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> Samsung i607 / Blackjack - Reviews
The Undude
post Nov 23 2006, 08:31 PM
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Preview: Samsung BlackJack
It is amazing that the BlackJack is the newest member of a crowded category that did not even exist a year ago. The list of small, thin, QWERTY smartphones is getting longer and longer, and Windows Mobile phones comprise the bulk of the list. We've reviewed enough of these devices that we're sure you know all about the software by now. So we'll focus on the hardware and any other unique aspects of the BlackJack for this preview.

The BlackJack is also known as the Samsung i607. Like Samsung's other recent entry into this category, the i320, it is narrower than the Q, Dash or almost any other QWERTY phone. Thus despite its rectangular shape, the BlackJack fits nicely in the hand. The edges along the left and right sides are slightly rounded, increasing the comfort factor. It is easy to wrap your hand around it if you are using it one handed.

It is possible to use the BlackJack one handed, especially for reading email or web pages, thanks to the scroll wheel and back button on the right hand side. Other than needing the D-pad for right and left navigation, we found ourselves primarily relying on the scroll wheel.

When held in two hands to type, the BlackJack is well balanced and sits on your fingertips comfortably. The keyboard is pretty easy to to get used to. After about three days with it, we were typing with about 90-95% accuracy. Although the keys look like those from the Q, they feel much better. They are only slightly rounded, and are much easier to press.

The navigation keys, outside of the scroll wheel on the side, are the BlackJack's weakness. The entire set of buttons, including the directions on the D-pad are all flat and even with each other. There is no way to feel which key you're on except for the center select button. Not only are the all the same height, but there are no divisions or ridges between the keys. This means that unless you are watching where you fingers are, you will likely press the wrong key or multiple keys a few times per day. We often find ourselves pressing the end key or right soft key instead of right on the D-pad even after four days of pretty heavy use.

On the back of the unit, the camera and loud speaker bulge out slightly at the top, which seems unnecessary for a simple 1.3 Megapixel shooter. However this doesn't seem to hamper how the BlackJack slides in and out of a pocket - even in tight pants.

In areas with 3G coverage, the BlackJack immediately switches over to the advanced network. When in areas of weak signal strength or 2G coverage, it had no trouble switching down to GSM without any delays. Although it could only operate there in GSM mode, the BlackJack passed our vault test with flying colors. It held on to a signal even in the farthest corners of the vault, and rejoined the 3G network almost immediately upon exiting the building. This isn't just one of the performances from a smartphone, it's one of the best performances from any GSM phone.

The BlackJack is the second Windows Mobile phone for Cingular with HSDPA data. In San Francisco speeds are fairly impressive. DSL Reports kept asking us to use a larger file so that it could actually register the speed. Finally with the largest file on the mobile speed test, the BlackJack managed a respectable 775-800 Kbps. Even though Cingular's HSDPA is supposed to be capable of 3.6 Mbps in a maximum burst, 800 K is pretty impressive over a 600 KB transfer.

The BlackJack also deserves kudos for it's loud and high quality sound. We often found ourselves turning down the volume during a call, which is a pleasant rarity. It was also easy to hear the loud ringer in crowds or from across the house. The speakerphone is equally loud.

After our experience with the Dash, we expected more from the BlackJack's battery life. With normal use, each charge only last about one and a half days. This is better than the performance of the Motorola Q, in that you can at least use your phone for a full day without having to recharge it, however you still can't leave home, even for just an overnight trip, without your charger.

In addition to the typical applications included on every Windows Mobile Smartphone, the BlackJack includes access to all the new Cingular multimedia services the carriers has recently been touting.

Most of these are simply links to online sites or stores, however a few are actually stand alone applications. Links to the online services such as Cingular Video, Shop Music and Music Videos direct you to sites that are designed for smaller screens and less data-centric phones. The sites all demand many clicks to get to anything other than the one or two featured tracks.

The one exception was a search box on the front page of the Shop Music site for ringtones. There was no apparent way to sign into a music service and shop for tracks online, though Cingular said they would offer that service.

Quickly finding anything other than a ringtone is impossible and especially frustrating on a smartphone, where you're accustomed to having quick access to lots of data.

The XM radio streams and video clips both require a media subscription, as they are data heavy applications. XM radio offers streams in about 10 different categories, but most have multiple stations. Video offers short clips from many broadcast and cable channels.

One of Cingular's most unique media applications is the music ID system, which is a well designed little program that lets you hold your BlackJack up to the stereo while a song is playing, and will try to tell you what song it is. As long as you are not trying to ID a repetitive electronic track, the system is surprisingly fast and accurate. Once a song is identified, the application stores the artist, album and track in a list for you. The new SYNC A707 has the same application.

The rest of the BlackJack's software is Windows Mobile Smartphone AKU3, just like the Dash. It is priced like the Dash too. The two are similar in most every respect. In fact the biggest difference other than carrier, is whether you get your high speed data over WiFi or over the 3G network.


Source: PhoneScoop


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The Undude
post Nov 23 2006, 08:38 PM
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Cingular Blackjack Review
November 13 John Biggs

I might as well just give up. As I’ve made clear before, I don’t like Windows Mobile. It’s an aesthetic choice as much as technical one, but what the ^*&& do I know. I’m just a blogger. So with that in mind, I present the inestimable Cingular Blackjack, a feature-rich super-slim Windows Mobile 5.0 smartphone for the masses.

The Blackjack— like the T-Mobile Dash, Trace, and Fluffernutter, is Cingular’s latest attempt at getting in on the one-name thing. It’s a slim, black smartphone with a 1.3-megapixel camera. It runs on Cingular’s UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, but what does this mean? It means that web browsing and email downloads are lightening fast, in the areas that currently support that technology.

I broke my cellular fast and tried the phone in Manhattan where response time was excellent, about 700kbps. In Brooklyn, where we’ve only got EDGE, I hit about 2kbps on a good day, which is a considerable drop. This goes to show the value of a good 3G network and the paucity of EDGE and GPRS data streams. If you’re in an area with UMTS and depend on your smartphone for data, mail, and web downloads, the Blackjack performs quite admirably.

The keyboard was designed using some of the Blackberry patents, which means Samsung was able to use RIM’s slanted key design. Most of the pertinent keys are in all the right places—a home key and back key at both ends of the keyboard along with a center track wheel. There is also a back button under the right scrollwheel which also acts as a clicker. There are volume controls on the left side and a power button on the top.

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At about 3.5 ounces, the phone is surprisingly light, and the back panel is clad in a rubber material for a better grip. The screen is quite bright and readable and the default icon format, with four big applications along the top of the screen and a bit of message and call data underneath, is very readable. Battery life was impressive with about three days on standby and about 20 hours of regular usage including calls and extensive web browsing/email reading.

The Blackjack is aimed at the business professional, that much is clear. It includes links to Cingular’s XPress secure email and calendar syncing service along with Good Mobile Messaging. It also includes Cingular Video and Cingular Music, the company’s two media services, but neither were really working correctly during our tests except for streaming XM radio. Because most of the URLs it connected to involved “blackjack” in the name, I suspect Cingular is holding those until the official launch.

The phone includes 128MB of flash memory and a microSD slot for expansion. It supports POP/IMAP mailboxes along with Outlook Mobile push email. It will eventually have PTT capabilities, once these are rolled out on Cingular’s network. It also includes a basic IM application that supports AIM, Yahoo! Messenger and MSN.

On the whole, I can recommend the Blackjack over a similarly outfitted Moto Q or Nokia E62 without 3G speed. It is easy to use, ergonomic and light. The 2004-2005 fiscal year was a tough for Samsung, with a focus on low-end models that really didn’t win any prizes for looks or functionality. Phones and devices like the Blackjack, thankfully, signal a considerably different era for Samsung. Windows Mobile won out as the main mobile OS, so I can hardly fault the phone on that account.

If you’re looking for a way to breeze through web pages, email, and some basic office applications, take a closer look at the Blackjack. It’s available from Cingular for $199 with a two year contract.

Source: CrunchGear


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The Undude
post Nov 23 2006, 08:46 PM
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CNET editors' review
Very good
7.3 out of 10

The good: The 3G-enabled Samsung BlackJack is sleek, has a gorgeous screen, and a full QWERTY keyboard. Highlights include Bluetooth 2.0, push e-mail capabilities, and good call quality. This Windows Mobile smart phone also comes with support for Cingular Video and Cingular Music services.

The bad: Navigation controls are cramped, and there is no integrated Wi-Fi. Certain applications take some time to load.

The bottom line: The Samsung BlackJack heralds another 3G-enabled smart phone to Cingular's lineup. While it supports the carrier's video and music service, some design and performance issues trip up this otherwise sexy device

Reviewed by: Bonnie Cha
Edited by: Kent German
Reviewed on 11/13/06

Click here for a photo gallery.

Samsung BlackJackCingular appears to be grabbing the lion's share of smart phones. In the last few months, the carrier has stocked its lineup with the Nokia E62, the HP iPaq hw6925, and the 3G-enabled Cingular 8525. And today they've scored another win with the Samsung BlackJack (or Samsung SGH-i607).

The BlackJack is the second UMTS/HSPDA-capable smart phone for Cingular (the first being the 8525). It's geared for people seeking more productivity on the road, while the Cingular 8525 is better suited for the power user. While the BlackJack certainly rivals the Motorola Q and T-Mobile Dash with its sleek design, will it show a winning hand? (A black jack reference, yes. How could we not?) It's hard to say. Since our review unit was a pre-production model, we're holding off on a final call until we get the real thing. That said, our initial impressions are more positive than negative. There are design issues, but the BlackJack definitely delivers on its 3G capabilities. Available Nov. 16, the BlackJack should retail for a fair price of $199.99, with a two-year contract.

Design
Sorry, Motorola. Your much-hyped Q can no longer claim to be the "thinnest QWERTY device in the world," as the BlackJack trumps (yet probably not for long, either). At 4.4x2.3x0.6 inches and 3.5 ounces, it's lighter and smaller than the Q (4.5x2.5x0.4 inches; 4 ounces) and the T-Mobile Dash (4.4x2.5x0.5 inches; 4.2 ounces). The all-black casing is undeniably sexy. The smart phone also features a similar soft-touch finish found on the Dash, and is thus easy to grip. The BlackJack also is comfortable to hold, and thanks to its slimmer body, feels more like a cell phone.

Of course, there are some trade-offs with a compact body. The phone's screen is not a touch screen, and is smaller at 2.25 inches on the diagonal when compared with the Q's 2.50-inch display and the Dash's 2.4-inch display. Yet it's still bright, with a 65,000-color output and 320x320 pixel resolution; images and video look great, colors are bright, and text is extra sharp. The other trade-off is with navigation. The BlackJack's controls consist of two soft keys, a shortcut to the Today screen, a back button, Talk and End keys, and a four-way directional toggle. All the buttons are rather slippery, and we really struggled with the toggle switch. Set amid the rest of the controls, the toggle switch is flush with other buttons--so when we'd try to scroll right, we'd often hit the End key instead. With the Moto Q, for example, the toggle switch is a raised button, so this problem is avoided. A MicroSD expansion slot is located on the upper-right spine and is protected by an attached cover; the cover, however, makes it difficult to insert a card smoothly.

Fortunately, there are other ways to navigate the BlackJack. A thumbwheel sits on the right spine, which can be pressed to select items; a Back button in the same location helps to escape current menus and applications. These controls make it easy to use the device with one hand. However, the buttons sit underneath a ridge that's part of the device's body, making it challenging to hit the wheel on the first try. We discovered that you have to press the thumbwheel very firmly to register the Select command. But here's a tip. If you hold down the wheel for a few seconds, it brings up a quick launcher. Here you can to open applications, such as your calendar or task manager. Holding down the Back button will activate the camera, located on the back of the unit along with a self-portrait mirror.

The full QWERTY keyboard is fairly easy to use. The oval buttons--very similar to the keys on the Moto Q--are tactile and adequately backlit for typing in dim light. While we give an edge to the BlackJack over the T-Mobile Dash, which has a keyboard with smaller keys, we do think the Q's keyboard is easiest to use because of its well-spaced keys. There are no dedicated number buttons, but numbers are highlighted in gray to make them easier to identify in a sea of black keys. Also, numbers aren't grouped in a cluster but instead the three columns of numbers are separated by a column of letters and symbols in between (see above).

A volume rocker and headset/power adapter jack sits on the left side. The BlackJack uses a proprietary port, preventing you from using any mini-USB adapter to charge the device, or or any 2.5mm headset--a bad design decision. The Samsung BlackJack comes packaged with a travel charger, a proprietary USB cable, and reference material.

Features
The Samsung BlackJack is Cingular's second UMTS/HSPDA smart phone, right behind the Cingular 8525. UMTS and HSPDA are both 3G technologies that allow for broadband-like connection speeds on mobile devices; basically the GSM answer to CDMA's EV-DO. HSPDA has the potential to transmit data at up to 14.4mbps, but you'll most likely average speeds of around 400kbps to 700kbps. For a more in-depth explanation of this technology, check out our Quick Guide to 3G. In short, 3G support means the BlackJack offers a better experience for browsing the Web, listening to streaming media, or downloading games. This technology, however, is not available everywhere, especially in more rural areas. Currently, Cingular's UMTS/HSDPA network, called Broadband Connect, is available in up to 136 markets in more than 50 metro areas. You can check for your city here.

To get the most out of 3G, the BlackJack supports the Cingular Video and Cingular Music services. Using Cingular Video, we watched clips of The Daily Show, Access Hollywood, ESPN sports highlights, and a few other videos. Downloads were speedy with barely any delay for video buffering. The recently launched Cingular Music is a full-featured service that not only allows you to purchase songs from independent music services, such as Napster to Go and Yahoo Music, but also includes streaming XM satellite radio, music videos, MusicID for identifying song titles and artists, and a music news site called TheBuzz. Unfortunately, not all features of the service were enabled on our review unit (and on-the-go music downloading is still impossible), but we were able to listen to XM satellite radio and enjoyed smooth streaming audio. Of course, you can import your personal library of MP3, AAC, WAV, WMA, MPEG-4, and WMV files via MicroSD card, thanks to Windows Media Player 10 Mobile. Onboard memory caps out at 64MB of RAM and 128MB of ROM.

One of the main differences between the BlackJack and the Cingular 8525 is the phone operating system. While both phones run Windows Mobile, the BlackJack uses the Smartphone Edition, while the 8525 uses the Pocket PC Phone Edition. As such, you won't get the Microsoft Office Mobile Suite or document editing capabilities on the BlackJack. Instead, you get an application called Picsel Viewer Suite, which allows you to only open and view Word and Excel documents, PowerPoint presentations, and PDFs. We were able to transfer and open such files successfully with the BlackJack. Other tools include: a calendar; contacts lists; task lists; other notes; a voice recorder; a calculator; a stopwatch; a world clock; and a unit converter.

The BlackJack can handle everything from corporate to personal e-mail; you can access Outlook messages as well as POP3, IMAP, and SMTP accounts. In addition, push technology for real-time e-mail delivery is available through several services, including Microsoft Direct Push, Good Mobile Messaging, and Cingular XpressMail. The BlackJack also supports instant messaging (AOL, MSN, and Yahoo) as well as text and multimedia messages.

In case you want to actually talk to someone, the BlackJack is also a quad-band world phone that can be used in more than 180 countries. It also includes a speakerphone, three-way calling, and conference calling. The address book is limited only by available memory (the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts), and each entry can accommodate up to 12 numbers, several e-mail addresses, IM handles, job titles, and additional details. For caller ID, you can assign a contact a group ID, one of 20 ring tones, or a picture. The phone also supports MP3 ring tones, and you can always download more through the Web. If you want to use a wireless headset, that's also possible; the BlackJack has integrated Bluetooth 2.0. There is no integrated Wi-Fi, which is disappointing as this would have been a nice addition for customers outside of Cingular's 3G network.

Finally, this smart phone comes equipped with a 1.3-megapixel camera, complete with video recording capabilities and a 2X digital zoom lens and self timer. You have the option of shooting in various modes and multiple resolutions, ranging from 1,280x960 to 176x144, for still images. There is no flash, but there are white balance settings. You can also enhance your photos with various effects and frames. Editing options are a little more limited in video mode, but you do get a choice of two shooting modes (limited for MMS or normal), two sizes (320x240 and 176x144), and three quality settings (fine, normal, and economy). If you're the silent-move type, there's also a selection to turn off audio. Overall, the BlackJack took decent photos with good color and definition, and video quality was above par, as we didn't witness as much pixilation as we have with other camera phones.

Performance
We tested the Samsung BlackJack (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; EDGE; UMTS; HSDPA) in San Francisco using Cingular's service, and call quality was excellent. Conversations sounded loud and clear, and though the other end noticed a slight echo, audio quality was generally great. Activating the speakerphone didn't diminish the sound quality at all, and we had no problems pairing the device to the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset.

As noted earlier, we tested a preproduction unit of the Samsung BlackJack, which we're hoping is the reason for some of the sluggish performance we experienced (stay tuned; we'll update results with the final product). There was a noticeable lag when we tried to launch the camera or open various documents. On the bright side, the Web browsing and multimedia experience on the BlackJack was awesome. Web sites loaded quickly as did streaming media. Music playback through the phone's speakers was good, although audio sounded blown out when we turned the volume to its highest setting. Video looked spectacular on the BlackJack's gorgeous screen, even though there was the expected pixilation.

The Samsung BlackJack is rated for 5.5 hours of talk time and up to 11 days of standby time. In our tests, the phone just met the rated talk time.


Source: C|Net


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The Undude
post Nov 23 2006, 08:50 PM
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Samsung SGH-i607 BlackJack REVIEW DATE: 11.13.06
$199.99

By Sascha Segan
Cingular's high-speed network goes truly portable with the new Samsung BlackJack, an excellent little handheld for folks looking for a Blackberry-style device with more speed and multimedia features.

Just like T-Mobile's Dash and Verizon's Motorola Q, the BlackJack is a Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone slab sporting a 320 by 240 screen, a full keyboard and a 1.3-megapixel camera on the back. In many ways, it's a cross between those two other phones. Like the Dash, it's a quad-band world phone, it's black, and it's almost the exact same size. Like the Q, it uses a high-speed national cellular network rather than Wi-Fi, the keys are long slanted ovals, and it has a handy scroll wheel on the side as well as cursor keys for navigation. At 4.5 by 2.3 by .5 inches and weighing 3.5 ounces, it's smaller and lighter than both the Dash and the Q.

Let's step back for a minute. All three of these phones fit into the media-hyped category of "Blackberry killers." Honestly, nobody's about to kill the Blackberry anytime soon; rather, these are all phones that look like Blackberries, but add the Windows Mobile abilities to easily sync with Microsoft Outlook, do push e-mail with either Good Mobile Messaging or Exchange Server 2003 SP2, and play music and video synced over from Windows Media Player.

All Windows Mobile 5 Smartphones work basically the same, but Cingular and Samsung have added their own line to the familiar "Windows Mobile Blackberry-killer" song with some new software. Rather than the usual ClearVue Microsoft Office viewers, the BlackJack includes the much slicker Picsel Viewer, which in my experience handles complex PDF documents better. There's still no Microsoft Office document editor, but at least the BlackJack comes with a note pad program. Cingular, though, has certified the Blackjack for their Cingular Video service, letting you access streaming clips of CNN and HBO content. You can also download an XM Radio streaming application, and there's an RSS reader too. The bundled OZ instant messaging program supports AIM, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo! IM; a cross-application search utility is also built-in. The Dash and Q don't come with these things. All this software means the 64 MB BlackJack only has 31 MB free for your own software, though. That should be enough for most people, but thankfully the Dash comes with twice as much storage memory.

The BlackJack connects to the Internet using Cingular's ever-expanding HSDPA network, which was in 50 or so metro areas at last count. It's nowhere near as prevalent as Verizon's EV-DO system, but it's catching up. Using the BlackJack as a PC modem, we got an average of 584 kbps downloads, which is slower than EV-DO (where we regularly get 700 kbps or above) but a lot faster than Cingular's national EDGE network, which the BlackJack drops to when it's out of HSDPA range. (EDGE speeds generally hover in the 90-120 kbps range.) The Blackjack also uses EDGE overseas, as opposed to the Cingular 8525 which can hit foreign HSDPA networks.

As a quad-band world phone, the BlackJack is satisfyingly loud, and voice quality is clear. Reception is also noticeably stronger than on the Cingular 8525. The speakerphone is on the back nearly approaches Nextel volume levels but annoyingly you need to turn the phone around to hear it properly; interestingly, that doesn't seem to affect how well your voice transmits over the microphone. Transmissions sound a bit hollow, but I've found that with all of Cingular's HSDPA phones so far, so it may be a characteristic of the network. I connected several Bluetooth headsets without a problem. There is no voice dialing, unlike on the Dash and Q.

The BlackJack's battery life is going to appall anyone used to EDGE phones, but it's par for the course for a 3G device. Continuous talk time is 3 hours 51 minutes. Yes, it's shorter than the Cingular 8525, but the 8525 is also a lot more bulky.

The BlackJack also makes a dandy music player, as it supports protected and subscription WMA music from stores like Urge, Napster, and Yahoo!, and plays music over Bluetooth wireless headphones. You can sync music over from Windows Media Player, put it on a MicroSD memory card, or drag and drop tracks using mass storage mode, where the connected BlackJack appears as a hard drive on your desktop. I was annoyed to see there's no adapter for the oddball headset jack to use wired headsets other than Samsung's included, very poor-quality earbuds. (I've heard such an adapter is coming in the future.) Video in Windows Media Player seemed occasionally jerky, but I'm glad that it plays in full screen, unlike on the Motorola Q. Sling Player Mobile doesn't work on the Blackjack quite yet, but Sling Media told me they're working on a fix. Interestingly, the BlackJack plays Cingular's streaming Cingular Video clips, which are in RealVideo rather than Windows Media format, as well.

The phone's 1.3-megapixel camera takes soft, contrasty photos, but at least the colors are good. Video recordings are nice and big at 320 by 240 and smooth, yet the 9-frames-per-second frame rate is pretty low.

The BlackJack's 220 MHz Samsung processor runs, as expected, a little faster than the T-Mobile Dash's 200 MHz processor in video benchmarks. But unlike the 400 MHz Cingular 8525, the BlackJack has some trouble with multitasking. If you try to play music over Bluetooth in the background, other applications get quite slow, and you hear occasional pops, clicks and dropouts if you're trying to talk on a Bluetooth headset and surf the Web over Pocket Internet Explorer at the same time.

So, should you pick the BlackJack or the Cingular 8525? The Blackjack is a better phone, and works better using just one hand. On flip-side the 8525 is a more powerful handheld computer. The BlackJack is also cheaper: $199.99 with a two-year contract, just like the T-Mobile Dash. I'll stick with the 8525 as my Editor's Choice recommendation because of its super-duper, multi-network high-speed power. But the Blackjack securely takes the same place among Cingular's offerings that the Dash and Q have adopted on T-Mobile's and Verizon's network: a portable, flexible, e-mail and music focused PDA/phone that's good enough for most uses. If the BlackJack doesn't score a perfect 21, well, 20 is still usually a winning hand.

Benchmark Test Results
Continuous talk time: 3 hours 51 minutes
Video playback time: 8 hours 31 minutes

Source: PCMag


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The Undude
post Nov 23 2006, 08:54 PM
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Samsung SGH-i607 BlackJack Review

Published November 15th, 2006 in Gadgets, Cellular Phone and PDA Handhelds.

Just like T-Mobile’s Dash and Verizon’s Motorola Q, the BlackJack is a Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone slab sporting a 320 by 240 screen, a full keyboard and a 1.3-megapixel camera on the back. In many ways, it’s a cross between those two other phones. Like the Dash, it’s a quad-band world phone, it’s black, and it’s almost the exact same size. Like the Q, it uses a high-speed national cellular network rather than Wi-Fi, the keys are long slanted ovals, and it has a handy scroll wheel on the side as well as cursor keys for navigation. At 4.5 by 2.3 by .5 inches and weighing 3.5 ounces, it’s smaller and lighter than both the Dash and the Q.

Cingular’s high-speed network goes truly portable with the new Samsung BlackJack, an excellent little handheld for folks looking for a Blackberry-style device with more speed and multimedia features.

All Windows Mobile 5 Smartphones work basically the same, but Cingular and Samsung have added their own line to the familiar “Windows Mobile Blackberry-killer” song with some new software. Rather than the usual ClearVue Microsoft Office viewers, the BlackJack includes the much slicker Picsel Viewer, which in my experience handles complex PDF documents better. There’s still no Microsoft Office document editor, but at least the BlackJack comes with a note pad program. Cingular, though, has certified the Blackjack for their Cingular Video service, letting you access streaming clips of CNN and HBO content. You can also download an XM Radio streaming application, and there’s an RSS reader too. The bundled OZ instant messaging program supports AIM, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo! IM; a cross-application search utility is also built-in. The Dash and Q don’t come with these things. All this software means the 64 MB BlackJack only has 31 MB free for your own software, though. That should be enough for most people, but thankfully the Dash comes with twice as much storage memory.

The BlackJack’s battery life is going to appall anyone used to EDGE phones, but it’s par for the course for a 3G device. Continuous talk time is 3 hours 51 minutes. Yes, it’s shorter than the Cingular 8525, but the 8525 is also a lot more bulky.

The BlackJack’s 220 MHz Samsung processor runs, as expected, a little faster than the T-Mobile Dash’s 200 MHz processor in video benchmarks. But unlike the 400 MHz Cingular 8525, the BlackJack has some trouble with multitasking. If you try to play music over Bluetooth in the background, other applications get quite slow, and you hear occasional pops, clicks and dropouts if you’re trying to talk on a Bluetooth headset and surf the Web over Pocket Internet Explorer at the same time.

The BlackJack also makes a dandy music player, as it supports protected and subscription WMA music from stores like Urge, Napster, and Yahoo!, and plays music over Bluetooth wireless headphones. You can sync music over from Windows Media Player, put it on a MicroSD memory card, or drag and drop tracks using mass storage mode, where the connected BlackJack appears as a hard drive on your desktop. I was annoyed to see there’s no adapter for the oddball headset jack to use wired headsets other than Samsung’s included, very poor-quality earbuds. (I’ve heard such an adapter is coming in the future.) Video in Windows Media Player seemed occasionally jerky, but I’m glad that it plays in full screen, unlike on the Motorola Q. Sling Player Mobile doesn’t work on the Blackjack quite yet, but Sling Media told me they’re working on a fix. Interestingly, the BlackJack plays Cingular’s streaming Cingular Video clips, which are in RealVideo rather than Windows Media format, as well.

So, should you pick the BlackJack or the Cingular 8525? The Blackjack is a better phone, and works better using just one hand. On flip-side the 8525 is a more powerful handheld computer. The BlackJack is also cheaper: $199.99 with a two-year contract, just like the T-Mobile Dash. I’ll stick with the 8525 as my Editor’s Choice recommendation because of its super-duper, multi-network high-speed power. But the Blackjack securely takes the same place among Cingular’s offerings that the Dash and Q have adopted on T-Mobile’s and Verizon’s network: a portable, flexible, e-mail and music focused PDA/phone that’s good enough for most uses. If the BlackJack doesn’t score a perfect 21, well, 20 is still usually a winning hand.

Source: elitezoom.com


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The Undude
post Nov 23 2006, 09:00 PM
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Samsung BlackJack - Hands on with the most feature-packed smart phone yet for those on a budget.

by Mark Spoonauer
Date Posted: 11/13/2006

Price: $199 (with two-year contract); $39.99 per month for data

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Joining the parade of sleek, sub-$200 smart phones, the Samsung BlackJack is anything but a me-too device. It's the first affordable Windows Mobile phone to run on Cingular's growing high-speed HSDPA network, and it includes a host of amenities the competition lacks, including support for Cingular Video and streaming XM radio. Some prospective buyers may lament the lack of Wi-Fi, but we think the BlackJack is the real deal.

At first glance, the BlackJack looks like a black-clad Moto Q clone. But while this device has all the sex appeal of a scientific calculator, it's lighter (3.5 ounces vs. 4.1 ounces), a hair thinner (0.46 inches vs. 0.47 inches), and noticeably narrower (2.3 inches vs. 2.5 inches) than the Q. The soft-touch finish gives the BlackJack a good grip, and despite its tiny dimensions, the keyboard didn't feel cramped. We had no trouble typing e-mail or URLs at a quick pace. Like the Q, the BlackJack sports a thumbwheel on the right side for scrolling through menus and Web pages, along with a corresponding Back/Clear key.

We have only two complaints about the design: 1) The BlackJack's four-way navigation key is too close to the Send and End keys; we accidentally entered the phone menu or exited an application on more than one occasion. 2) With the way the dial pad is arranged on the QWERTY layout, a letter falls between each number (going from left to right), which slows dialing.

The right side of the device is where you'll also find the microSD Card slot to supplement the 64MB of built-in RAM (about 40MB of it is user-accessible), and the volume keys and a proprietary USB/charger jack line the left side. The optional stereo headset uses the same jack, but we'd suggest springing for a stereo Bluetooth headset so you can talk and listen to music wirelessly. A raised portion on the back of the device houses the camera lens, self-portrait mirror, and speaker. This protrusion makes the BlackJack easy to hold during calls.

Like most other Windows Mobile 5.0 phones that run the Smartphone Edition of the OS, this one can sync your contacts, calendar, e-mail, and tasks with Outlook. But Samsung went the extra mile by including an Organizer, which includes a welcome Notepad app and a convenient Smart Converter tool (currency, length, weight, temperature, etc.). The D-Day tool, for counting down to a critical event, is a little overkill given that you already have a calendar with built-in reminders.

As the second smart phone to tap into Cingular's HSDPA network, the BlackJack offered fast data rates when we were within 3G range. Most Web pages began to load within 15 seconds. In other areas, you'll get slower EDGE data, which is fine for downloading e-mail and Web sites optimized for mobile phones (like Cingular's own MediaNet), but not for traditional HTML sites. The carrier currently offers HSDPA in 130 markets with populations of 100,000 or more. That pales in comparison to Sprint's and Verizon Wireless' EV-DO networks (200+ markets each), so you may want to hold off on the BlackJack until Cingular has closed the gap.

When it comes to messaging, the BlackJack satisfies. For e-mail, the device supports Cingular Xpress Mail (working with consumer services like Comcast, Yahoo, and BellSouth), Microsoft Direct Push, and Good Mobile. You can open all sorts of attachments using the included Picsel Viewer application, but you'll have to zoom in to read them. For those who prefer instant messaging over text messaging, the BlackJack supports AOL, MSN, and Yahoo.

Another way the BlackJack stands out from other WM 5.0 phones is its multimedia perks. For starters, it’s compatible with Cingular Music. That means you can stream 25 channels of XM radio (for $9 per month). Reception was quite good—even if the service didn't always list the right artist and track name—regardless of whether we were in an HSDPA or EDGE coverage area. You can also use the free Music ID feature to identify songs you hear and then purchase ringtones or wallpapers for that artist. No, you can't download songs over the air, but you can easily sync tunes to the BlackJack using Windows Media Player, whether you rip them yourself or buy them from PlaysForSure stores.

Another pleasant surprise is support for Cingular Video, allowing users to stream clips from CNN, ESPN, HBO (for an extra fee), and other content providers. When you're within HSDPA coverage, the video looks smooth, but when we roamed into EDGE areas, our CNN hourly news update looked like a slideshow. Regardless of the data rate, enabling the Full Screen view doesn't expand the actual viewing area. It merely makes the area framing the video disappear.

Yet another advantage of the BlackJack is that it can play Java-based games, something most other WM 5.0 phones can't do. Although it took us a while to download Jamdat's Midnight Bowling ($5.99), there's no question that this device is as good at killing time as it is at keeping you organized. The selection of games for now, however, is limited to a few titles, since they have to be optimized for this device’s display. Samsung also throws in an RSS reader application so you can quickly update and read the latest headlines from CBS, The New York Times, Yahoo News, and more.

The BlackJack also saves you more time than the competition, thanks to several handy shortcuts. For instance, pressing and holding the thumbwheel launches the Quick Launcher, allowing you to jump to your calendar, music, or even a specific Web page. You can edit what’s inside the Quick Launcher from within the app. Another example: pressing FN + B turns Bluetooth on and off.

The 1.3-megapixel camera is a mixed bag. It took sharp photos with very nice color saturation when shooting outdoors. However, the shutter speed is lacking, so you can forget about capturing moving subjects. And without a flash, you'll need a lot of ambient light when shooting indoors. The 15-second video clips are just decent.

Call quality in our tests was quite good. Voices on our end exhibited very little static, and some people we called couldn't tell we were calling from a cell phone. The loud, back-mounted speakerphone impressed us as well—for calls and music—even with the BlackJack laid flat on a table. Talk time is rated for 5.5 hours, 2.5 hours more than the Moto Q. We didn't have enough time with our unit to test that claim, but we can tell you that the BlackJack's standby time is longer. The Moto Q generally needs to be charged every other day, but with Samsung's smart phone, we got through an entire weekend before having to find an outlet.

Since Cingular's HSDPA network is still being rolled out, the BlackJack is a device that will get better with age. But we think it's a very good deal now given all the extras Samsung stuffed inside its thin frame. The BlackJack offers more features and battery life than the $100-cheaper Moto Q, and it boasts better voice quality and coverage than the identically-priced T-Mobile Dash, even though the latter offers Wi-Fi. The BlackJack is now our favorite value-priced Windows Mobile phone.

Source: LapTop


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The Undude
post Nov 23 2006, 09:09 PM
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Samsung BlackJack i607 Smartphone mini-review
Published by dcharti November 20th, 2006 in Gadgets and Personal.

It seems like all the cool kids are doing mini-reviews of technolust-worthy gadgets these days, and I’ll be darned if I haven’t been striving to roll w/the cool kids since I found out cool was cool. So to keep things short and sweet, here’s my mini-review of Samsung’s new BlackJack i607 Smartphone.

Disclaimer, or: “oops, did I buy that?”

For starters, I wasn’t planning on buying a BlackJack - I walked into the store looking for a Cingular 8525, a more beefed up, true-blue Pocket PC phone with a larger touch screen, Wi-Fi and a more roomy keyboard. The store didn’t have any 8525s, but the sales guy mentioned that they had, however, gotten a little device in called the BlackJack instead, and that it was a ‘Windows Smartphone.’ Since the Cingular 8525 didn’t have ’smart’ in its title, and since I had 30 days to return a phone, I figured I’d give the BJ a try. After all, people buy phones with embedded keyboards to look smart, right?

I should also get out of the way that I’m a card-carrying Mac user (and blogger at TUAW), which naturally meant that I had to buy the Missing Sync to get the BJ to shake hands with Mac OS X. Also, I’m pretty familiar with Microsoft’s Pocket PC and Windows Mobile software, as I’ve used nearly every iteration since it was called “Windows CE” on retail floors, though I’ve never used a neutered Smartphone before. Now, on with trying to keep this review mini.

What I like

This thing is small - freaking small. Keep in mind I was aiming to spend the next year or two with a brick in my pocket, so I was admittedly surprised at this 180. It’s incredibly pocketable, and I’m already forgetting that 85-whichamadinger device I was thinking of buying. The BJ is also apparently supposed to be Cingular’s Q-killer, and while I’m not really the murderous type and I’ve never held a Q, all the other reviews I’ve found say the BJ puts it to shame. I wonder which phone will insta-obliterate my BJ next week? Oh well, it’ll be a fun ride while it lasts.

The phone itself is a pleasure to use and hold. The tiny-@$$ keyboard is growing on me (though I still prefer the 8125/8525’s less claustrophobic ‘board by far), and the BlackBerry-like scroll wheel on the right side makes getting around a breeze. Dedicated Home and ‘Back’ buttons are very nice additions to the two soft keys for getting around in the OS.

The screen is {bleeping} gorgeous. That’s right - I had to bleep myself. I’ve used a lot of phones from a lot of manufacturers, and I have to say this 320 x 240 display is one of the most crisp, bright and all-around enjoyable to look at that I’ve ever seen, especially on any kind of smart/PDA device. Text looks fantastic and is surprisingly anti-aliased; I’m happy to read email and long RSS feed entries on this thing (sidenote: NewsBreak is the best Pocket PC/Windows Mobile/Smartphone RSS reader I’ve ever used, and a version is offered for all three platforms).

The software is also a surprise - at first, Microsoft’s Smartphone seems to be a true watered down “Windows Mobile for Dummies,” as it is severely crippled from its big brother. After some tinkering and actually cracking the included manual, however, I found some nice perks. An always-accessible application launcher can be opened by holding in the scroll wheel button, and Samsung included various apps like a notepad, a chat app, and even their own RSS reader. Seeing as how this phone is being marketed for the masses (it even supports Cingular’s new music and video services), it seems to be a well-rounded offering, especially since the more business oriented PDA phones don’t get many of these niceties. The phone is, for the most part, snappy, though on occasion it can get a little sluggish if I open a ton of apps.

Call quality is stellar. I’ve been on almost every service provider offered in the Denver, CO area, and I’ve always preferred the sound quality of Sprint phone calls. Nevermind coverage and dropping calls and all that business - they simply have the best, clearest sounding phones I’ve ever used. This BJ is refreshingly the first GSM-based phone I’ve picked up that gets respectably close to usurping that preference.

Data transfer is pretty zippy. I signed up for their unlimited Smartphone data plan, which costs the exact same $20 as their MediaNet plan I had on the recently-deceased SonyEricsson phone I’m replacing. This BJ is a big deal for mobile data freaks, as it is apparently Cingular’s second phone that works on all their data networks, including the much-hyped new HSPDA they’re slowly rolling out. I haven’t hooked this thing up to my MacBook to use it as a modem yet, and I’m honestly not even sure if that’s possible (or even if HSPDA is here in CO), but email and surfing are definitely the quickest I’ve ever used on Cingular, at least in Westminster, CO.

As a surprising bonus, the BJ comes not only with a second battery, but a clever external housing the charger can plug into, allowing you to always have a backup battery ready and raring to go. I haven’t given this thing a serious battery shakedown just yet, but it seems to go quite a ways. I imagine they included a second for all those users out there who are going to take full advantage of the music, XM streaming and video capabilities. The charger, by the way, has a proprietary, non-mini-USB connector. A lot of people understandably whine when these companies pull this stunt, and it’s certainly something to be conscious of before purchasing, especially if you’re the type that likes to keep extra chargers lying around.

What I don’t like

These damn keyboards feel like they’re designed for mice; it’s definitely taking some getting used to, but I’m getting there. If you ask me, they should still include a stylus with these non-touch-screen Smartphone devices just to help people nail the right keys on the keyboard. I’m not a big guy either; I’m 5′ 8″ with small, hobbit-like hands.

The previously mentioned watering down of this OS is also an unfortunate, though manageable, drawback. A “Picsel Viewer” app is included for viewing Office docs, PDFs and plain TXT files, but it sucks - it can’t wrap text, so you’re constantly zooming in/out or panning left/right. Editing is out of the question, unless you ante up for some of the “well you bought a PDA so you must be loaded” overpriced software from 3rd parties. I swear, PDA software devs could really benefit from some economics classes.

There are also various annoying quirks about the OS, such as its inability to add due dates/alarms to tasks, while calendar events have all the necessary date/length/alarm/notes goodies. Samsung, interestingly, saw this and added their own strangely titled “D-Day” app, which basically fills this tasks void, but unfortunately doesn’t integrate with desktop PIM equivalents like Outlook on PC or iCal/Entourage on my Mac. I can understand how stuff like this could be a deal-breaker for mobile business pros, but for a consumer enthusiast such as myself, I can get over it. I primarily want this thing for basic push email (4SmartPhone.net rocks as an indie push service so far, by the way), basic surfing and those occasional epiphany moments on the go; I’m not reviewing quarterly Excel earnings reports while bustling around downtown and closing billion dollar buyouts.

Conclusion

I really like this phone, and Microsoft’s Smartphone platform is growing on me. Sure, it’d be great if Apple cranked out an iPhone one of these years, and they might even do it in January, but my SE phone kicked the bucket on me and I needed something now. The BJ’s $300 upgrade price with a $100 rebate to top it off was surprisingly appetizing, and I even had the fortunate luck of the Cingular store mis-pricing mine, letting me walk out the door with a $200 upgrade price. If Cingular still honors the rebate, I will have snagged a $500 Smartphone for $100 - not bad for being in a pinch.

I know billions of reviews are cropping up, but I’m happy to answer any questions if you got ‘em. This is a great phone overall, and while I’ll miss some of the 8525’s more robust capabilities, the BJ turned out to be just too darn good of a value for the money, and for my pocket.

Over the next few days, I plan on writing a follow-up post after I put this thing through more of its paces. More good, bad and ugly to come. Stay tuned.

5 Responses to “Samsung BlackJack i607 Smartphone mini-review”

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1 SgtSpanky
Nov 20th, 2006 at 11:52 pm
Great review! I also picked one of these up on a whim while in the Cingular shop for a new RAZR battery. The keyboard is cramped but still much more usable than a simple phone alpha-numeric pad. And I *really* like the size. Now if onlt I could get it to sync with Google Calendar!!!

2 dcharti
Nov 21st, 2006 at 12:08 am
What OS are you using? I’ve heard of some mobile phone-based apps that can sync with gCal, and I’m currently helping in a beta test of Spanning Sync, a Mac OS X app that uses Apple’s built-in syncing services to sync their calendaring app with Google Calendar. I would assume something exists for Windows as well that could sync with Outlook. If you’re on a Mac, Spanning Sync seems to be working pretty well so far, which ultimately allows me to keep my BlackJack, Apple’s iCal and Google Calendar all humming along together quite nicely.

3 Rickster
Nov 21st, 2006 at 9:09 am
Can not find voice dial on mine. That sucks. I have HD700 bluetooth and would rally like to take advantage of it with voice dial. How you found out how to do it?

4 dcharti
Nov 21st, 2006 at 9:21 am
@Rickster:

Unfortunately, I haven’t found it on mine, and I’ve seen that echoed in other reviews. I personally don’t use it much so I’m not concerned, though I find it a little strange since some of their regular handsets, at least for Sprint, seem to include a pretty damn nice piece of voice dialing software.

I’m planning on writing a follow-up soon to mention some of these quirks.
1 Samsung BlackJack i607 review part 2: the follow-up at 1FPS
Pingback on Nov 23rd, 2006 at 2:27 am

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Samsung BlackJack i607 review part 2: the follow-up
Published by dcharti November 23rd, 2006 in Microsoft, Design, Gadgets and Personal.


Since I have now spent almost a full week with my new Samsung BlackJack i607 Smartphone and I’ve had some good comments and questions on my initial review both here and over at my personal Vox blog, I thought I’d post a follow-up with some more observations on this most excellent of phones. As originally promised, I have more good and bad things to cover, though I still must say that I am extremely pleased with the purchase.

I’ll try to keep this follow-up short and sweet, especially since the first review really wasn’t so ‘mini,’ as I mistakenly titled it. I will also try to cover all the questions I’ve received both through personal contact and via comments on the post:

The Good

The size and weight of this phone are a dream. Like I mentioned before, I’ve never held a Motorola Q, but this thing is slim, sexy and light as a feather.

Samsung was clever when crafting the behavior of the keys that surround the number buttons in relation to dialing. Since the number keys are separated by verticle rows of letters, getting used to dialing on this phone can take a little time (though I am pretty comfortable with it by now). If you miss a number key and hit one of the adjacent letters while dialing, it will still register as the number it is directly next to. Smart.
The handy ‘Wireless Manager’ (accessibly by pressing - not holding - the power button) makes it a cinch to toggle the phone and bluetooth radio activity.

The 1.3MP camera seems to shoot pretty decent pictures, though the viewfinder is oddly slow on framerate, which makes finding the actual shot you want to take a little irksome at times.

The UI and Home screen are pretty customizable. Again I don’t know if this is a Microsoft Smartphone ability or something Samsung baked in, but there are a lot of useful formats/themes to chose for maximizing your use of displaying vital info (meetings, new SMS, new email, etc.) front and center.

Samsung includes a multi-protocol chat client seemingly free of charge with the phone. Even the 8125/8525 don’t get that. I need to check with Cingular to find out how they bill chatting (last I heard they counted those as SMS, though I also heard an unlimited Smartphone data plan would cover it), but it’s a very capable client with good IM/buddy list management tools and UI.

The second battery and external charger are a great addition. I think the phone gets a good stretch out of its battery, but having a second backup for those long days or forgetful nights is darn handy.

The Bad

Samsung seems to have excluded voice dialing capability. I don’t know if this is an omission on Microsoft’s part from the Smartphone platform, or if it’s primarily an issue with Samsung. While I personally don’t use voice dialing much, as I’ve found most attempts miss the mark pretty horribly (especially in settings with *any* kind of noise, like an office or a car), this can certainly be an issue with plenty of potential buyers.
The inability to natively edit Microsoft docs, or anything above and beyond a rudimentary note, can be a pain from time to time. I would love to take full advantage of Missing Sync’s ability to truly sync notes from Yojimbo and edit them to add design and blogging ideas while on the go. I have found a couple of promising 3rd party apps that might overcome this, but it’ll take some time for me to sit down and really give them a proper test (after all, I’m on Thanksgiving vacation with the family right now).

No headset is included with the phone. Given the fact that Samsung uses an annoying, proprietary connector, this is a bit of a slap in the face. Sure, I have a bluetooth headset, but I thought including at least a basic headset was a law - at least in the US - now?

That aforementioned chat client doesn’t tie into the Home screen UI; no icon appears in the top bar to let you know a new IM has arrived.

I previously mentioned I’m new to the Smartphone OS, but so far from my tinkering, I haven’t found any way to manually arrange the order of apps and folders in the Start menu. New apps I install seem to simply be added to the very bottom/end of the list, with no way to alphabetize or prioritize their order in the list. A minor issue, sure, but an annoying one given this is a Microsoft Smartphone.

Answering Questions

superpixel asked a few questions at my Vox post, so here you go: 1) Yes, it has been working fine for me with Mark/Space’s Missing Sync for Mac OS X. However, they don’t offer *official* support of the phone yet (it’s obviously coming), and I haven’t tried syncing over bluetooth either; syncing over USB works, but strangely, only if you use the easy-to-access Wireless Manager to shut off both the phone and BT radios before plugging in (at least in my experience; YMMV). 2) RE: a chat client - Samsung surprisingly includes a free chat client, see my answers above for more info. For what’s it’s worth, the only other Smartphone chat client I’ve found is called something like “IM+,” but it’s an offensively priced $30 for Smartphone, and $40 for Windows Mobile/Pocket PC. 3) 4SmartPhone.net has worked out well so far, though I’ve never used any other push service, carrier-based or otherwise, so I don’t have a decent point of reference. I personally funnel all my separate email addresses through Gmail, with a filter or two to forward off messages to a private push email address 4SmartPhone assigns to your account. They have other ways of managing the service, but that works best for me. Emails are pushed out quickly, and signup + setup was pretty painless.

I’ve been asked privately by a few readers on the phone’s price. This is obviously available at Cingular’s site (though maybe it hasn’t launched nation-wide yet), but just for the heck of it: the phone retails for $424.99 full price (what a bizarre number, hey?), but drops to $299.99 with a two-year upgrade (which I took advantage of). As of this writing, the phone also has a $100 rebate which brings it down to $200 - a damn good price for such a trendy and slim Smartphone if you ask me.

That’s about it for now. It’s getting late, and I think there are a couple more point I’m blanking on for the moment, but that’s what a ‘Part 3′ will be for. Again, I’m happy to answer questions and try stuff out if you’re curious or trying to make a buying decision. For now, if you’re celebrating Thanksgiving like I am, I hope you enjoy the holiday and gorge on stuffing like I plan to in about 14 hours.

Cheers.


Source: 1FPS


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Robjack
post Dec 3 2006, 11:51 PM
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I bought this phone last monday and returned it today...

So after seven days of use here is my brief personal take (leaving out most of the other stuff that everyone is now saying)...

Pro's = Almost Everything! So why did I take it back? Well the few cons were enough to taint how I felt about this otherwise wonderful device. The best thing about this phone was that it was a great phone! The call clarity and incredible reception I got everywhere was great!


Con's

-The battery back was so hard to get off that I scarred the nub that helps you slide it off in just one week. I do not want this to easily come off but my experience was rediculous.

-The big one that has really "come out" in the past week is ultimately the reason I took it back. WHEN ON THE 3G NETWORK THE BATTERY LIFE IS HORRIBLE. To go from a rating of 5.5 hours of talk time to 2-3 hours is unacceptable. To go from a supposed 11 days of standby to 2-3 days in unacceptable. There is the fix that makes your phone an edge only device...but that makes no sense to do as it would take away one of the main reasons for using this phone.

-I was told that because this was a 3G device if I wanted unlimited email and internet I would have to pay for the $39.99 data package and that the $19.99 smartphone package would not work. The only thing I found to be "buggy" was the internet usage. Sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldn't. One minute it would not find any websites and the next it would work fine (and this is from a static location with full signal not while traveling).

-I am picky about keeping things like this in as close to new condition as possible. I immediately bought a case and a microfiber cloth solely for wiping this screen (and it is a beuatiful screen). After a week of extremely light "talking" and having always kept it in it's case, looking at the screen in the proper light reveals tons of tiny scratches that already exist. I have had many other samsung phones and many palm type devices and it is totally unacceptable to me when a screen scratched for no real reason under exceptional care.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Given these things I am going to hold off and see how these issues pan out before possible reconsidering the blackjack. Even though I got mine for $100 (my local store matched the price of the Q) and I am now seeing that online etailers are offering them for $49 after rebates...the issues I found are significant enough to make an almost perfect device just a bit too imperfect for my taste!

That's my take...

Rob

robpaterson@comcast.net

This post has been edited by Robjack: Dec 3 2006, 11:57 PM
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The Undude
post Dec 7 2006, 03:10 AM
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QUOTE (Robjack @ Dec 3 2006, 06:51 PM) *
I bought this phone last monday and returned it today...

So after seven days of use here is my brief personal take (leaving out most of the other stuff that everyone is now saying)...

Pro's = Almost Everything! So why did I take it back? Well the few cons were enough to taint how I felt about this otherwise wonderful device. The best thing about this phone was that it was a great phone! The call clarity and incredible reception I got everywhere was great!
Con's

-The battery back was so hard to get off that I scarred the nub that helps you slide it off in just one week. I do not want this to easily come off but my experience was rediculous.

-The big one that has really "come out" in the past week is ultimately the reason I took it back. WHEN ON THE 3G NETWORK THE BATTERY LIFE IS HORRIBLE. To go from a rating of 5.5 hours of talk time to 2-3 hours is unacceptable. To go from a supposed 11 days of standby to 2-3 days in unacceptable. There is the fix that makes your phone an edge only device...but that makes no sense to do as it would take away one of the main reasons for using this phone.

-I was told that because this was a 3G device if I wanted unlimited email and internet I would have to pay for the $39.99 data package and that the $19.99 smartphone package would not work. The only thing I found to be "buggy" was the internet usage. Sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldn't. One minute it would not find any websites and the next it would work fine (and this is from a static location with full signal not while traveling).

-I am picky about keeping things like this in as close to new condition as possible. I immediately bought a case and a microfiber cloth solely for wiping this screen (and it is a beuatiful screen). After a week of extremely light "talking" and having always kept it in it's case, looking at the screen in the proper light reveals tons of tiny scratches that already exist. I have had many other samsung phones and many palm type devices and it is totally unacceptable to me when a screen scratched for no real reason under exceptional care.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Given these things I am going to hold off and see how these issues pan out before possible reconsidering the blackjack. Even though I got mine for $100 (my local store matched the price of the Q) and I am now seeing that online etailers are offering them for $49 after rebates...the issues I found are significant enough to make an almost perfect device just a bit too imperfect for my taste!

That's my take...

Rob

robpaterson@comcast.net


My battery life on the 3G is good. If you are in an area with weak 3G, or switch back and forth between 3G and Edge networks, THEN battery life does go down as the device searches and switches back and forth.


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Robjack
post Dec 7 2006, 03:36 AM
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QUOTE (The Undude @ Dec 7 2006, 03:10 AM) *
My battery life on the 3G is good. If you are in an area with weak 3G, or switch back and forth between 3G and Edge networks, THEN battery life does go down as the device searches and switches back and forth.


That was not my experience or consistent with other reviews I have read or what my local cingular stores are now saying (they are all now admitting that the 3G network kills the battery life). I am hoping this is rectified as this is one of the best phones out there in my opinion and with this issue addressed I'd probably pick another one up.

This post has been edited by Robjack: Dec 7 2006, 03:38 AM
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The Undude
post Dec 7 2006, 03:52 AM
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QUOTE (Robjack @ Dec 6 2006, 10:36 PM) *
That was not my experience or consistent with other reviews I have read or what my local cingular stores are now saying (they are all now admitting that the 3G network kills the battery life). I am hoping this is rectified as this is one of the best phones out there in my opinion and with this issue addressed I'd probably pick another one up.


Certainly, everything is relative. I have a car-charger in case I need a boost.

Check to see if you are in a 3G zone a lot, or if you see an E for Edge poping up often. If Active Sync is trying to get to your e-mail non-stop, that will have an impact too seemingly.

Ideas to boost your battery life:

1) turn down the brightness on the screen - I did that because at night it's almost blindingly bright.
2) get a car charger
3) close applications when not in use (long-press on the home-key will bring up Task Manager)
4) turn of Bluetooth when you don't use it

Everything is relative however, and your experience will be shaped in part depending on what you used before and how it performed.


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TheSaint
post Dec 7 2006, 06:24 PM
Post #12


Senior Member


Group: Members
Posts: 61
Joined: 1-May 05
From: Maine USA
Member No.: 8,540
Phone: Blackjack
Carrier: Alltel



My SGH-i320n (I know its not the Blackjack but a close twin non the less) came with two batteries. The spare battery comes with a case that you can use to charge batteries in it. Now I don't know if this was a nice fore thought from Samsung or maybe a quick fix knowing that the batteries are not very good. I usually go a whole day on one battery without having to change. Now I have to state that I have Bluetooth turned on all day for my headset. And that I do not have a data plan for Internet. I did purchase a car charger I use in case my battery runs low, but I don't use it everyday. I hope this helps


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Current Mobile Phones: Samsung SGH-i320, i-mate SP3i
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SkippyTheNurse
post Dec 9 2006, 03:06 PM
Post #13


Gadget Junkie


Group: Members
Posts: 178
Joined: 19-May 05
From: Houston. TX
Member No.: 8,753
Phone: Blackjack
Carrier: AT&T Wireless/Cingular
PocketPC: Dell
PMC: Other



Woo Hoo! I am getting one for X-mas. Well, as you all know, I am a flip phone type of guy. But I just couldn't resist the awesome-ness and the 3G of the Blackjack. So anyway, any recommendations for the Blackjack? I already plan to use the same programs from my Cingular 2125 and keep the 2125 in the drawer as a "backup".
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runningtiger
post Dec 10 2006, 09:12 AM
Post #14


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From: Southern California
Member No.: 11,486
Phone: HTC Wizard
Carrier: Alltel



I like the flip style too, so I bought a 3125 to give as a gift (replacing the MPx220). I'll "get" to use the 3125 when we're out and about on weekends etc. (on T-Mo's unlimited internet biggrin.gif ). But, I still want to carry my i-mate with it's wifi and easy music buttons. The Blackjack almost got me...if only it had wifi. dry.gif I'm not a fan of the BlackJack form factor, but must admit it's a good looking device. I look forward to reading what you think of it Skippy.


--------------------
Devices: T-Mobile MDA (Cingular SIM), i-mate SP5m (sitting in a drawer at the moment while I attempt to migrate to PPC permanently), Cingular 3125 (unlocked and in use on T-Mobile), Motorola MPx220 (retired), Motorola MPx200 (retired)

Accessories: Plantronics Explorer 330 & 2G Patriot Micro-SD (use w/MDA), Kingston 2G mini-SD used in SP5m, Plantronics Discovery 640 & 2G San Disk micro-SD (use w/3125), Jabra A210 BT adapter + Motorola HS805 (retired)
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SkippyTheNurse
post Dec 10 2006, 08:56 PM
Post #15


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Group: Members
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From: Houston. TX
Member No.: 8,753
Phone: Blackjack
Carrier: AT&T Wireless/Cingular
PocketPC: Dell
PMC: Other



No prob. As soon as I get the phone, charge it up, and tinker with it, I'll let you know.

The funny is that my GF doesn't know me as far as gifts,which is how I know I am getting one because she just asked flat out, "what do you want for X-mas?" Woo-hoo! Well, she actually gave me three choices, Cingular 3125, Blackjack, or a pistol. I just bought a Beretta, so I guess it narrowed it down to two. After looking at the specs, I had to sacrifice my love for flip-phones for the fury of the Blackjack.
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runningtiger
post Dec 11 2006, 08:07 PM
Post #16


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Carrier: Alltel



GF knows you AND enough to offer you two great phones to choose from!
QUOTE (SkippyTheNurse @ Dec 10 2006, 12:56 PM) *
After looking at the specs, I had to sacrifice my love for flip-phones for the fury of the Blackjack.
I hear you and am sooooooooo almost there myself (in letting go of the want for a flipper...still hanging on to my want for wifi though). rolleyes.gif wink.gif


--------------------
Devices: T-Mobile MDA (Cingular SIM), i-mate SP5m (sitting in a drawer at the moment while I attempt to migrate to PPC permanently), Cingular 3125 (unlocked and in use on T-Mobile), Motorola MPx220 (retired), Motorola MPx200 (retired)

Accessories: Plantronics Explorer 330 & 2G Patriot Micro-SD (use w/MDA), Kingston 2G mini-SD used in SP5m, Plantronics Discovery 640 & 2G San Disk micro-SD (use w/3125), Jabra A210 BT adapter + Motorola HS805 (retired)
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SkippyTheNurse
post Dec 13 2006, 06:04 AM
Post #17


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Group: Members
Posts: 178
Joined: 19-May 05
From: Houston. TX
Member No.: 8,753
Phone: Blackjack
Carrier: AT&T Wireless/Cingular
PocketPC: Dell
PMC: Other



QUOTE (runningtiger @ Dec 11 2006, 02:07 PM) *
GF knows you AND enough to offer you two great phones to choose from!I hear you and am sooooooooo almost there myself (in letting go of the want for a flipper...still hanging on to my want for wifi though). rolleyes.gif wink.gif


I finally gave up on the Wifi, I figure Cingular isn't going to satisfy it's customers and let there be Wifi. Besides, I have my Dell Axim for Wifi. HEHEHEHE.
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The Undude
post Dec 16 2006, 05:31 PM
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Cingular Samsung Blackjack SGH-i607
Reviewer : Chris Leckness
Vendor : Cingular
Price : $199.99 with 2 year contract after rebate

Is this the Perfect Windows Mobile Phone? No, not yet, but it's close. As with other "Smartphone" reviews I have written, I preface the entire review with the fact that I am more of a "Pocket PC Phone" guy than a "Smartphone" guy. Not this time, I am officially designating myself as a "Smartphone" guy. I guess I have adjusted to not having a touch screen. While reviewing the Blackjack, something happened that I normally do not let happen during a review. I fell in love. I ordered my own Blackjack to replace the review unit I have been using these past few weeks. Now that we have established that I have been converted, on with the review.

Having used the T-Mobile Dash and the Motorola Q for enough time to form an opinion, I think that the trio of hot Smartphones are basically interchangeable depending on your carrier and needs. All three are similar in size, speed, and looks. If you are locked to a carrier, the others will suffice. I have been a Cingular customer for a long time, so I am lean towards the Blackjack. Of course, the Blackjack has a foot up on the other three if you live/work in a 3G market, the data rates on the HSDPA Network are phenomenal. (See Video)

Sexy, Black, Sleek, Fast, and most importantly - Windows Mobile Powered. The Cingular Blackjack does it all. After a bit more than a month, I am here to give my review of this Windows Mobile Powered Smartphone. The Cingular Blackjack, also know as the SGH-i607, is made by Samsung. It shares a similar design to the popular SGH-i320, which is a tri-band GSM phone.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX

Samsung BlackJack (SGH-i607)
AC Adapter
(2)1200 mAh rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries
External battery charger
USB sync cable
Getting Started Guide

If this video doesn't play for you, try here.

THE DESIGN
The Blackjack hits a special note in my book. I am crazy about a phone with with a black color. The Pocket PC world is covered up with metallic gray devices and seeing something else for a change is refreshing.

The feel of the Blackjack is comfortable to hold and you can easily one hand text input and maneuver through the menus. The sides and rear of the unit are a black, soft, rubbery feeling surface, which make it feel like you can't drop it. After you get used to yet another layout, the controls are very well laid out. Even with my fat thumb, I make very few wrong button presses.

The front of the Blackjack housed the 240x320 QVGA screen that we all questioned last year with the Motorola Q. It's an odd size, but it hasn't posed too many problems with the devices that employ them. Above the screen is the speaker. Under the screen from left to right is the home button, left soft key, and under those two is the send button. The send button doubles as the speaker phone button when held down during a call. The home button doubles as the task manager launcher when held down too.( I use this one often to keep programs I am no longer using out of memory) To the right of those 3 buttons is the 4 way Dpad with a button in the center serving as the ok/selector. On to the right you have the right softkey button, the back button, and under those two, the end button that pulls double duty as the key lock button when held down.

Next up is the keyboard. I gotta have the keyboard. Using a "Smartphone" having to do data entry with T9 is like a driving a Ferrari that with an automatic transmission. At first glance, the keys look cramped, but they are not that bad. I have some fat, grubby fingers and I can type a couple paragraphs with only a couple miscues. One thing you will notice is that the numbers are spread out a more than most phones that have their numbers on the keyboard. This was something that I would have never thought up, but two keys work for the same number. It's kind of strange, but it works. For example, I am entering a number to dial and I hit a "6". I can register a 6 by pressing the J or the K. This helps with the fat fingering I suppose, but I have no problems getting it right by hitting the J only. There are a couple little things that really add to the keyboard, like the vibrate button. To the right of the space button is a button that when held down activates silent mode so you can quickly save yourself from having your Michael Bolton ringtone disrupt a meeting. There is also a button that brings up a screen of symbols, including some smilies, that make things much easier to accomplish when texting. Last but not least, there is a dedicated button for mail.

The left side of the Blackjack, we have the headphone/Charge and Sync connector housed under a plastic cover that pops up and rotates out of the way. Directly above that we have the volume up and down buttons, which double as the voice note application launcher when held down.

The power button is on the top edge of the phone. This is an added button from the Samsung SGH-i320, which uses the call end button as the power button. You turn the Blackjack on by holding this button down. Holding it down while powered up, you get access to a menu of options that include power down, Wireless Manager, Key and Device locks, as well as a quick profile selector. Pressing this button twice shuts it down as well. There is also a loop on the top edge where it looks as if a lanyard could be installed.

The right side of the Blackjack is where all the action is at. At the top of the right edge, there is a MicroSD slot with a similar cover as the one that covers the sync connector. It is hard to describe these covers, but I am not convinced that these won't break off over time. Since I purchased my own Blackjack, I will surely find out since the sync/charge connector will be opened at least 1-2 times daily. Next up is the scroll wheel that has more uses that duct tape. The scroll wheel functions as just that, a scroll wheel. If you push the wheel in, it makes a selection. If you hold it down, it brings up a nifty quick launcher that will launch apps, URLs, etc. Under the scroll wheel is the back button. I think we could do without it, but I can see it as useful for those that read a lot of webpages and ebooks using scroll wheel to navigate. I use the dpad personally. Anyhow, you guessed it. If you hold it down it activates camera mode. I do like how Samsung and Cingular have made buttons so functional.

Time to turn the Blackjack over and see why it doesn't lay completely flat on a table. Now, I am all for the user having a shot a good camera phone, but it seems Cingular had to get Samsung to add some bulk to the rear to get a good speaker and camera in this thin casing. That's fine and dandy, but now this super thin phone is not just thin with that hump. It doesn't hurt the phone, but does add some bulk you don't really want.

Inside the battery cover on the back is a slot for your SIM and a 1200mah battery. The cover doesn't lock and I suspect it may become "too easy" to open if you rotate batteries (device comes with a spare battery). Initially, the Blackjack cover is a tad tough to slide down. After using my demo unit for a few weeks, it became easier to open.

The Blackjack is packed with features, but is missing one that a lot of folks want, WiFi. This is not a huge deal in my opinion, but for those don't want to pay for unlimited data plans, WiFi is a must. I have become less dependant on WiFi as Cingular's data rates have improved. Now that I have consist ant EDGE access and 3G in some places, I don't see a single application for WiFi in my daily activities.

Included software allow the Blackjack to be used as a music player as well and it does that just fine. There is only one problem with this, the Blackjack doesn't come with a set of Earbuds or a headset and you can't just run out and buy a set. The Blackjack uses a proprietary connector for charging, syncing, and apparently connecting a headset. (like the Cingular 3125)

Like all recent Windows Mobile phones that come with Push Email support, you can set up an Exchange Server to sync all you Outlook data/email on the go no matter where you are. I set the Blackjack up with my Exchange Server and in no time, I had my email any and everywhere. I use 4smartphone.net hosted exchange services. This service is inexpensive and saves all the time to maintain your own server.

Technical Specs
Weight: 3.5 ounces
Dimensions:4.4 x 2.3 x .5 inches
Talk Time: Up to 5.5 hours
Standby Time: Up to 11 days
Dual-band domestic UMTS/HSDPA - 850/1900 MHz
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE - 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
220 MHz TI processor
128 MB ROM / 64 MB RAM
Large 2.2" 320x240 65k color screen with backlight
MicroSD™ expansion slot supports up to a 2 GB card
Bluetooth® v2.0 for up to six Bluetooth connections simultaneously
Warranty: 1 year on the phone and accessories
All talk, data and standby times depend on network configuration
Phone
One of the biggest differences i've noticed between using a Windows Mobile Smartphone and a Pocket PC Phone is the actual voice call experience. While I do love the added functionality of the Pocket PC phones, it seems that all the Smartphones i've used/tested consistently have better cellular signal. The Blackjack is no exception to this. I have had no coverage issues and the "at home" test passes with flying colors. I've talked about how I live a little off the beaten path in other reviews and how many bars I get "at home". The Blackjack ranks right up there with the 3125 as one of the strongest signals. Voice quality both ways is excellent. There is nothing to complain about with the Blackjack's phone functionality.

Bluetooth
It works. That's really all I have to say. I've used the Bluespoon Ax 2 and the Samsung WEP-200 bluetooth headsets with no troubles. I have not tested any data connections or GPS units though.
Update : If you are a Microsoft Voice Command user, read this post : Confirmation - Blackjack + Voice Command 1.6 + Bluetooth = Nope

WiFi
No WiFi for the Blackjack. This is an often argued point and too each it's own. Some won't get a phone without it, but as the carrier's high speed data increases, the need for WiFi dwindles for most.

Camera
This 1.3 Megapixel camera does a decent job taking some candid photos. The camera makes the unit thicker in one spot on the rear of the device and I would love to see a camera less version, but it's still not too bad. The software that drives the camera operation is one of the best apps I've used so far. I have the Blackjack set up to where I can take a snapshot and send to an email address attached to my Flickr account, which in turn blogs the photo. Here is a test post for this review I have set up (Bkackjack Review Camera Post - notice I made a keystroke snafu).

Multimedia
In order to use the Cingular Video services, you have to have a video flag on your data plan. My personal account does not for some reason, but the demo unit did. Video was nice, but too small on the small screen to really get excited about. I did test Sling Player Mobile on the Blackjack (which worked fine on both phones regardless of the video flag). Sling Player was great at full screen and ran SUPERB over the 3G connection and good enough over EDGE.

The speaker is pretty darn loud for a Smartphone. I wouldn't want to use it as a primary speaker to jam out with, but its more than sufficient for most uses. The Blackjack forgot one thing important in the box though, a headset for jamming. The Cingular 3125, which also uses a proprietary connection like the Blackjack, comes with a set of ear buds.

Software
Cingular has done a great job getting some useful free applications on the Blackjack as well as some integrated solutions of their own. One thing that is misleading in a way, most of the Cingular items, like the Music Store, are just web sites, but they do make purchasing songs and ringtones a snap. Many of the video services offered are subscription based as well. XM radio has 10 categories of the audio streams.


This is the default Cingular Home Screen. Kind of plain and very similar to Windows Mobile Default. I quickly moved to the Samsung Version here. The Blackjack comes installed with Cingular's version, a couple Samsung Screens, and the default Windows Mobile Home Screens.

For those that like to see the versions, I present the About screen. The Cingular Music Menu

This is a superb multichat client. It doesn't come preinstalled, but a linked icon to download it over the air is included. It's also free. The My Stuff Menu

The usual suspects. Games, blah.

Smart Search is a nice utility that does come preinstalled. A configurable quick launch application can be found by holding down the scroll wheel.

Picsel Viewer does not offer edit functions for Microsoft Office apps, but displays them wonderfully. Picsel View is preinstalled on the Blackjack.

Newsbreak RSS Reader comes preinstalled as well. Sling Player does not come with the Blackjack, but here it is playing over an poor signal EDGE connection.


PERFORMANCE
With a 220 MHz TI processor, Pocket PC folks will scream "SLOW", but I am here to tell you that with proper memory management, this thing is really quick. Some of the larger applications load a tad slow, but not really a hit for the device.

Battery Life
This is the only real complaint I have is the battery life. It's so bad that people have discovered work around's to disable 3G to conserve. In an EDGE coverage area, it wasn't too awful though. Samsung includes an spare battery and a charger for it. I just keep one on charge at work and the other charges at night at home. The only time I got critical was when I forgot to turn off Bluetooth over a weekend. Another thing that eats up my battery life is 24/7 Exchange Server syncing. If this isn't something you are planning on doing, your battery life will be a touch better than mine.

An typical day for me with the Blackjack (after I got the super glue off that had it permanently attached to my hands) starts out with full battery life. I check my email on desktop before I leave home, so my synced version on the Blackjack is caught up to start the day. In the morning, I usually make a few calls and checking email constantly. By the end of the day, the battery is 33% -50% after all day of email and 2-3 hours of talk time combined. At 6pm or so, the Blackjack gets charged for the next day.

CONCLUSION
The fact that the Cingular Blackjack has 3G connectivity makes this a hit by itself. Let's add a smart keyboard, a slim profile, a beautiful black color, and a GSM SIM card (instead of being CDMA) and you have the best Windows Mobile Smartphone manufactured to date. This phone was the straw that broke the camel's back... Until this phone, I still was not ready to ditch the Pocket PC Phones. Not only did I accept the Smartphone as a suitable replacement, I purchased the Blackjack to keep. If you are looking for hot phone that can be used as a mobile warrior powerhouse, yet still remain cool, the Blackjack does it all. Like we have come to expect with a Windows Mobile Device, you can keep up with all your email, contacts, favorites, and appointments on the go with the familiar Outlook and Activesync.

Pros

3G Data Connectivity
Slim Form Factor
Qwerty Keyboard
Bluetooth 2.0
Windows Mobile 5.0
Superb Call Quality
Button layout and usage (I am referring to the dual function buttons)

Cons

Battery Life
Proprietary Connector
No WiFi (need for it is debatable)
Data Plans are Expensive (not a problem with the phone, but still a problem)
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