Can some provide a quick summary of the differences in these devices? Also will the HTC devices require a broadband plan??
I'll give it a try: The Instinct is a Samsung model with a touch only interface, no slide-out keyboard. It is intended to be iPhone like. Sprint is supposed to release it around June 22. It looks good, BUT, it is a Samsung... The HTC Diamond is the successor to the Touch. It's Windows Mobile with an updated Touch-Flo interface. As with the Touch, there is no slide-out keyboard. It's all touch-screen for this baby. Sprint is getting the CDMA version at some point, but no date's been announced yet. The GSM version is due out very soon. The HTC Raphael is the successor to the Mogul. It has a similar smooth, flat design like the Diamond, but it does contain a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It too will be WM with the new fancy Touch-Flo version. No announced release date for this either. Try Q3 or 4 2008. Interestingly, ALL of these upcoming phone designs were inspired by the iPhone... More information is available on Phonearena, in their Sprint >>> Upcoming Phones section. As far as whether HTC phones require a data plan, the answer is no, but whether Sprint requires it for all smartphones is another story.
It probably will be a little bigger. The big difference between the two being the Raphael is a smartphone and the Glyde isn't.
Sprint doesnt require data plans for their smartphones.......even if its a blackberry i think you can simply select no data..
I know it may be a little off topic, but I'm looking forward to the release of the Rapheal. It will be a welcome update to Sprint's smartphone lineup.
This is apparently going to change on June 15. From that date on, in order to activate a smartphone, you will need at the very least a regular power vision data plan ($15).
So you will have to keep the Vison plan on that line all the time, even after the rebate is received? I always thought you needed to have a Vision plan to receive the rebate, but could take it off as soon as you received the rebate.
Apparently that will no longer be allowed. Sprint also upped the data plan required to get the rebate on smartphones to a minimum MRC of $25, so to get the rebate you need a $25 data plan, then you could drop it back to $15/mo, but not remove it completely.
The GSM version is nearly the same size. Glyde is 104x50x18 mm, Raphael (MDA Vario IV) is 103x52x18. Mobile Phone Helpdesk Europe :: Phone specifications :: T-Mobile MDA Vario IV Samsung Glyde specs, features, and information (Phone Arena)
