CTIA Wireless 2008

Sprint to Launch Samsung Instinct in June

| Apr 3, 2008 | Mobile Devices | Show Update

| Analyst: Avi Greengart

Current Perspective: Neutral/Positive Vendor Importance: Very High Market Impact: High

Click here

Event Summary

April 1, 2008 – Sprint and Samsung Mobile announced the upcoming availability of a new wireless device, Samsung Instinct, which combines full touch screen functionality. This device speeds up the user experience and brings the customer’s most-used applications and contacts within a single finger tap.

Analytical Summary

• Current Perspective: Slightly positive on Sprint’s offering the Samsung Instinct, because it provides Sprint with a concrete way to convey the value of its Simply Everything plan. If Sprint markets it properly – as a GPS navigation system, mobile TV screen and streaming music player, in addition to a 3G Web browsing phone – consumers will have a genuine reason to consider Sprint over its competitors. However, if Sprint positions it as an iPhone alternative, it will fail – not only isn’t in an iPhone, it isn’t even a smartphone of any kind. Still, with a lower price point, plenty of functionality, and $100 million in marketing behind it, the Instinct should be a hit for Samsung and could be the halo product Sprint needs to rally around.

• Vendor Importance: Very high to Sprint, which needed to inject some life into its core CDMA lineup. High to Samsung because Sprint is putting so much money and faith behind it, and while Samsung has had hit products in the U.S. and touchscreen products overseas, it has not had any of its touchscreen phones in the U.S.

• Market Impact: High on consumer handsets, because the iPhone drove consumer awareness around mobile Web browsing; with all-you-can-eat pricing, the Instinct and Sprint’s ad campaign supporting it may bring other use cases, especially navigation and TV to consumers’ attention as well. However, this class of product is increasingly moving to the smartphone category. In some respects, this may be the high end featurephone’s last hurrah.

CLIENTS ONLY

Current Perspective

Competitive Positives and Concerns

| Full report on U.S. Wireless Research Portal | More information
| Client access - Full report on Mobile Devices

Top