Review: Sprint Instinct

Price: $129 (After all of that fancy contractual magic that all cell phone companies do)

The skinny:
Sprint's slick entry into the touchscreen smartphone game gives non-AT&T (or T-Mobile) users something to get fingerprints all over.

The good:
Everytime you actually press something on the screen the phone vibrates ever so slightly, providing the little bit of tactile feedback the iPhone desparately lacks. The true GPS didn't get me lost, the screen feels roomy and the touchscreen is extremely easy to figure out. Our download speeds were fast enough that we wouldn't mind actually using the thing to look stuff up or buy movie tickets. Plus, it's small and extremely light, which is good since it'll probably be glued to your hand 20 hours a day. It also comes with two interchangeable batteries which is a big plus.

The bad:
In our eyes there are two big omissions on the Instinct. The first is an instant messaging client, but that shouldn't be hard to remedy with web-base solutions and apps to be downloaded later. The lack of WiFi is a little more troubling, though, especially since this phone is so ready for the web. We'll keep our fingers crossed for later versions. The interface can also get a little sluggish at times. It's certainly not enough to be a deal-breaker, but it's worth a mention.

Other features:

It's equipped with a regular headphone jack so you can use your current cans without having to upgrade.

It has access to all of the fancy Sprint entertainment features including live TV. We watched Comedy Central for a bit during our weekly meeting and the quality isn't spectacular but it's better than paying attention.

The on/off button is kind of lame. We accidentally turned our phone all the way off once or twice when we just meant to turn the screen off.

Verdict: BUY IT!
At only $129, the Instinct seems like a real winner for anyone pining for touchscreen action. It's thin, light and does almost everything we could possibly ask for. Just make sure you buy yourself a cleaning cloth, too, unless you like reading your e-mail through a quarter inch of finger sludge.

BUY IT HERE