Samsung BlackJack - reviews and my advice

Cingular's 3G quad-band Smartphone, the Samsung BlackJack (cool name) is a thin, sleek, powerhouse of a phone. Not overlooking the fact that it is a great device to place and receive phone calls, the other features are quite impressive.

Productivity is its middle name since it is loaded with Windows Mobile 5 (Smartphone Edition). Organizational tools are included such as a calendar, contact list and even a voice recorder. It syncs with your Outlook. You can open and view your files such as Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, as well as PDF files. Personally though, I am disappointed that you can merely view the files. If you are using this phone for business and need to edit a document and email it back to the office on the fly, your answer is to use another device to edit, save the file to the microSD card (up to 2G) then view it and send it through the BlackJack. If you need the ability to edit files on the fly you may want to look at the Cingular 8525.

Email options are many. Although GMAIL is not available right out of the box you can use Outlook, POP3, IMAP, and even STMP. Push email is available as well through several services such as Cingular Express Mail. Instant messaging is supported for Yahoo, AOL and MSN. Text messages are also supported.

Physically, the black-soft to the touch body makes this a beautifully small but functional package. It measures approximately 4.4" L x 2.3 "W x 0.5" D and only weighs in at 3.5 ounces. The 2.2" QVGA color screen is clear and bright.

The BlackJack has a full QWERTY keyboard. The keys are small but are easy to use. Dedicated number keys (gray) are located towards the center of the keyboard. There is a thumbwheel to scroll between applications and through the menu.

For the fun of it all this phone supports Cingular Music, Napster and XM streaming radio among other services. Subscription charges apply but the good news for AT&T (Cingular) and Napster is a brand new agreement. AT&T (Cingular) users get a free one year subscription that will save $180.00. The MicroSD card (up to 2G) extends the multimedia abilities to the BlackJack. Add many of your own files such as MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV, WMV and MPEG-4.

The BlackJack uses the HSDPA network. Speedy downloads make it possible to watch videos without delays. An RSS reader is included so you can read updated headlines from major media outlets such as CNN.

Proprietary headphones are included with the Cingular BlackJack. The phone also sports stereo Bluetooth 2.0 technology for wireless listening if you prefer.

A 1.3 megapixel camera takes simple, non action shots. Without a flash, indoor shots are blurry and not very good. Like any digital camera this one will require you to take test shots to learn the capabilities.

Battery life will depend upon the features used and for how long they are used. It is rated to have 5.5 hours talk time and 11 hours standby time. If you have a battery life issue there is an extended battery available.