Sprint Intros Samsung Instinct HD

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Sprint's Samsung Instinct HD

Sprint introduced the Samsung Instinct HD Wednesday, and the feature phone offers many high-end features normally found in smartphones.

The handset has a large touchscreen with haptic feedback that vibrates slightly when consumers use the virtual QWERTY keyboard. The Instinct HD also comes with an accelerometer that orients the screen depending on how the user is holding it, and a proximity sensor that can turn off the screen when the user's face is near it.

As its name indicates, the phone is capable of playing high-definition video via a TV out cable but it cannot play HD videos directly on the handset. The Instinct HD will also come with Sprint's mobile television services, and it can play a variety of audio and video files. Sprint said it comes with a 5-megapixel camera that can take high-resolution photos and HD-quality videos.

"When Instinct was announced last summer it received tremendous praise from our customers and showcased the power of application integration and a world class user-interface," said Kevin Packingham, Sprint's senior VP of product development, in a statement. "Instinct HD adds to that legacy with the addition of a host of video services that are unmatched in the industry."

The Instinct HD has Wi-Fi and it can use Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A 3G network to stay connected on the go. The handset can receive e-mails from personal and corporate accounts, and users can browse the Web with the preloaded Opera Mobile 9.7. The Instinct HD also has GPS, Bluetooth 2.0, and easy access to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. Sprint's Instinct goes on sale Sunday online and at Sprint retail stores and some Best Buy locations for about $250 after rebates and a new two-year contract.

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