Sprint’s Samsung Instinct, priced at $199.99

Apple had better watch its back as it seems Sprint is really determined to battle it out. In a bid to compete with the iPhone 3G, Sprint has just announced that it will be making the Samsung Instinct available for $199.99 along with a contract and after rebates. That’s the same price that AT&T is offering the iPhone 3G to its customers.

Sprint had originally announced that the full retail price of the Instinct would be around $449.99. However, Sprint modified its Instinct package a bit by offering a $150 instant rebate under a new two-year contract. To lower the retail price further, Sprint will also be deducting a $100 mail-in rebate for the mobile phone. That sums up the rebates to around $250. Deducting it from the announced market price of the instinct would total to a $199.99 introductory price for the phone.