Samsung’s new Instinct smartphone has been labelled by many as nothing more than an iPhone copy. With the release of its new gadget, the company hopes to direct its way some of Apple’s clients, offering a rather tempting alternative with a price tag of $130 for a two-year contract.

The Instinct presents an almost identical button-less face to the iPhone with a touchscreen operating system. The size and weight of the two gadgets is almost the same, with the Instinct just a few millimetres narrower. Samsung’s device is equipped with 3G, Global Positioning System (GPS), and also a set of features for Web browsing and complete e-mail access.

So far, nothing new, but the Instinct also needed its own signature options which come in the form of a voice control that allows certain tasks to be completed without typing and a feedback buzz when operating the touch screen.

Its main disadvantage is the operating system, which could have used a little more development. The Web browsing encounters several difficulties due to some rough patches and a hard to use zoom button.

Considering that one of the Instinct’s main uses is communicating, the smartphone offers a reasonable call quality and the battery life is approximated at about five hours of talk time, which by the smartphone’s niche standards is pretty low.

In order to ensure a good market exposure, Samsung reached a deal with the popular wireless telecommunications network Sprint Nextel Corporation in order to sell the Instinct in all its stores across the country.

Samsung’s main hook for attracting clients is without a doubt the gadget’s price of $130, which is set to be paired with an unlimited voice and data two-year contract of $100 in monthly fees. Another plus could be considered the timing of the release, with a full three weeks before Apple officially releases its new 3G iPhone.