At CTIA Wireless 2008 http://www.ctiawireless.com, which began on Tuesday, visually similar iPhone rivals are very much in evidence, just as they were at the GSM Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February. Two touchscreen models are attracting particular attention in the United States because, like Apple’s handset, they are being offered with exclusive carrier arrangements. Sprint http://www.sprint.com is presenting the Samsung “Instinct”, a model US media regard as a direct challenge to the iPhone. The LG Vu, meanwhile, is available exclusively from AT&T http://www.att.com in the United States. Mobile television is among the features promoted for both 3G handsets.
One feature attracting attention for Sprint’s Instinct in the United States is “Visual Voicemail”, familiar from the iPhone. According to Sprint, haptic feedback from the virtual keyboard on the 3.1-inch TFT display also provides a distinctive experience. Other features include a two-megapixel camera, GPS, a music player and download speeds of up to 3.1 megabits per second on Sprint’s network. Overall, the model closely resembles the SGH-F490 presented in Barcelona, expanded with features for Sprint’s services. These include access to specific music offerings and Sprint TV, the carrier’s mobile-television service. US users are expected to be able to use the iPhone rival from June.
AT&T, which secured the exclusive US contract for the iPhone, is following up with the LG Vu, a 3G touchscreen handset. It has a three-inch display, a two-megapixel camera and touch navigation for the mobile internet. Like Sprint, AT&T offers its own music service and is also focusing on mobile television, in this case under the name AT&T Mobile TV. The LG Vu is due to be available to US customers in May.
Given the attention Sprint’s announcement in particular is receiving in US media, the question arises whether modern touchscreen handsets are generally moving towards carrier-exclusive offers. In Germany, the Samsung F700 Qbowl was released exclusively by Vodafone at the same time as the iPhone launched on T-Mobile, Samsung confirmed to pressetext. However, the company also points out that other notable touchscreen models, including the “Armani Phone” SGH-P520, reach the wider public through retail channels such as MediaMarkt.
