| Samsung M800 (Instinct) | |
| Manufacturer: | Samsung Electronics |
| Carrier: | Sprint Nextel, Bell Mobility, Telus |
| Available: | June 20, 2008 |
| Screen: | 240 x 432 px, 3.1" LCD |
| Camera: | 2.0 megapixel |
| Input: | Haptic touchscreen |
| Memory Card: | 2 GB MicroSD (included) |
| Connectivity: | Dock connector, Headphone jack, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR |
| Battery: | Lithium-ion polymer battery with 2nd battery included |
| Size: | 11.61×5.51×1.24 cm (4.57"×2.17"×0.49" in) |
| Weight: | 4.4 oz (127.4 g) |
| Form: | Slate |
| Successor: | Samsung Instinct s30 |
The Samsung Instinct (SPH-M800) was an Internet-enabled smartphone designed and marketed by Samsung Mobile. It uses a Haptic touchscreen interface, and three touchscreen buttons (pictured at right, from left to right - [back], [home], [phone]). The Instinct, in addition to being a mobile phone, also functions as a camera phone, portable media player, text messenger, and a complete web browser and e-mail client. The email client allows for access to only the main inbox of any associated account – not to any subfolder. The folders for "drafts", "sent", "deleted", and "outbox" represent only messages originating from the phone.
The MP3 player allows users to listen to music while they exchange text messages. It pauses music when the user answers a call. The Instinct supports uploading music into the music library. The phone does not come with MP3 ringtones.
The Instinct was initially available only in the United States through Sprint. It was announced in early July 2008 that the Instinct would be available in Canada from Bell Mobility, starting on August 8, 2008 and from Telus Mobility on August 19, 2008. It became the second fastest selling phone in Sprint's history (the first being the Palm Pre).[1] [2]
The specifications as listed on the Samsung Instinct website are:
When Samsung first introduced the Instinct, its marketing campaign imitated some methods that have usually been employed by Apple. One of these was using side-by-side comparisons in a teaser website for Instinct, presenting a breakdown of all features that were superior to, insufficient, or wholly missing in what was then the first-generation iPhone (as listed byTG Daily)[3] -
Samsung also had a fictional film trailer produced, featuring the device in a clip fashioned after Hollywood blockbusters.
The ad campaign utilized negative language with the words "kill" and "defeat" toward the iPhone. The campaign was criticized by TG Daily as "bad marketing," specifically for negative language and pitting the Instinct directly against the iPhone, thereby offering Apple's product additional exposure.[3]
At the time, iPhone 3G was known to be less than two weeks away from being introduced, with the launch date for Instinct set to 20 June 2008, the day the new iPhone was speculated to be released.[3] iPhone 3G was subsequently released the following month, on 11 July 2008.