If you're thinking of getting the new iPhone but don't want to switch mobile networks, an iPhone clone could be the next best thing.
I tested two options, Samsung Electronics Co.'s Instinct SPH-M800 on the Sprint network, and LG Electronics Inc.'s Dare VX9700 on Verizon Wireless, to see how they stack up against Apple. They match -- and outdo -- some of the iPhone's off-the- shelf capabilities. Apple Inc., based in Cupertino, California, will begin selling the iPhone 3G tomorrow with its exclusive partner in the U.S., San Antonio-based AT&T Inc.
Similarities with the iPhone include a large touch screen, virtual keyboard, icon-based applications menu, music player, camera, and support for the third generation of wireless technology, or 3G, for speedy Web surfing. When it comes to ease of use and Web browsing abilities, both devices fall short of the iPhone.
They do have features the iPhone doesn't. Both allowed me to perform simple tasks with voice commands, such as dialing a phone number and opening applications. The dial-by-voice feature is useful while driving, but use it with caution since you need to press a button to start the application.
The Samsung also uses voice recognition in searches for directions to local businesses, and to launch applications such as traffic, news and weather information. The LG Dare offers a wider range of commands, including playing music and navigating through just about every menu item on the phone.
Navigation
GPS navigation is more advanced on the Instinct and the Dare than on the iPhone: Both have voice-guided driving directions, whereas the iPhone and the new iPhone 3G show text- based directions and maps only.
The Instinct from Seoul-based Samsung and the Dare from LG, also based in Seoul, can capture video and send it (or a photo) as an attachment to a text message (a so-called multimedia message, or MMS). The iPhone only takes still pictures, not video, and can't do multimedia messaging. It also lacks instant messaging software; same on the Instinct.
You should be able to find a compatible instant-messaging program for the iPhone and the Instinct, but it's a hassle you avoid with the LG Dare. It uses Verizon's Mobile IM service, giving you access to AOL Instant Messenger, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger.
The LG phone, however, is missing visual voicemail, a feature that shows a list of messages on your screen, with the callers' details if they're in your contacts list. You can choose which messages to hear or delete, in any order. The iPhone and Instinct both have this capability.
E-mail, Browsing
Setting up personal e-mail, such as Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo, was easy on all three phones. They also support work e- mail through Microsoft Outlook, though with the Dare you would need additional software from Verizon for $10 a month.
While I found the Instinct and Dare handsets straightforward, they weren't as fun to use as their arch rival. Their touch-screen capabilities and operating systems seem crude next to Apple's innovative multi-touch abilities, like the pinching gesture for zooming in and out of a Web page.
A simple swipe on the Samsung and LG phones sometimes selected a menu item that I didn't intend to touch. On a few occasions, they didn't respond to my button presses so I was forced to start over. I ran into more problems with the Instinct, which often locked up when I tapped fields in pop-up windows to enter items like a username and password. My first- generation iPhone has seldom locked up or crashed. Apple hasn't made the iPhone 3G available for testing.
The erratic touch screens on the Samsung and LG also made it a challenge to type on their virtual keyboards. Though I'm not completely fond of the iPhone's keyboard, the Instinct's and Dare's were less responsive. Users with large fingers may need to use their nails or a stylus for typing, as the keys are small.
Power-Hungry
The Web browsers on the Samsung and LG were another letdown. Some sites, such as CNN.com and NYTimes.com, came up as mostly text -- the mobile versions of the sites designed for simpler cell phones.
All three phones are power-hungry. On talk time, the Instinct lasted for about 5.5 hours, the iPhone for about 5 hours, and the LG for about 4.5 hours. Furthermore, the Samsung and LG phones have no Wi-Fi, and no option to view Word, Excel, PowerPoint or PDF attachments -- all of which the iPhone offers. On the other hand, the Instinct and Dare have expandable memory and a removable battery. The iPhone doesn't.
Call quality was best on the Dare, in part because of Verizon's reliable network. On the Instinct I noticed more of a background hiss, and the iPhone on AT&T's network sometimes dropped calls.
Do the Math
While you'll pay more for a Samsung Instinct up front ($230 with a two-year Sprint contract), you'll save on the monthly service fees in the long run. Sprint has the lowest monthly charge, $70 for 450 calling minutes and unlimited data and texting. If you buy the Instinct by July 12, you should be eligible for a $100 rebate. The phone comes with an extra battery and a 2 gigabyte memory card. To match the iPhone's 8 gigabytes of storage, add $40 to the price for a total of $270 at the outset.
LG's Dare is a good deal at $200, or $240 with an 8 gigabyte media card. Verizon charges $80 a month for the same type of service outlined for the Instinct -- 450 minutes and unlimited data and texting.
Apple's $199 iPhone 3G with 8 gigabytes of built-in storage seems like a good buy at first, but when you consider AT&T's $90 monthly charge (covering 450 minutes and unlimited data and texts), the savings disappear.
