We’ve already told you that the Instinct is a sad, pale, wannabe version of the iPhone. That’s not just because we’re fanboys (we are), even old Walt Mossberg agrees. Sprint apparently saw the writing on the wall too after Uncle Walt’s “review” of their device, so they’ve decided to drop the price down to $129. Actually, it might be cheaper overall, too, given that Sprint will give you that price after a contract of around $70 total per month for unlimited data and 450 minutes. Oh, yeah, and the Instinct will go on sale tomorrow, giving it a huge jump on the iPhone. Or Not.

Honestly – is anybody out there seriously considering an Instinct over an iPhone? We’ll grant that there are some people who prefer to pick their carrier first, phone second — but still, is it possible to even pick up the clean end of a piece of …Instinct?

Ouch. Seems Samsung and Sprint tried to bring an Instinct to an iPhone fight. At least that’s how venerable Wall Street Journal columnist and “D” All Things Digital tech yoda Walt Mossberg made it sound in his iClonic “review” (to be fair, the still unreleased iPhone 3G gets more attention — and love — than the unfortunately release-timed Instinct).

How does Mossberg sum up his feelings, some several paragraphs and umpteen iPhone mentions, references, and comparisons down?

If you’re a devoted Sprint customer, or want to avoid AT&T, the Instinct is an OK choice. But it’s no iPhone.

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Let’s see, another day, another trade show, another shameless iPhone knockoff…

We’ve covered (and recovered) the disappointing iPhone-esque stylings of the new Blackberry, and the interwebs have pretty much beaten the Meizu into a sparking, frying pulp, yet it seems the mobile design world just can’t get enough of Poppa Jobs’ little industry revolutionizer.

It’s been over a year since Macworld 2007, and what has Samsung been cooking up? Something totally unique, original, and game changing all their own? Something to keep pushing the industry forward? Er… not so much. Gizmodo brings us a quick look at the “new” Instinct, set to rock the Sprint network, in all its iPhone “homage” glory:

Samsung’s Instinct may be the best stab at the coveted title of iPhone killah this CTIA.

Oh, really? Stalwart Apple pundit site Daring Fireball retorts:

I enjoy how in this initial report, based on a press release and press screenshots, Gizmodo dubs it a “decent iPhone competitor”, but then when they actually got to see one firsthand it ends up — surprise surprise — that it’s buggy as hell. Plus the web browser, despite the magic bullet of 3G networking, is “painfully slow”.

And provides a Twitter post from Macworld editorial director Jason Snell, both pithy and profound, to sum things up:

Dear writers, announcing an iPhone knockoff is not “upping the ante.” It’s not even calling. It’s putting your watch into the pot.

So, is imitation the sincerest form of flattery or just a sign that no one else in the industry has any of their own Big Ideas anymore? Are you sticking with your iPhone, or just dying to rush out and snap up an iClone? What do you think?