Preview: Samsung BlackJack

by Eric Lin
November 13, 2006

It is amazing that the BlackJack is the newest member of a crowded category that did not even exist a year ago. The list of small, thin, QWERTY smartphones is getting longer and longer, and Windows Mobile phones comprise the bulk of the list. We've reviewed enough of these devices that we're sure you know all about the software by now. So we'll focus on the hardware and any other unique aspects of the BlackJack for this preview.

The BlackJack is also known as the Samsung i607. Like Samsung's other recent entry into this category, the i320, it is narrower than the Q, Dash or almost any other QWERTY phone. Thus despite its rectangular shape, the BlackJack fits nicely in the hand. The edges along the left and right sides are slightly rounded, increasing the comfort factor. It is easy to wrap your hand around it if you are using it one handed.

It is possible to use the BlackJack one handed, especially for reading email or web pages, thanks to the scroll wheel and back button on the right hand side. Other than needing the D-pad for right and left navigation, we found ourselves primarily relying on the scroll wheel.

When held in two hands to type, the BlackJack is well balanced and sits on your fingertips comfortably. The keyboard is pretty easy to to get used to. After about three days with it, we were typing with about 90-95% accuracy. Although the keys look like those from the Q, they feel much better. They are only slightly rounded, and are much easier to press.

The navigation keys, outside of the scroll wheel on the side, are the BlackJack's weakness. The entire set of buttons, including the directions on the D-pad are all flat and even with each other. There is no way to feel which key you're on except for the center select button. Not only are the all the same height, but there are no divisions or ridges between the keys. This means that unless you are watching where you fingers are, you will likely press the wrong key or multiple keys a few times per day. We often find ourselves pressing the end key or right soft key instead of right on the D-pad even after four days of pretty heavy use.

On the back of the unit, the camera and loud speaker bulge out slightly at the top, which seems unnecessary for a simple 1.3 Megapixel shooter. However this doesn't seem to hamper how the BlackJack slides in and out of a pocket - even in tight pants.

phone front	phone back	left side, volume controls
right side, scroll wheel	hand fit, one hand	two handed typing
blackjack vs dash	blackjack vs dash	keyboard topography
Click a thumbnail above for a larger view.

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