If the “S” in “iPhone 3G S” stands for speed, we’re going to wager that the “Q” in “Instinct Q” stands for QWERTY. And if it doesn’t? We don’t really care, because BAM! QWERTY KEYBOARD!
After the release of the touch-only myTouch and Hero, we were starting to wonder when we’d see another Android handset with a QWERTY keyboard beyond the G1 – and here it is in all of its glory by way of Phandroid. The Sprint logos adorning the face should come as no surprise; it is an Instinct, after all.
We can’t wait to use that keyboard. Helio Ocean-esque keys complete with a full number row? Yes, please.
What could this be? Spy shots of the new Instinct? It seems that brave forum-goer Phonetec got his hands on Samsung’s latest and took a few snaps with his Blackberry. He says it’s smaller, more lightweight, and that the interface is the same. Well! How exciting!
I certainly like the new look a lot more. We’ll have more info and/or pictures as soon as we get ‘em. Here’s the forum link.
Update: Instinct Mini? Probably.
Starting tomorrow, Radio Shack will be selling the Samsung Instinct to new Sprint customers for $99. If you’re an existing Sprint customer looking to upgrade, it’ll cost you the normal price of $129. The sale is going on through Labor Day, so if you’re going to Radio Shack anyway, why not pick up a new Instinct?
What am I saying? Nobody goes to Radio Shack. What I meant to say was if you’re looking to buy a new Instinct, why not drop into Radio Shack for the first time in ten years? Ah, that’s more like it.
Earlier this morning, Sprint rolled out the first firmware/software update for the Samsung Instinct. What got fixed, you ask? No one’s exactly sure, just yet. As the update lacks patch notes, finding the fixes has become a bit of an Easter egg hunt for Instinct users. Noted so far are perceived performance enhancements, and a battery meter fix – Let us know if you find anything else.
To update your Instinct, just go to Main -> Settings -> General -> Update Phone.
The next update shouldn’t be more than two weeks off according to Will England, administrator of Sprint’s Buzz About Wireless. From a forum post by Will:
“There are two updates. One will fix the native software on the phone. That’s available today. The second update will be in about two weeks that will update the third party applications to use the new features and changes pushed out today. Both updates will be over the air. There should be no reason to go to the store at all.“
Will also mentions that patch notes for today’s update are in the works and should be available sometime tonight.
