Social media strategist, keynote speaker, broadcaster, and writer. Not in that order.

Bell Canada's new logo. Isn't that just crammed-up Tahoma?!

This week, Bell Canada unveiled its new look on its web site. It much simpler and they’ve finally put the nail in the coffin of the Sympatico and ExpressVu brands, opting for the simpler “Bell Internet” and “Bell TV.”

(Is it just me, or does their new logo just look like the word Bell set in Tahoma font and all crammed-up?)

Last week, I got to spend a couple of days in secret with the company’s newest pride and joy — the Samsung Instinct, which launches today with Bell as the Canadian provider.

I did a full review of what’s been touted as “the iPhone killer” — checking out applications, comparing it to other Samsung handsets and, yes, the iPhone, playing with its GPS (blows the iPhone’s “GPS” away, btw) — and then, I decided to do some work on my blog and web site.

And poof. Review disappeared. I know it’s in there somewhere - I can see it in my CMS system, but it’s going to take me a bit to resurrect it.

But, in summary:

If you’re looking for an cell phone with all the eye-candy, grace, and design as Apple’s iPhone, the Instinct can’t compete. I found the screen to be dimmer, colours more muted, and the eye candy didn’t really impress me. It’s a bit thicker than the iPhone and just doesn’t have that soft, sleek je ne sais qois.

Also, like most handsets, the Instinct still can’t figure out how to multitask applications. For instance, if you’re browsing a web site then decide you want to look up someone’s phone number, you need to exit from the browser fully. When you’re done, you’ve got to reload the browser and start from scratch. It’s a pain in the ass.

All that said, there’s much to like about this. Like the iPhone it has a touch-screen for an input — no hard keys like a Blackberry. When you press a key, it has a very short “force-feedback” (nerd-talk for “vibration”) which lets you know you’ve pressed a key. A nice touch. One I expect Apple will rip off, unless Samsung has patented that idea.

The Instinct has a real GPS application, not the A-GPS system found in the iPhone. It looks and operates like a GPS unit you’d find in your car, right down to the “Don’t use and drive at the same time” warning.” And the Instinct’s applications like Calendar, Notepad, etc. are solid — pretty much unchanged from previous Samsung phones, but certainly servicable.

Yes, it has live streaming TV and music, as many cell phones do these days, but it’s basically the same slow-to-boot media player providing it. No real revolutionary changes here.

So the verdict? If you want the cool factor of the iPhone but a little cheaper, then save your money. The Instinct is like an iPhone only in its exterior appearance. Really, once you poke around inside, it’s kinda like a regular Samsung, albeit with an on-screen keyboard. If you want to upgrade your existing handset, though, this is a great option.