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I promised a while back to post my thoughts on various aspects of the Instinct.  Here’s the first of that series.  In this post I’ll look at the Instinct’s “Navigation” application, which provides capabilities similar to a dedicated GPS system.

1. Starting a Trip — The navigation application is pretty good at identifying where you are located, but it’s not so great about identifying your motion when you begin a trip.  In my tests, it often told me I was headed in the wrong direction when I was not.  If you are starting out, look at the map it displays — the 2d “Summary” not the 3d map.  Based on the map and course shown, identify the path your should take and start your trip.  The GPS will figure out your on course after a minute or two.
2. Close Enough? — Most of the time, the navigation system will put you within a few hundred feet of your destination.  It’s not exactly door-to-door, but close enough to see a street address of the sign for a business.
3. Voice Prompts — The voice instructions are clear and easily understandable.  If you miss one (listening to the radio, a passenger or just not paying attention) you can replay it by clicking the traffic sign icon.
4. Database Improved — When I first started using my Instinct, many addresses in the database were incomplete — especially those on state roads.  This seems to have been fixed by an update that occurred about a month ago, though.
5. Smart Navigation — The other day I was using the GPS to find a store on a four-lane highway with crossover lanes between the eastbound and westbound sides.  At first, the GPS didn’t seem to recognize the crossovers.  It told us to go past our destination (which was on the other side of the highway) and turn around at an intersection.  As we approached our destination, though, it saw the crossovers and told us to use the one I would have chosen myself.
6. Keeping Favorite Locations — It’s relatively easy to store locations as favorites.  They appear with rather cryptic names based on the date.  You can change the name to something that makes more sense by editing the favorite.
7. Traffic Check — The GPS maps will identify traffic, though I’ve noticed it’s hit-and-miss — often telling me there was no traffic when it’s what I’d consider moderate, but this is a small quibble.

Overall, I’m very satisfied with the navigation feature.  It’s not as functional as a dedicated GPS, but it’s pretty good, and I’ve barely begun to explore it’s full potential.

I purchased a Samsung Instinct the day after it was first released.  I never considered buying an iPhone for the following reasons:

Sprint’s Pricing Plan — it’s a simple, all-you-can-eat plan with plenty of minutes and lots of included services.

The iPod Touch — I’ll replace my iPod at some point with an iPod Touch and get most of the features I want.

Video Playback — I want to watch video without having to buy every show from iTunes.  I don’t want to own every show — sometimes I just ant to watch a show and not keep a copy.  Sprint’s streaming video service lets me do that.

Cost of the Unit — Apple cut the cost of the iPhone 3G, but the Instinct gives you a similar features for a lot less.

The Features I Want — I mentioned streaming video; the Instinct also gives me a good camera (including video), turn-by-turn GPS, voice activation and streaming radio.

The Instinct won’t beat the iPhone.  But it’s a nice, lower-cost alternative.  I’ll write about the Instinct’s features and how well they perform in my next post.