No, the Samsung Instinct is not an iPhone killer. So what is it? It’s easily the best touchscreen phone available on Sprint, and it’s packed with more features than both AT&T’s LG Vu and Verizon’s Samsung Glyde. Priced at $199 with a two-year contract and $100 mail-in rebate, the Instinct sports a cool customizable user interface, a superior touch keyboard, and compelling voice recognition. Although the Web browser leaves much to be desired, Samsung and Sprint have delivered a very good phone, GPS navigator, and mobile entertainment center all rolled into one.

Design

The Instinct is certainly one of the more attractive touchscreen phones we’ve tested. The front of the Instinct has a smoke gray hue, and is reflective enough to see your face when the screen is dark. The rear of the unit is made of smooth plastic and is matte black in color. It measures 4.5 x 2.1 x 0.4 inches and weighs just 4.4 ounces, making the Instinct slightly larger than the LG Vu and weighing 1.2 ounces more. It’s marginally narrower than the iPhone but is the same length as Apple’s device and feels equally comfortable.

While the Instinct has more buttons along its sides than the iPhone, each has a useful purpose. The volume controls on the left side are within thumb reach, along with Samsung’s proprietary transfer cable and charging port. The top of the Instinct has a small metal Power and Lock button, as well as a conveniently placed 3.5mm headphone jack. Along the right side of the unit you’ll find a microSD Card slot, a voice-command button, and the camera quick-launch button. The front of the phone has just three haptic touch buttons: Return, Home, and a Call button, represented by a telephone icon. These glow white when the phone is on.

We noticed that the phone’s plastic screen is very susceptible to scratches. After having the phone in our pocket for a weekend, there were noticeable scuffs and minuscule scratches on the display. The iPhone’s glass display is more durable.