Sprint announces the Samsung Instinct HD

I remember last year before the Samsung Instinct was released we saw a pretty amazing marketing effort to get the word out about the device and I have seen a ton of people using the Instinct as their mobile phone. Sprint and Samsung today announced the Samsung Instinct HD that builds upon the success of the Instinct with the latest in multimedia experiences. The 5.0 megapixel camera captures video and then lets you play back the video on an external monitor/TV in HD with the TV-out HD connection. This functionality is much like the Zune HD where playback on the device is not in HD, but the output to a HD TV is in high definition.

Specifications of the new Instinct HD include:

Integrated GPS receiver with Sprint Navigation support
Integrated 802.11 b/g WiFi
Integrated Bluetooth radio with stereo support
Opera Mobile 9.7 web browser
Visual Voicemail
Text messaging with threaded SMS support
Calendar sync support through Exchange and IBM Lotus Notes
Corporate email support through syncing with Outlook
Proximity sensor and haptic feedback

The Samsung Instinct HD will be available at Best Buy Mobile starting 27 September for $249.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and 2-year contract. today, 25 September, for $199.99 with 2-year activation and instant (no mail-in) rebates. Best Buy Mobile also offers free Walk Out Working (Best Buy Mobile employees set the new phone up, activate e-mail, etc.) and free Upgrade Check (Best Buy Mobile employees can check to see when customers are eligible for an upgrade on most carriers).