Samsung Blackjack-2-SGH-617 Black Review - Conclusion
BlackJack II is a solid smartphone. I can’t get super-excited about because I’m not its target audience - I don’t like Windows Mobile and I do like touchscreens and snazzy features - but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate it. Samsung took a good thing in the original BlackJack, fixed its fatal flaw by upping the battery life, and boosted performance and features in the meantime.
If you’re wedded to the idea of being able to navigate your smartphone via a thumbwheel on the side panel, you won’t like this new BlackJack. Like I said, I really like the front-mounted navigation dial but I know some users really miss the original BJ’s side-mounted setup. Aside from that, there’s nothing here that would put off a BlackJack fan looking to upgrade. Windows Mobile 6 is an upgrade over 5, BJ II’s processor, screen size memory, and megapixel count are all upgrades over I, and now there’s GPS thrown in, too.
Samsung did a nice job updating a popular handset without straying too far from what made the original a success. Is this enough to make smartphone buyers pony up for BlackJack II? Yeah, I think so. BlackJack II is a mid-range smartphone - there’s no giant touchscreen or WiFi, but it’s got 3G and it’s small, sleek, and priced to move. Sounds like another winner to me.
 Compare prices »Reviews by manufacturerVerizon Wireless, Sprint PCS, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, LG, Sanyo, HTC, Palm, BlackBerry, Sharp, Pantech, BenQ, Apple, Eten, o2Our fancy algorithm says this stuff is related...Samsung unveiled the Blackjack 2 today during Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's keynote address kicking off the CTIA Wireless IT & Entertainment Conference in San Francisco, CA. The Blackjack 2 is the follow-up to the Blackjack smartphone, and will be available in two colors - Black and Wine Red - as an AT&T exclusive when it launches later this year.
Blackjack 2 features a slimmer form factor with a larger battery compartment that Samsung says... Samsung today released the popular BlackJack II WindowsMobile smartphone in two new colors - giving it the full on "Your a smart consumer phone, all WinMo AND fashiony!" treatment - while WMExperts dropped some details on the forthcoming Samsung i788, which apparently is going to be badged as the BlackJack III. First off the official stuff from Sammy PR: "The Samsung BlackJack II is now available in two new colors, Romantic Pink and Ocean Blue.... At a Glance: What’s Good: Compact, stylish Windows Mobile 6 smartphone; HSDPA (3G) high speed data; Improved battery life; GPS; Center mounted jog wheel
What’s Not Good: QWERTY keys are a little small and a little slippery; No touchscreen; Display is smallish for a smartphone
Bottom Line: Blackjack II is a solid improvement over its predecessor. There’s nothing revolutionary here, but faster hardware, improved battery life, and... Samsung’s BlackJack was a big hit amongst smartphone users in 2007 thanks to its compact candybar form factor, full QWERTY keyboard, and enterprise-friendly Windows Mobile operating system. But BlackJack suffered from a few flaws, inadequate battery life being the biggest offender; most BlackJack users I knew wound up buying an extended battery which all but negated the phone’s sleek body by adding a big ol’ bulge to its backside.... BlackJack II is sleek in a business-class sort of way. I don’t know that I could ever call a smart phone “sexy,” but the burgundy-finish review sample Samsung sent me certainly is handsome, anyway. The handset fits easily in one of my hands, and its center-mounted nav dial makes for easy left or right-handed operation Some folks have bemoaned Samsung’s decision to replace BJ1’s side-mounted scroll wheel with this new front... As a phone, BlackJack II was a solid performer. Signal strength was good, voice quality was generally quite good, and callers said I came through clearly on the other end. I found the integrated speakerphone to be so-so; sometimes calls sounded fine (if a bit hissy) while other times voices were garbled and folks on the other end said they couldn’t hear me so well. The phone paired up just fine with both mono and stereo... With the Holiday Season officially underway and carriers offering more new models to choose from than ever, deciding on the right mobile phone can be a daunting task. Below is a list of the top 5 phones to consider when shopping for that perfect gift (even if it’s for you).
Apple iPhone With no clear competitor in sight (yet) the iPhone sits comfortably atop this list as the number one cell phone to give or receive this holiday season.... I was playing around with the Black j 2 for a few minutes the other day and found it to be very comfortable and intuitive. There is almost no lag when switching between applications, but I'm not giving up my HTC just yet. I think with a smaller form factor, improved keypad layout, bigger battery and WM6 it could actually be a contender.
Although the new Imates are pretty cool $$$$
|
|
About our reviewsMore than just the specs, our in-depth reviews are the closest thing to "Try before you buy"!  Subscribe to our reviews via RSS using this link to the XML feed
Or use your favorite online news reader Google, My Yahoo, My MSN, Bloglines, Netvibes, Newsgator
Latest cell phone reviews- HTC Touch-DiamondWhat’s Good: Stunning hardware design and elegant software user interface; front panel is subdued,
- LG DareWhat’s Good: Attractive, highly customizable UI with home screen shortcuts; Compact design with
- Samsung Instinct-M800What’s Good: Supports every feature Sprint offers; EV-DO Rev. A data speeds; Good touchscreen
- LG enV2What’s Good: Sleeker and smaller than the original EnV. Comfortable QWERTY keyboard and QVGA
- Motorola Z9What’s Good: Great voice quality; fast 3G data speeds; good GPS system; mobiTV compatibility;
- Samsung GlydeWhat’s Good: Touchscreen and Full QWERTY Keyboard in Compact Body; Clean Menus and “Croix” User
- Nokia N82What’s Good: Incredible Camera w/Xenon Flash; Full VGA Video Capture; Excellent Web Browser; WiFi;
- BlackBerry Pearl-8120 TitaniumWhat’s Good: Integrated WiFi for Web, Email, and HotSpot@Home UMA Calling; Trackball is easy to
- LG VenusWhat’s Good: Beautiful display; Context-sensitive menus; Extensive feature set; VZ Navigation works
- Nokia N810 SilverWhat’s Good: Stylish, compact design with large touchscreen and full QWERTY keyboard; Excellent
Latest cell phone videos- BlackBerry Flip 8220 pt 2Part 2 of Noah's 2-part review of the BlackBerry 8220. The first-ever BlackBerry flip phone hides
- BlackBerry Flip 8220 pt 1Part 1 of Noah's 2-part review of the BlackBerry 8220. The first-ever BlackBerry flip phone hides
- LG Lotus (Sprint) UnboxingFierce! It's the unique new LG Lotus for Sprint - a square-shaped clamshell with a full QWERTY
- Samsung a837 Rugby VideoIt's the ruggedized Samsung a837 "Rugby" for AT&T. It's the Crane of Death in downtown Berkeley,
- Samsung a637 (AT&T)Out of the box! It's the newest AT&T 3G phone, the pearly white Samsung a637. Low-end means
- BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220If only my BlackBerry would flip shut! Hey, it does! Noah unboxes the new BB Pearl Flip 8220 for
- T-Mobile G1 HardwareDuring the live demo at the T-Mobile / HTC / Google Android launch event, Doug got a chance to take
- Sprint Touch Diamond Pt 2Part 2 of Noah's review of the first CDMA Touch Diamond - Sprint's version. Is it a diamond or just
- Sprint Touch Diamond Pt 1Noah goes in-depth with Sprint's version of the HTC Touch Diamond. Is this the best Windows Mobile
- Touch HD videoSeriously. In the video it says so: Touch HD is where "your wildest fantasies come to life." I
|
4.3
