Sprint: Follow This Instinct
Wireless must be the one of the most dynamic markets you could find. It is unique because success really depends on perfectly combining the strengths of the participants in two different yet intimately related industries: the carriers and the cell phone makers. Their destinies are irremediably intertwined. Consumers drool over having the latest almighty gadget that allows them to not only make phone calls (talking is so yesterday!), but most importantly, remain plugged into the world through text messaging, picture taking, internet access, TV on the go and all sort of cool functions.
This is the realm of the so called smartphones. They really are command centers for the life on the move. Yet, the gadget is only half of the story. In order to be able to actually enjoy all those neat functions, consumers also have to select a carrier that provides all the services needed to get their cool devices going. They soon find out the having a sophisticated command center does not come cheap. The cooler the gadget, the more functions it has, the more services are needed from a wireless carrier in order to take full advantage of it.
And of course, the carriers are all too happy to sell them to you. The tab adds up: minutes for talking (boring!), internet packages that charge by Kb, a quarter per picture sent over the network, GPS service, etc. Consumers have little choice but to pay. Reluctantly, perhaps, but then, what is the point of having the greatest smartphone is you are not getting the services it is designed to provide?
Surely enough, this rich profit potential push wireless carriers to go to great lengths to ensure that they gain exclusive access to the hottest and more sophisticated smartphones the electronic industry can provide, because when consumers fall in love with a phone, they will take their accounts to whichever wireless company offers it in exclusivity… or will they?
The feeble economic situation is making consumers reconsider their priorities. And as much as they love their gadgets, many are starting to question their wireless bill. It doesn’t help that it is actually hard to figure out how much you are going to pay for the month. In general, wireless carriers are particularly good at creating complicated packages that are difficult to understand.
As a consumer, you have two choices: either you pay small fortunes for unlimited packages –individually by service- or you assume the risk of paying a small fortune anyway because you exceeded the 25 pictures quota of the plan you chose thinking it would be enough.
Until now.
One of the most exciting launches in the wireless industry since the advent of the iPhone (AAPL) is the launch of Samsung’s (SSNLF.PK) Instinct phone by no other than Sprint (S). The Instinct is an exciting smartphone, clearly designed as an iPhone killer. Its dedicated website features some brilliant, poignant videos that make direct comparisons between several of Instinct’s advanced functions and the equivalent ones from iPhone. In each of the features, the technical superiority of Instinct is demonstrated in a very convincing way.
The creative platform for the launch campaign is also a major success. Samsung and Sprint launched the Instinct with a strong multi-media advertising campaign mimicking the introduction of a major motion picture. It borrows from the excitement, the drama and the bigger-than-life stature that a major movie launch generates, and the production quality of the communications is top of the line.
OK, we have the gadget. But, in my view, what completes this brilliant introduction is the service package Sprint offers with it. Dubbed “Simply Everything”, the plan is exactly that: every single service you need to fully enjoy your Instinct, unlimited, for just $99.99 per month. No more counting text messages, no more controlling minutes. Just one very affordable, easy to understand monthly price, and you are able to enjoy the advanced functions of the Instinct without guilt or uncertainty.
This is a very encouraging initiative for Sprint. It is the right combination of a great gadget with a great plan, introduced at a time when consumers are the most receptive to propositions that will allow them to preserve their lifestyle while still reducing their spend. From a marketing perspective, it is a very sound move, and at the right time. The company has lost half of its value over the last year, and it just looked like they were unable to get anything right. The grandiose launch of Instinct in combination with an aggressive and attractive plan like “Simply Everything” is, in my view, a strong signal that the company is finally getting in control of their business once again.
With Sprint’s share price slightly above $8, this is an Instinct you might want to follow.
Disclosure: none
Related Articles
|
Top Rated Comment Streams:
-
1.Hedged In660
- 2.
-
3.Smarty_Pants384
-
4.cos1000286
-
5.NOWHEREMAN273
- Free E-Newsletters
- About Seeking Alpha
- About Us
- Contact Us
- What's New
- Readers Feedback
- Advertise With Us
- Contributors
- Contribute an Article
- Feature Your Book
- Our Contributors
- Anonymous Contributions
- Dispute an Article?
- Legal
- Terms of Use
- Privacy
- Copyright
This article has 6 comments:
-
Donald Johnson
-
178 Comments
My Website
Sep 07 01:52 PMI just went through billing problem experience with Sprint and came out moderately unhappy. I deserved a full refund on an extra phone Sprint shipped to me without telling me I'd be charged $60 a month for. The customer service rep eventually called and said she and her team had recommended I get a full refund. She was overruled. She was right, the company was wrong, given that it had made a huge mistake, which, I unfortunately didn't catch for several months. That allegedly gave them an out.
As long as Sprint ticks off its customers, it's going to have a tough time competing with the iPhone, which is where I'm going after I work off the small credit Sprint did give me.
On a positive note, I had a problem with my Treo 700p, which locked into a constant roaming mode. After some diagnostic steps, the tech support person said he'd send me a new Treo 755p, an upgrade, which arrived the next day. Another rep then did a good job of walking me through activation without locking me into a new 2-year contract.
On that count, I'm a happy customer, but they still owe me money, and I have no recourse but to go elsewhere.
-
aed
-
2 Comments
Sep 07 04:08 PMThe price of $69 + 450 mins + unlimited multimedia = savings. More savings if you have a corporate discount. Mine is a bargain @23%. That’s 54/mo.
The Instinct’s slim silhouette, sleek profile, sexy black fits my pocket well.
The Phone works. I love the big & bright dialer with a nice contrast, the speaker phone, contact access during a call, contact touch or voice commands for quick dialing, call history info layout, and clear call sound.
I use Word to type all my school notes. Then I simply upload my files to Google Documents. Now I have access to all my notes anywhere/anytime just by going to iGoogle/Google Docs and retrieving my Word files. My notes and tables look sharp on the Instinct. No need to carry USB/memory cards anymore.
Email is fun. I like sending out picture mail & video mail with voice clips—no need to type. Hit send! My Comcast, Gmail, and AOL emails are fetched with no fuss.
The video format accepted by the Instinct is limited so I just play my favorite adult-oriented dvds and just use my phone’s videocam to shoot important segments. Works well for me. No need to fuss around with video format converters.
Visual voice mail is great. Click voicemail and out comes a list with names, phone numbers, time, length. Imagine fast forwarding a lengthy voicemail!
Navigation is timely, accurate, precise, updated to the nanosecond and a powerful app. Specially even more powerful if coupled with the Live Search, contacts, keyword search, and Telenav’s website. I sync all my addresses and contacts from my pc to Instinct. Navigation has been fixed now such that an address in my contacts that meets Navigation typing protocols can now be easily mapped out and directions provided with a click of an icon. TeleNav’s traffic report is superlative. It’s nice that I can sync all my addresses to my phone so that before driving, I just click on to my destination’s address for a timely traffic report and 3D map, and if I choose to, a turn-by-turn voice-guided mapping.
By the way, I find it more effective typing in what I’m searching for in the KEYWORD BOX under Navigation’s Search compared to speaking to Live Search. Don’t do any other maps anymore. Instinct + teleNav = 0 yellow page and white page book searches + 0 411 calls + 0 paper/web maps.
Sprint weather is super. And Sprint weather with Doppler radar!!! That’s mighty super. Specially if you live in South Florida (I live in Fort Lauderdale). And automatic timely updates from the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center—really helpful!!!! I don’t go to any other weather service anymore except Sprint TV’s the Weather Channel.
Mp3 player is fine. I don’t drool over album covers—I just listen. I have my 8GB Sandisk MicroSDHC loaded with Tiesto for cardio, as well as Pink Floyd for strength training, and Dr. Jeffrey Thompson’s for relaxation . So the Instinct is now my one-and-all tool to go. My 80GB Zune is now collecting dust. And my XM Pioneer Inno is now just sitting pretty at home, playing my favorite channels 77, 82, 84. I also have an XM player in my car. I’m hoping eventually Instinct will have XM satellite radio service. Dream on! By the way, Can’t wait to get my pre-ordered Motorola S9-Hd Bluetooth headphones.
Web browsing is fine too. As long as I’m able to browse my favorite news and adult websites—I’m happy. Instinct’s browser may falter at times, but at least I have other app choices like tv & radio to go to. My favorite goto is Phonefavs.com. And my favorite tv channels are Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, Discovery, Blast by Fox. And of course, mobile tv news and all the other great channels.
All in all, the Instinct is wonderful. If I come across a problem, there’s always a workaround. I haven’t called Customer Support lately for anything; only in the beginning (July 08).
-
COCOViper
-
5 Comments
My Website
Sep 08 11:07 AMI work at Sprint as a Network Engineer and would like to see if I can address your problem for you. Shoot me an email at david.schmuck@sprint.c... .
Thanks!
-
Nextel Accessories
-
116 Comments
My Website
Sep 08 12:03 PM-
ffeeney
-
1 Comment
Sep 09 10:13 AMffeeney@columbus.rr.co...
Thanks
-
aed
-
2 Comments
Sep 09 05:31 PMThe only way I know of searching a contact on the Instinct is to scroll through your list using the half-circle scroller on the side of the screen. This maybe tough or tricky. And I think this is one of Instinct's weak spot. Let's see if they fix it on the rumored 09-17-2008 update.
Suggestions:
- use speed dial to add contacts that you use most often (shorter listing to navigate through)
- use a computer to access Sprint Mobile Sync for a quick and easy search. The Sync works. I haven't had a problem using it. Once I've entered all my contact, my Instinct became my perfect tool: sending picturemail, videomail, voicemail, & email is seamless; mapping out contact addresses (Navigation) is flawless; and before I go to school or work, updated traffic report is only a few clicks away--to Navigation and to my school/work address.
PS: I mentioned sending "voicemail" above. That's true you can send one through the Instinct's visual voicemail app. Just click on the "+" on the left of the "voicemail" label, and you can choose to send one to any cell# & email address. Check out New York Times article dated August 2, 2008, "Don’t Want to Talk About It? Order a Missed Call." Excelent article about the uses of sending voice mail.
Good luck.