The BlackJack is Back (1/3)
AT&T Samsung BlackJack II with Windows Mobile 6 Standard
INTRODUCTION
For me, the original BlackJack was as close to the "ideal" of what I want in a Windows Mobile phone than I've ever come. Sure it didn't have GPS, WiFi, or decent battery life (with the standard battery), but it was attractive, thin, snappy in terms of performance, and easy to use from a form factor perspective. I was elated when I heard tell that AT&T would be issuing a successor to the BlackJack, dubbed (fittingly) the BlackJack II. I have high hopes for this device, and what is to follow is a thorough evaluation of the successor to my favorite device yet. Read on to see if it's a worthy successor!
WHAT'S HOT
Let's talk specs. For comparative purposes, I'll show the specs of the original BlackJack (in parentheses) following each spec for the BlackJack II. The device packs a 260Mhz (220MHz) processor, with 256MB (128MB) ROM, and 128MB (64 MB) RAM. It has a 2.4" (2.3") landscape QVGA screen, with a front rotary scroll wheel (side scroll wheel) and a slot for a microSD card (ditto). It also has Bluetooth 2.0 (ditto) and has a SiRF Star III GPS receiver built in (no GPS). The battery is rated at 1700mAH (the original came with a standard at 1000mAh and an extended at 1800mAh). On the back, there is a 1.9MP (1.2MP) camera. The operating system is Windows Mobile 6 Standard (Windows Mobile 5.0 for Smartphone).
Device |
Size (inches) |
Weight (grams | ounces) |
4.74" x 2.63" x 0.43"
|
157 | 5.53 |
|
4.33" x 2.09" x 0.59"
|
117 | 4.12 |
|
4.66" x 2.48" x 0.47"
|
130 | 4.58 |
|
4.56" x 2.33" x 0.67"
|
188 | 6.63 |
|
4.64" x 2.36" x 0.48"
|
129 | 4.55 |
|
3.96" x 2.34" x 0.67"
|
133 | 4.76 |
|
4.68" x 2.44" x 0.67"
|
188 | 6.63 |
|
4.58" x 2.42" x 0.47"
|
120 | 4.20 |
|
4.56" x 2.33" x 0.65"
|
178 | 6.28 |
|
3.92" x 2.41" x 0.60"
|
137 | 4.83 |
|
4.24" x 2.09" x 0.53"
|
117 | 4.12 |
|
4.17" x 2.00" x 0.85"
|
151 | 5.34 |
|
4.41" x 2.24" x 0.49"
|
122 | 4.30 |
|
4.57" x 1.70" x 0.64"
|
140 | 4.94 |
|
4.88" x 2.44" x 0.53"
|
130 | 4.56 |
|
4.21" x 2.20" x 0.55"
|
120 | 4.20 |
|
4.53" x 2.47" x 0.47"
|
146 | 5.15 |
|
4.63" x 2.19" x 0.67"
|
158 | 5.57 |
|
4.35" x 2.07" x 0.67"
|
158 | 5.57 |
|
4.56" x 2.41" x 0.51"
|
125 | 4.41 |
|
4.44" x 2.36" x 0.55"
|
133 | 4.69 |
|
4.01" x 1.98" x 0.55"
|
124 | 4.37 |
|
8.28" x 4.67" x 1.08"
|
640 | 22.5 |
|
4.48" x 2.52" x 0.59"
|
154 | 5.43 |
|
4.17" x 2.38" x 0.68"
|
147 | 5.18 |
|
4.01" x 2.00" x 0.71"
|
165 | 5.82 |
|
4.41" x 2.24" x 0.49"
|
122 | 4.30 |
|
4.41" x 2.28" x 0.73"
|
140 | 4.94 |
|
4.61" x 2.51" x 0.78"
|
183 | 6.45 |
|
4.40" x 2.40" x 0.50"
|
123 | 4.34 |
|
4.01" x 2.00" x 0.45"
|
110 | 3.88 |
|
4.56" x 2.36" x 0.70" |
200 | 7.05 |
|
4.60" x 2.30" x 0.50" |
110 | 3.88 |
|
4.30" x 2.40" x 0.60" |
120 | 4.23 |
|
4.20" x 2.30" x 0.60" |
136 | 4.79 |
|
3.70" x 2.30" x 0.60" |
126 | 4.44 |
|
4.48" x 2.39" x 0.51" |
116 | 4.09 |
|
4.60" x 2.60" x 0.50"
|
134 | 4.70
|
|
4.40" x 2.32" x 0.75" |
190 | 6.70 |
|
4.10" x 2.10" x 0.60" |
150 | 5.30 |
|
4.01" x 1.97" x 0.78" |
110 | 3.88 |
|
4.40" x 2.32" x 0.75" |
190 | 6.70 |
|
4.40" x 2.50" x 0.50"
|
120 | 4.20
|
WHAT'S IN
THE BOX
(all images link to higher resolution)
Here's what the box looks like.
Inside the box we have the usual getting started material and software, a USB cable, the device (with battery), and the wall charger.
PRODUCT FEATURES
In hand, the device feels high quality, and a bit slippery too (there is no rubbery coating on the rear as found on most newer phones). It's almost identical in size to the original BlackJack - just a tad wider and a smidgen shorter. Also notice the light at the top of the device that blinks in several different colors depending on various system notifications. I couldn't find how to turn this off, though.
Seen from the side, we can see that there is a chrome strip that runs around all edges. This makes for an elegant look, but considering that the rest of the device is gloss black, it picks up fingerprints and dust way too easily.
The keyboard is an improvement over the original BlackJack. The keys are slightly wider, and the number buttons are clustered together rather than spread apart. Also, some shortcut buttons have been added on the bottom row of the keyboard. There is a camera and punctuation button on the right, and a Cellular Video and AT&T portal shortcut button (they launch PIE).
Moving up we have the six hardware buttons found on the original BlackJack: home, call start/speakerphone, left soft key, right soft key, back, and call end/device lock. In the center is the larger D-Pad (if you remember, the D-Pad on the original BlackJack was too small and difficult to press) which doubles as a rotary scroll wheel. This replaces the side scroll wheel on the original BlackJack, which, likes its successor, has an intolerably slow scroll speed.
Moving onto the back, we have a deep cavity for the huge 1700mAh battery. This is essentially the same size as the extended battery for the original BlackJack.
Also found on the back is the stereo speakers that power the excellent speakerphone.
A proprietary jack! This time, it's different from the wafer-thin connector found on many older Samsung phones including the BlackJack. This port is also used for connecting with USB, and listening to audio. No headphones are included, so you have to buy proprietary headphones or a converter to 3.5mm (I'm still looking for one).
On the other side is a flap to hold the microSD card.
