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Oct. 8, 2008

Sprint customers using the Instinct browser recently received a new Internet browser with a broad range of improvements aimed for a better overall experience for its users.

At the same time, Sprint will start testing a significant Java security issue beginning Oct. 14, Sprint officials said.

With the newer version 1.1 browser, wireless users can get faster Web page rendering, particularly when panning, zooming and resizing.

The voice command option can be hidden for extra screen space and there are about 26 minor software bugs that have been repaired, including some issues related to crashes, Sprint developer representative Nathan Smith said in a forum post Oct. 3.

The handset’s software update, which is deployed to customers over-the-air, also includes patches for slow video player startup, a dialing bug in the parental control option, various calendar and contacts bug fixes and a text entry issue in the Yahoo search bar.

However, Smith didn't respond to a forum question we left him asking for any news or updates about the Instinct online application store. We are monitoring that post once a day and we will keep you updated.

But software developers complain the loudest about the Instinct’s text-entry method in all its Java programs, which requires a proprietary Sprint code extension instead of working in the standard way.

This simply means that any Java program with a text entry needs to be specially customized for the phone, while Java programs designed specifically for the Instinct won’t always work correctly on other wireless phones, hereby defeating the purpose of using the traditional and feature-rich "Write-once, read-anywhere" Java language in the first place.

Smith wrote in his forum post last Friday “please note that this software release is scheduled to enter in certification only on Oct. 13 and we currently don’t have an exit/launch date for the maintenance release, as it depends upon how well the testing/certification goes. Thanks for being patient as we work on making these upgrades happen.”

Sprint's original timeline for addressing these problems was August 15.

At that time, a Sprint spokesperson asserted that it's NOT a bug, but rather a "planned enhancement." (!)

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Source: Sprint Nextel.