’s Sense UI, with its multiple desktops, social networking integration, widgets for weather, Twitter, settings and other enhancements, made Android great.

The real power of this Hero is that the best Android phone you can buy—it’s everything good we said about the first Hero, but with our biggest complaint, speed, fixed—is on Sprint and its solid 3G network—making it the first U.S. Android phone outside of T-Mobile—and it’s $180. Plus, the required Sprint Everything now has free calling to any mobile number, not a bad perk.

The princess might not kiss this Hero because it’s kinda ugly, but at least it’ll actually get the job done now. If you’ve been waiting for an Android phone not on T-Mobile, or one that’s finally just about ready for primetime, this is it.

HTC’s Sense UI makes Android way more usable and adds useful features like social networking integration


Almost all of original Hero’s problems are fixed


Android kinks, like no easy way to update all apps, meh store interface aren’t polished over


Jumbo trackball and more logical front placement marred by cheap front plate


Hardware blobbified into something boring and dull, not daring and awesome


Still not as polished as iPhone or Palm Pre
[Sprint]

AT&T, Sprint, Verizon all signed up for WinMo 6.5 launches on October 6

Microsoft is saying that three of the US’ big four carriers — AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon, to be specific — will be hitting the ground running with Windows Mobile 6.5 as part of its synchronized global launch on October 6. We’ve got to give Microsoft some credit on this one: launching a single device around the world on the same day is a feat in itself, but coordinating with countless manufacturers and carriers to get them to launch a bunch of different devices on the same day takes things to an entirely different level. Unfortunately, that’s about all we know; hardware hasn’t been unveiled, though we can safely guess that HTC will figure into the equation one way or another — and we wouldn’t be surprised to see something like LG’s 20-key GW600 finally bow. What’s everyone hoping to see out of these guys on day one?

[Thanks, Jeff]

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AT&T, Sprint, Verizon all signed up for WinMo 6.5 launches on October 6 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint buy apparently not on the table for Deutsche Telekom — yet

Eerily mirroring the situation with T-Mobile in the UK, disgruntled Deutsche Telekom shareholders are apparently now turning their attention to the company’s US outpost, now that the British woes are on the fast track to resolution thanks to a tie-up with Orange. The Financial Times is reporting that the bell isn’t tolling quite yet for T-Mobile USA — key players are still on board with the company’s plan to get back into the game with an accelerated 3G rollout, which means that alternative strategies aren’t actively being considered right this second. Word has it that the clock has been set for mid-2010, though, at which point red ink on the balance sheet is going to mean a more drastic change in direction — something like a merger with Sprint or a move to transform the carrier into an ultra-value brand concentrating on prepaid service with a possible MetroPCS or Leap / Cricket buy. What color do you get when you combine magenta and yellow, anyway?

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Sprint buy apparently not on the table for Deutsche Telekom — yet originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Six Reasons Why T-Mobile Should Not Buy Sprint

There’s one critical thing to understand about big merger rumors – they usually don’t make it past the rumor stage. The idea that T-Mobile’s parent Deutsche Telekom might buy Sprint has popped up periodically (most recently in 2008) among stock-market analysts, but it’s a horrifyingly bad idea that fortunately never makes it past the idea stage.

The rumor raised its head again today, but the idea hasn’t improved in quality at all.

Deutsche Telekom eyeing Sprint Nextel for acquisition?

With T-Mobile UK and Orange now having to (potentially) learn to play nice, Deutsche Telekom is already looking ahead to its next big target: Sprint Nextel. According to a Telegraph report, the telecom giant, with an estimated value of $60.45 billion, has called in advisers from Deutsche Bank as it reportedly prepares to submit an offer to the $10.6 billion-valued Now Network within the next three weeks. The assimilation of Sprint and Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Mobile US under the same umbrella could give second-place AT&T a fight with a 78.2 million-strong customer base… but that said, we wouldn’t anticipate any quick or smooth merger given the US carriers rely on substantially different bands (CDMA vs. GSM) for service. Hey, there’s always WiMAX might come into play. Obviously there’s a lot of unanswered questions here, but at this point it’s all speculation given no actual offer has been thrown on the table — and we bet Hesse will have some choice words on the matter. Keep an eye out on this one, things could very quickly get very, very interesting here.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

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Deutsche Telekom eyeing Sprint Nextel for acquisition? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint’s Dan Hesse talks Android, Pre, iPhone, 4G on Charlie Rose

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse recently sat down for an interview with the master of one-on-ones and black backdrops, Charlie Rose, and while much of the talk was spent traveling down memory lane and revisiting Hesse’s two-decade rise through the ranks at AT&T before fleeing in 2000, there were some great quotes that came out of it:

  • “We’re getting ready to launch a couple of new Android devices.” We know one’s the Hero, and the other — if we were the betting types — is the Samsung InstinctQ.
  • Rose: “The merger with Nextel was a bad idea?” Hesse: “In 20 / 20 hindsight, it was, yes… the premium that Sprint paid for Nextel was too much.” Sprint’s gone back and forth on the idea of spinning off Nextel over the past couple years, so it’s not a surprising thing for him to think — but to hear Sprint’s CEO actually say out loud that he thinks a very active part of its network shouldn’t have become part of the company is a little bombastic.
  • “Our prepaid brand is Boost.” Nothing wild and crazy about that statement, though it does reaffirm that Virgin Mobile is destined for assimilation. The whole thing’s kinda funny considering that Boost dabbled in CDMA before reversing course, and once again, Sprint will be dealing with large installed bases of both iDEN and CDMA prepaid customers.
  • On touchscreen smartphones: “Those are the most expensive phones for us to sell, and those are the ones where we need to make sure that the customer stays with us [and] doesn’t churn, because we’re out a lot of money… those are expensive devices.” Theoretically, an aggressively-priced subsidized smartphone could still end up leaving a carrier in the red if you broke your contract early on and paid the ETF, but we doubt that’s a huge problem — especially for a CDMA carrier like Sprint. He goes on to say “I’m already looking at 4G versions of smartphones,” so that’s really encouraging to hear, particularly if you’re into WiMAX.
  • “Customers will pay premium for simplicity. Simplicity is everything… Digital One Rate which we launched back at AT&T, that was all about simplicity… people paid more. It wasn’t a price cut.” Translation: “Unlimited makes you feel like you’re getting a deal, but rest assured, we’re banking.”
  • In response to Rose asking how Sprint uses the Palm Pre to take on Apple and RIM: “It was really kind of Palm’s decision to take on Apple. And Palm has had [a] long standing relationship with Sprint.” It’s interesting to hear Hesse seemingly back away from a fight with Apple and chalk up the situation to happenstance — RIM not as much, considering that Sprint carries a number of BlackBerrys in its lineup and will certainly continue to do so. Talking more about pitting the Pre against the iPhone, he goes on to say that Palm’s handset is “doing well. But you’ve got to almost put the iPhone, to be fair, in a separate category. The Apple brand and that device has done so well. It’s like comparing someone to Michael Jordan.” If that’s not a tactful acknowledgment that the iPhone is a bona fide wireless superstar, we don’t know what is. Hesse’s giving the iPhone the respect it’s rightfully earned — as any strategically-minded executive would.
  • “The biggest impediment to mobile growth is you got processors are getting a lot faster, screens are getting sharper, they use more and more power, and battery technology is not moving very fast… That’s the one breakthrough that the industry needs. It needs battery breakthroughs.” It’s good to hear that Hesse understands as well as everyone else that the wireless industry needs to be focused on making power draw a non-issue, but he sounds less convinced of the solution: “I don’t know. Solar we hope, and renewable energy sources.” When Sprint gets some cash socked away, it might consider throwing some R&D money at the problem — it’ll be first to market with something resembling a “national” 4G network, after all, and the situation’s only going to get worse.

Who knew you’d find out so much about the inner workings of the States’ third-largest carrier from watching PBS? [Via Gizmodo]

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Sprint’s Dan Hesse talks Android, Pre, iPhone, 4G on Charlie Rose originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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