Samsung BlackJack Review Roundup

[Kris Kumar]

http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Kris-nov2006-blackjackdash.jpg

Looks like Cingular has a hit in their hands. The Samsung BlackJack is getting great reviews. According to the reviews it has an edge over the current favorite, the T-Mobile Dash. In fact the reviews claim that it sports better sound quality while delivering the same or maybe better battery life. I am sure that the T-Mobile Dash is feeling the heat. I am simply glad about the fact that Samsung is finally offering quad-band GSM instead of the tri-band GSM. :)

Check out the reviews:
Phone Scoop (http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/samsung_blackjack/)
LAPTOP Magazine (http://laptopmag.com/Review/Samsung-BlackJack.htm)

[Pete Paxton]

Actually after reading both reviews, Laptop mag does state that the i607 does get better battery life than the Q but there is no comparison given in regards to the Dash's battery life. They do seem to like the coverage and call quality better on the i607 over the Dash. Phonescoop did compare battery life and actually makes it sound like the Dash actually has the better battery life.

"After our experience with the Dash, we expected more from the BlackJack's battery life. "

Both seem like great devices.

[Kris Kumar]

crispeto, I re-read the statements, you are right it definitely seems like the Dash has some edge when it comes to battery.

[Pete Paxton]

Believe me, if I was a cingy customer, the i607 would be my device. But I like the Dash just as well.

[Kris Kumar]

Believe me, if I was a cingy customer, the i607 would be my device. But I like the Dash just as well.

I am a Cingy customer using Dash.

Quite frankly I wasn't expecting the BlackJack to come out so soon. Also I under-estimated it, I was expecting it to be more on the lines of the i320 (poor battery life).

Looks like Samsung used the customers of its earlier models as guinea pigs. And have now improved their act.

[Pete Paxton]

Being that the BJ has 3G and the Dash has wifi, do you think you'll miss the 3G part? I think of these devices this way...

Design/Form Factor? - I like the Dash better

Coverage? - The BJ and Cingy are just better

High Speed? A tie, just depends on your pref. 3G or wifi. I have wifi at work and home so I'm mostly covered and I don't have to pay for it. However high speed everywhere would be nice.

Call Quality? - Sounds like the BJ has the Dash beat though I get good phone quality on my Dash.

Keyboard? - Depends on if the BJ brings up alt keys when you hold them down. Otherwise the Dash wins

Battery life - I think the Dash has the edge here. I got home today and still had 70% left. I think the BJ is going to get better batt life than the i320.

Bottom line - how can you go wrong with either of these devices :D

[Mike Temporale]

Well, there's no surprise that the Dash has better battery life. The question is, does the i607 have better life than the i320?

HTC has been using whatever secret they found in the SMT5600 for battery life in all their phones since. Others are still looking for that secret. ;)

Also, the i607 is 3G and not EDGE like the Dash, so it does have an advantage.

[Mike Temporale]

Bottom line - how can you go wrong with either of these devices :D

Agreed.

I've really enjoyed having something other than HTC for the last month or so. I think I'll be jumping around on non-HTC devices for a little. Just to be different. :lol:

[Kris Kumar]

Bottom line - how can you go wrong with either of these devices :D

Right on!

For 3G is not a feature; my area doesn't have it. Till I see 3G in my area, that word is just a buzz word. By the same token I would like to say that WiFi is also not a feature that would make or break the deal. That's just me.

We are missing one thing in the comparison, one big thing:

The feel. The Dash has the amazing rubberized feel. :-)

[Pete Paxton]

Just curious Mike, who is your carrier? If it's cingy, I'd definitely go for the BJ. Now Sprint needs a device like this and Verizon needs the Norman to come out. Sorry, the current Q just doesn't do it for me.

[HalM]

I have a S620 and love it!!! But that doesn't matter. The Blackjack will be mine as soon as it is available at my CIngular store.

[Kris Kumar]

Off topic: Isn't it a crazy week to launch the BlackJack. This is the gadget week: Zune, Wii, PS3 and BlackJack.

[lagsun]

Off topic: Isn't it a crazy week to launch the BlackJack. This is the gadget week: Zune, Wii, PS3 and BlackJack.

Don't forget the 8525 on Cingular as well. This is going to make the decision harder as I now suddenly want the BlackJack.....

[cortez]

according to phone scoop, this phone has a 1200 mAh battery. i recall the i320 had a 940 or 960mAh battery. hopefully this will improve battery life. on the other hand, the increased capacity may be offset with that power hungry 3G, hopefully, you'll have the option to use regular GSM (?) like the Tytn and my Treo.

i must admit, that thing looks very tempting!!!

[Rocco Augusto]

im lucky enough to live in a 3G area, i can't wait for this device to launch so i can run to the store down the street like a school boy running to the candy store :lol:

[rkdiddy]

according to phone scoop, this phone has a 1200 mAh battery. i recall the i320 had a 940 or 960mAh battery. hopefully this will improve battery life. on the other hand, the increased capacity may be offset with that power hungry 3G, hopefully, you'll have the option to use regular GSM (?) like the Tytn and my Treo.

i must admit, that thing looks very tempting!!!

That and the fact the processor speed has been stepped down from 400mhz to 220mhz. I'm sure both of those factors will help the battery life. The press release mentioned a 5.5 hour talk time...I would say that is a HUGE improvement. Seeing that the Dash's talk time is right around 5 hours as well. I believe the i320 was right around 3 hours.

[mar2k]

Has there been any official confirmation on the no contract price for the Blackjack on Cingular?

[dcharti]

I'm having the worst time deciding between a BJ and an 8525, so I picked up both since the store said I could return either and still get the upgrade discount on whichever I decide on. Nice guys.

For what it's worth, I was blown away to see that the BJ comes not only with a second battery, but a clever external charger that lets you always have a battery ready to roll. Pretty impressive.

[JohnJohn]

Thursday I bought an 8525 and returned it to get a BlackJack. The 8525 was the best PocketPC phone I have every used, and I have used a few (http://www.pocketup.com/about.html).

The form factor of the BlackJack helped me make up my mind. I am really amazed how fast this thing moves from application to application.

[SMthoughter]

Will this phone ever come to Canada?

I need a new phone, but Motorola Q doesn't do bluetooth wireless modem, can BJ be used as wireless modem over bluetooth?

[Mike Temporale]

We haven't heard any talk about it, but that doesn't mean anything. Canada can be anywhere from 6 months to a year behind. :(