You can also record video with the Instinct (something you can't do on the iPhone). A configurable length setting will cap your videos at 2 minutes in length (around 6MB in size) so they can be sent over the air. Otherwise, you can shoot videos as long as available storage will allow.

Reviewing the photos and videos you've taken on the Instinct is easy via a thumbnail page from which you can send via e-mail, upload to the Web, or beam via Bluetooth. There's also a filmstrip viewing mode that lets you scroll through all your shots by swiping your finger, but because the Instinct's display doesn't support multi-touch a la iPhone, you can't use a "pinching" motion to change the orientation of a photo.

The Instinct is no iPod, but it does have a music player capable of MP3, AAC, and WMA audio formats, among others. The Instinct supports the stereo Bluetooth profile and uses a standard 3.5mm audio jack so you can use the listening device of your choice (a wired stereo earbud set with inline mic is bundled). You can buy tracks for 99 cents each, or same yourself some time (but not any money) with 6-song bundles a $5.94.

As with some other Sprint phones, you can access a few dozen channels of video in various genres (news, sports, weather, entertainment, etc.) through the Instinct, along with a handful of love network TV. The quality is usually acceptable but often degrades to barely watchable with pauses and compression distortion.

With the bundled Sprint Media Manager PC utility, you can transfer your own audio, video, and photos to the Instinct. Putting an Instinct in your pocket (it comes with a slim carrying case that omits a belt clip) won't take an outsized chunk of your cash. The phone costs a fairly reasonable $129.99, reflecting a $100 mail-in rebate and the obligatory two-year agreement, and service plans are $69.99 and $89.99 for 450 or 900 voice minutes respectively or $99.99 for unlimited voice minutes (and all plans include unlimited data).

The Instinct isn't the technological tour de force it would have been if the iPhone didn't exist, and it has its share of weaknesses and missing features. On balance, however, we think the pros outweigh the cons, and it's still a well-designed and powerful communications device.