Customer Reviews

Samsung BlackJack Phone (AT&T, Phone Only, No Service)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

Plus points:

- Great form factor. Never thought I'd like a Samsung before

- Nice display. Will need a screen protector though.

- Stable. No crashes, no lockups yet.

- Bluetooth etc works without a single hitch

- Switches between 3G and Edge seamlessly

- Great sound quality. Also looks like there is better background noise reduction with this phone. (maybe a network feature. new vocoder?)

- very lightweight. Lighter than the Verizon Q.

- Decent camera. 1.3 MP with some cool effects.

- Barely feel it in my pocket. Awesome.

Cons:

- Top of phone gets pretty warm against the ear during a long conversation (scary)

- Wierd connector. Why can't Samsung go with a standard Mini USB?? Losers.

- No wired earphone/handsfree with the phone.

- Keys may be a little too close, for some people

- How about a GPS chip in the next revision?

- Can't enjoy the music unless you really get a stereo bluetooth headset.

-

Great phone in all, the shortcomings look more like trade-offs for the most part rather than defects. It is in my opinion a even call with the Q and if the Q came out on any other network besides Verizon, I would seriously have had a tough call between the two.

Overview

I purchased this Smartphone after 3 months of research. My criterion was that it had to play music via Bluetooth, had to have a windows mobile platform, and had to be comfortable. This phone satisfied all of them for the most part.

There are a few cons to the phone, however; with the windows platform it will not be long until applications will come around to extend the functionality and fix problems. I'm a computer programmer and I'm currently working with the mobile platform to develop new programs with Visual Studio, hence the need for the windows platform. I can safely say that in the next couple of years we will be seeing some exciting new technology that will be developed with the new Smartphone and PDA's that run a platform like window mobile.

The blackjack is an excellent device to introduce you into the Smartphone/PDA universe. With Blackjacks features for Email (3 different options to receive email w/ this phone), Instant Messaging, SMS/MMS, ActiveSync & MP3 player capability it's my opinion that the Blackjack is on par or surpasses any blackberry.

Con Brief & Fixes

1) Music plays on the speakerphone if you have no ear buds.

First the music capabilities of the phone is excellent, however; if you do not want the entire world think that "you like big butts" when everyone hears your song "Baby got back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot coming from your Blackjack's speakerphone. I would suggest getting the wired ear buds or a stereo Bluetooth headset. After a little research I found out that if I wanted wireless music from my Blackjack I would have to have a Bluetooth headset that had a feature called Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) and if I wanted to control the music from a Bluetooth device I would need Audio/Video Remote Control (AVRCP). The Blackjack has both capabilities so all I needed to do is to find a Bluetooth device with the same. I found two that are not big headsets: LG HBS-110 and Sony Ericsson Bluetooth HBH-DS970. I bought the LG HBS-110, I just bought it when I did this review so I can't tell you 411 on it yet but I can say that both devices WILL work with the Blackjack.

2) The battery life of the phone is very poor

Come to find out the new G3 network from Cingular takes a lot of power to maintain. For a music enthusiast, like myself, I am looking for longevity when it comes to my players batteries. So I did some searching and come across a small little hack with the Blackjack that will turn off that G3 feature so the batteries can last for up to TWO DAYS in normal use. Let me advise you now, if you do not know what you are doing when you are in the settings of the phone. You can seriously damage your saved data on your phone or even lose it completely. So, I advise that you get in, change what you need, and get out. Do not experiment unless you are willing to lose your phones data. On the main screen of the phone type the following: *#1546792*# the admin screen will appear, scroll down to selection "3 Network & Call Settings" and hit OK. Next, scroll down to selection"5 Network Mode" and hit OK. Next, scroll down until you see "GSM" with a black dot next to it. Then, push the soft touch button with the word "Done" on the screen associated to the button. Now exit the Admin Settings by hitting the Home button (the button with a picture of a house on it) and you're finished. In a few seconds you should see the icons on the top of the home screen change. Next to the signal bars you should see a picture of an antenna instead of G3. This little hack should extend the life of your batteries tremendously. Also, by changing the Network Mode you should NOT lose any functionality from the phone, the only change should be the speed at which you send and receive data on the network. If you do experience problems, reset the network mode back to "Auto" by repeating the above steps; then start your troubleshooting of the problem.

Cingular has shown its commitment to the Windows Mobile platform in releasing the Samsung i607 BlackJack Smartphone. The BlackJack sports 3G data, superb voice quality, a full QWERTY keypad, a brilliant color display and Windows Mobile 5 with Direct Push via Microsoft Exchange, Service Pack 2. It's thinner than the Motorola Q, sexier than the Treo 700 and gets reception in the remotest of cell hell holes.

I've been getting near 1 megabit of bandwidth on Cingular's 3G network in the Little Rock, Arkansas market. The voice quality of this phone is on par with most other bar phones on the market today.

The only drawbacks are (a) it lacks full MS Office, and has a viewer package instead. I can't imagine how anyone could actually edit a Microsoft Office document on their PDA, however... I'd have to be pretty desperate and (b) no touchscreen, but uses a wheel instead.

It's about half the price Cingular is expected to charge for the Treo 700w, and has 90% of the functionality. Direct Push works beautifully from my company's MS Exchange server, and battery life is better than most Windows Mobile phones. Using the new (supplied) 3G SIM card, dropped calls from SIM card failures seem to be a thing of the past. I highly recommend this smartphone if your company is committed to the Windows Mobile platform.

This is the first smartphone that I've owned -- and what a great introduction! Since my last phone was a RAZR, I was spoiled by the ultra slim form. With this phone, it fits just as comfortably in my pocket as the RAZR, but with 10 times the power and productivity.

The only thing missing? Wi-Fi connectivity, but it probably would have resulted in a bulkier phone.

Also, the phone didn't come with a traditional instruction manual, just a "Quick-Start" guide, so there has been a lot of trial and error with this phone, especially with regards to shortcuts and navigation. If you're unfamiliar with smartphones (like I was), it might take some time to get it all figured out. But that's been part of the fun!

Overall, a wonderful phone - superb sound quality, decent camera and just fun to use!

PROS:

-Thin

-Full QWERTY keyboard

-Excellent call sound quality

-Fast 3G internet w/ full web browser

-Plays Mp3s

-Micro SD slot for extra storage

-Alarm works even when ringer is silent! (Takes some tweaking and, Yes, this feature is a big deal)

-Comes with extra battery that can be charged without being inside the phone

CONS

-No Wi-Fi

-Battery drains quickly (still better than the Motorola Q from what I hear, but should be charged daily just to be safe)

-No 8mm headphone jack (Why do cellphone companies keep doing this!?)

I have to confess that this is the first PDA cell phone that I've purchased even though I work in IT for a living. I've resisted the crackberry for as long as I possibly could. But no more...

I did try out the Treo 680 and found it to be dated. I remember using the Palm OS back in the late 90's and the Treo is still using it. The Treo graphics weren't as sharp or crisp either.

So I ended up with the Blackjack. And I have to say that I'm really enjoying it so far. The battery life was an issue or so I've read but I've found a way around it. Just turn off the Bluetooth and you're fine. Bluetooth eats the battery. And while I work, I just keep the phone charged via the USB cable. I have not had a battery issue since.

That being said, the navigation controls are a little bit cramped. I do find myself hitting the wrong button at times. The OS is a little bit slow at times. That's life. Nothing is perfect and nor is this phone. But it's pretty darn close. I like the OS a lot. I found out how to drag and drop files onto my phone. I've got a 2GB micro SD card in here and listen to music at the gym with my phone. I love being able to tweat pieces of the start menu just by using Windows and the USB cable to browse out to the phone.

That being said, I'm very happy. I've ditched my PDA and I walk around with my contacts 24/7. Sending email from the road is a snap and I'm in touch more often than not. I'd recommend this phone over the Treo in a heartbeat. Can speak to the Blackberry but I will say the color on this phone is sharper than the Blackberry Pearl and 8730. I also can't say whether this phone is better than the Cingular 8525. It just looked too big compared to the sleek Blackberry.

I would have to say this is easily the best phone I have ever owned. My last phone was a RAZR that I bought when they first came out. That phone was alright, but I really felt it was lacking features for the price I paid.

The time came to upgrade and I decided I wanted a phone that had more features than my falling apart RAZR had. The decision came down to the 8525 or the Blackjack.

I chose the Blackjack. The 8525 was out of my league for price. After dumping $500 on my RAZR, I promised myself that I would never do it again.

A warning to all! If you have large fingers or have a tendency to fat finger things, you may want a different phone! Definitely try before you buy if you fit this category.

You will get the most ouf of this phone if you are technically savy. If you aren't this won't exactly be a bad phone, but the potential of it will be limited compared to those that know how to "hook it up." I would suggest that if you aren't highly skilled with technology that you find someone with a Blackjack or Motorola Q that knows how to "hook up" their phone. They can probably help you out a lot.

Let me start off with my complaints.

The directional pad in the middle takes some skill to use. I have gotten better with it, but let me describe the initial frustration. The way the buttons are laid out around the directional pad cause problems. When clicking to the right I had a heck of a time keeping my thumb from pushing one of the button towards the upper right (labelled "..."). That button closes what ever you are doing in most cases. I might be scrolling around a web page, touch the right side and BAM!! I am sitting at my homescreen again. Then I have to go back into my start menu and open Internet Explorer again... and be much more careful the next time! .

To help those of you out there that may have a similar experience... I have found the best way to use the central directional pad is to place your thumb over the OK button. Tilt your thumb in the direction you want until the pad is depressed. Avoid the natural instinct of pressing the center of your thumb on the side of the pad you want to. Once you master this, only seldomly will you have trouble with closing apps.

The only other complaint I have is the battery life as many have described before me. The 3G network is taxing on your battery. You can switch networks to significantly increase battery life. I know you want 3G! We all do! What if switching between networks was simple? It can be! Do not fret, all will be disclosed!

What you want to do is open up Activesync with you Blackjack plugged in. Click the "Explore" button. Double click the little PDA picture titled "My Windows-Mobile Based Device". Open the Windows directory. Find the bandsel.exe file. Right click the file and create a shortcut. This will likely place the shortcut at the very bottom of the file list. Scroll down and find it. Rename the shortcut to "Band Selector" or something to your liking. Cut the shortcut and then paste it into "\Windows\Start Menu\Applications".

You have now created an item in your applications section (under the start menu) that will allow you to change from 3G network to the Edge network or vice versa. Note: If the shortcut does not appear right away, shut your phone off and turn it back on.

What!?!? What did you say?!?! You want to be able to switch networks easier?!?!? OK!! Now that we have a shortcut we can add it to speed dial. Simply go into your Start Menu and choose Applications. You should see the "Band Selector" icon you made in there. Highlight it, and then click the right "..." button on your phone. Select "Add Speed Dial". Personally I chose 88 for my speed dial. To access 88 for instance, just press 8 once then press and hold 8. The network selection menu will appear! Choose any speed dial you desire!

Might I make another wonderful suggestion when you get this phone... Treat yourself to the program called Facade! It is a marvelous program that will add a top notch Homescreen to your phone.

If you get Facade, follow the directions to install it. Then go to Start --> Settings --> Display --> Homescreen --> Click OK, and select Facade Wide!

Find some screenshots or whatever, but it is the best Homescreen I have tried and I have tried many.

The keyboard is a great feature. There is no faster way to pump out text messages than with a full keyboard. The keys are small and close together so it does take a little practice to perfect its use. Hang in there! You WILL get better at using it.

Cingular Xpress mail is slick! What can I say?!!? You basically install a piece of software on your desktop computer that will slingshot incoming mail to your cellphone. Corporate email from virtually anywhere with internet access is feasible.

Get yourself Google Maps! The newest Google Maps application runs great on this phone!

If you don't have a Gmail account, now is the time to get one. This phone will interface extremely well with Gmail using POP3 settings. I would suggest doing a google search for "blackjack gmail recent:username". This will reveal some webpages that will assist in setting this up.

Once you hookup your phone, it is great! I love it! Whoo hoo!!

I have had cingular service for a long time now. I have also had my fare share of phones, lately everything from a razor to a blackberry. I love the blackjack.

If you dont need all the extras stay with something like the razor.

If you are looking for a phone that can do just about anything go with the blackjack. I bought it after having a blackberry for a year. The blackjack blows my blackberry out of the water. It does everything my blackberry could do and more.

I use my new blackjack with my Mac and it works perfectly with the aftermarket software "the missing sync". I highly suggest this software if you are mac user with this phone.

All in all this is the best phone I have ever had with cingular.

I have had the phone for a week and I am returning it. Samsung really swung for the trees on this and the expectation was high. However no matter how good this phone looks on paper or industry reviews it simply fails to deliver. If you are a consumer that plans on using more then 75% of the features you will be disappointed. Here is why:

Lets outline what 75% feature usage means: Phone, addressbook, email (either POP or Xpress etc) some, Calendar, To do's and organization, a bluetooth accessory plus maybe 10% of the day on streaming content and/or the occasional web surf (which you need to setup and maintain email). First. you will get about 4 hours, maybe less of battery power until the phone is completely dead. Add the second battery that is bundled with the purchase and maybe you can make a phone call on the way home from work. If you are used to other PDAs or blackberrys, you will HATE the navigation through the phone. Excessive menus make it hard to find a command quickly. Plus the scroll wheel doesn't scroll like a blackberry, therefore you can't use it to select everything on the page.

Price for services is high.To get email,text messaging and have 'limited' streaming capability (meaning NOT HBO or XM) plus the basic phone package, will spend close to $150 a month depending on your personal preferences. While that might not be high for some, think about that plus cable plus home internet and then consider what your paying just to stay 'connected'.Even if you cut out the streaming content, cingular will try and convince you otherwise because while using the phone, its easy to stumble across a feature you are NOT paying for and get 'hit' with the bill at the end of the month. Cingular will not refund you for this under any circumstance. Look at the warning explained above in the product details: Warning: If you want to enjoy the full audio and video capabilities of your UMTS phone, please select a MEdia Max service plan option during checkout. If you do not sign up for a MEdia Max service plan option, you will be paying per KB when you use the over-the-air UMTS audio and video features on your phone (upwards of $10 per minute).

Functionality wise, the Keypad layout is difficult to see. The numbers and the letters are all the same size on very small keys so I found myself just staring blankly for several minutes trying to figure out where my character was. Not saying you don't get used to it but be ready to hit the wrong character several times because of the close proximity of the buttons. I never had that kind of a problem on my blackberry.

Additionally Samsung claims that the Balckjack can perform as a blackberry however, after I purchased it, I found it is not. You can communicate (limited) with a blackberry server, however you need to load a 3rd party client software on your computer and for it to sync your messages throughout the day the computer needs to be on and running. Plus any meetings and Tasks are lost completely. I really think Samsung should explain this better and I feel Samsung really wanted to release something big and crammed a whole bunch of features into a slim sleek package but never tested it with 'real' consumers with 'real world' type usage.

I'll finish up with what they did do right. The phone is beautiful. Perfectly designed, a nice weight and contrary to another review it feels like a quality phone. (Minus maybe the small keys and the disfunctional scroll wheel) The screen is maybe not as big as others but that was the point wasn't it? To make a smaller PDA phone. However, fyi, the streaming video comes in at half the size of the screen resolution. Earpiece is good and clear. Over all dimensions blow away all others except maybe the Blackberry Pearl. Cool, black RAzorV3 kind of finish. I would love to keep it if the phone actually delivered the functionality it needed to.

I have a Blackjack, and would echo the comments of the other reviewers that it is in most respects an excellent phone - although having coming from the Treo / Palm world, the Windows Mobile UI seems hard to use and confusing.

I just want to make clear, however, that this phone doesn't run Java based Google mobile apps like Gmail or Google Local well, and constantly asks for permission to connect. If you care about running Java apps like this which require a data connection, then until Cingular fixes this problem, this phone is not for you.

I convinced my husband who is a blackberry owner that I wanted the cooler phone and it was worth $200. The size (thinness) is great- fits into my backpocket or side pocket without anyone knowing.

The issues with the phone have been it's very difficult to get it set up the right way and the battery does not hold very long. Sure you get a new battery, but when you are on a conference call or on your way somewhere in the car, it's not that easy to change. I have been charging with the ligher charger in the car and switching battery 1/2 day through. I use it a lot for email- but truly only make 3-5 calls a day on it. The email sucks up the energy everytime it syncs.

Keyboard is tight, but not an issue for me. Cool features- camera, etc. If you use them it's worth it- if not- get a blackberry.