Smartphone Insider provides the inside scoop on today's hottest Smartphones, including strengths and weaknesses, problems and solutions, user feedback, news, and tips. We will focus on a different device each issue.
The Samsung BlackJack (available from http://Cingular.com) is the latest offering from Samsung to the competitive "do-it-all" cell phone market. The BlackJack is quite similar to the Motorola Q in its look and functionality and appears to have been introduced as a direct competitor to the Q. While the initial consumer response to the BlackJack has been strongly positive due to its sleek design and powerful multimedia capabilities, it is less than ideal for business-intensive use because of its small keyboard layout and lack of built-in software to edit Microsoft Office documents.
Strengths
- Bright, clear screen
- Slim, sexy design—lighter and smaller than the Motorola Q
- 3G enabled, supporting simultaneous voice and data services which provide fast Web browsing, e-mailing, and video, music, and file downloading
- Multimedia: Cingular Video and Cingular Music, XM Radio
- 1.3 mega pixel camera with video recording capability
- Runs on the GSM Quad-Band world network
- Comes with extra battery
Limitations & solutions
- Some users have complained that the device has a short battery life, particularly those who send large numbers of e-mails on a daily basis. Fortunately, the device ships with an extra battery that can be used to swap out the drained one. (There is also an extended battery available for $49.99 from Samsung.com.) Here are some suggestions to conserve power: keep Bluetooth off unless you specifically need it; set your e-mail account to check for incoming mail at longer intervals, such as 20-30 minutes; set screen brightness as low as possible; set a shorter device timeout.
- 3G technology is not available everywhere. When it is unavailable, customers continue to receive service on the EDGE network, which is more widely available.
- There is no Wi-Fi built into the device. There is a microSD Wi-Fi card available in Europe from Spectec; no word on when it might be available in the U.S.
- Microsoft Office applications cannot be edited on the device. They can be viewed using the pre-installed program Picsel Viewer. A Smartphone word processing program called eText Word Processor is available from Handango.com for $4.95, along with a variety of other programs in numerous different categories. PTab Spreadsheet (software.everythingq.com) is a feature-rich program available for both the Smartphone and Pocket PC. Also, DataViz recently announced the upcoming release of their Documents To Go software that can be used to view, edit, and create Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files (dataviz.com).
- Some users have complained that the direction pad and menu keys are too close and the keyboard is cramped, particularly for those with big fingers.
- Users have also reported that, although the device is a very good all-around tool for both fun (multimedia capabilities) and work (e-mail and contacts), it is geared more for personal use and play rather than professional use. If you are a traveling professional, you might want to consider a Pocket PC Phone Edition device that includes mobile versions of Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Recent Phone Edition releases include the Cingular 8525 and the Samsung IP-830w.
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