Samsung Blackjack-2-SGH-617 Black Review - Introduction
 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.
Lucky for business users across America, Samsung seems to have learned from its mistakes. BlackJack II isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s a solid successor that corrects the original’s mistakes and adds a few goodies in the process. Most notably, BJ2’s battery life is much improved, and faster hardware and speedy 3G data access make for noticeably improved productivity.
The new BlackJack is just a little bit thicker and heavier than the original, but it’s still one of the most compact smartphones around - it’s noticeably smaller than the similarly designed Motorola Q9. There’s no touchscreen to be found here, and though I wouldn’t mind a slightly larger display and QWERTY layout, BlackJack users ready for an upgrade will generally find a lot to like in this sequel.
Next: Design & Features »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... 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... 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... 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 $$$$
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