Samsung Blackjack
Monday, December 18, 2006 at 9:17AM 
OK.. so I picked up one of these phones a few weeks ago. I have been using an HTC TyTn or as some may know it the Cingular 8525 for a few months and love it. I am always torn between something a bit smaller to make it easy to carry and something more powerfull. The TyTn is a great device and does a ton of things well but dialing phone numbers and using the keypad when in phone calls is not the best. Certainly something that can be overlooked as it does so many other things well.
When the BlackJack came out I was very interested to see how it would hold up. It does have HSDPA which is something that I do not think I would want to live without at this point. The small keyboard is nice as having to open up the TyTn can be a hassle at times when I want to do something quick (found myself trying to get around doing that more than a few times).
There are a ton of reviews and comments all over the net about this device. You can even see some people who have jumped over from Palm, Blackberry and even the full blown Pocket PC because of this device. So I will mostly go over the things that had me looking at it hard and for now have me using it almost exclusively.
Number 1 has to be the ability to use it one handed. This is something that I found hard to do with the PocketPC based devices. This is not a must all people and certainly something that you may be willing to give up for the power of the Pocket PC phone. For me navigating around the menu system, messages and web pages is quite a nice feaure. This is something that I missed when I switched from my Treo 650 to the Cingular 8125.
Number 2 would have to be the HSDPA service with the Cingular Video. I had been getting HSDPA with fast connection with the TyTn but this phone seems just a bit faster. I know it uses a different chip in it but not sure if this is really faster of just my imagination. On the speed tests it seems to get slightly better results all the time. Also the Cingular Video is much more usefully that I ever thought it would be. I like to try out new things and usually it is more of a .. oh yeah I have treid that and look this phone can do this tpe of thing.. With the video I tried it out and now find myself using it to watch news clips from CNN and sports clips. It is certainly not something that I would go out of my way for but it is a nice feature.
I am still waiting for June Fabrics to update their PDA net app so that it will support the BlackJack but for now I can tether the device with a little more effort thru the bluetooth. If you have not looked at the June Fabrics application I suggest that you do. It is worth the money if you have a supported device.
Well enough of the rembling on and on. For now the BlackJack is my primary phone. The phone is more phone like than the TyTn and thus I find myself picking it up in the morning and leaving the TyTn on the night stand.
I would suggest deciding what is best for you.. If you need a power unit that also makes calls the TyTn is going to be a better bet for you. If you are torn like myself you may find yourself switching back and forth. For most business people and tech people alike I think this device brings the smartphone OS into a position where it is not so limited. The Keyboard is a big help in that regard.
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