The Samsung Blackjack

The sleek, highly-functional Samsung Blackjack. Mine looks quite like this, but it's red. Image obtained from CellPhoneDigest.net. Used without permission; any cease and desist orders or other legal requests should be forwarded to thebigniceguy@live.com. I will immediately respond to and comply with any such e-mails.

Before I begin my review, I would first like to apologize for missing the past three (four?) weeks of updates. Today is the last day of finals week here at USF, and I've been quite busy. As much as I love writing this blog, it does take a backseat to my academics.

Another thing I'd like to note is that my birthday was two days ago, and I am now nineteen. I tell you this not in the hopes of recieving any birthday accolades or gifts (believe me, I got enough Facebook birthday wall posts to last me for several years), but instead to say that for my nineteenth birthday, I recieved the very phone you see in the picture above this text-- unless you are blind; if that is the case, then I am very sorry because it's quite a good picture. This phone is called the Samsung Blackjack.

I suppose I should let you, the reader, know that my fascination with this phone comes partially from the fact that my past cell phone purchases have not exactly been all that flashy or recent. My last phone was a RAZR, and by that I mean the very first kind, and I can't even remember the model before that except to say that it didn't do much aside from call people. Which I'm perfectly fine with-- as a matter of fact, I used to scoff at people who bought phones very similar to the one I use now.

That, of course, was before I got mine. Now I simply can't stop messing with the thing-- it's almost like a miniature computer, complete with a Windows-based menu screen. (It even has a "Start" button like the one on the bottom-left of your desktop, unless you use a Mac or a Linux variant, in which case I am very sorry once again. If you are blind and you own a Mac, then I am very, very sorry.) Features on my Blackjack include cell phone standards such as text messaging and caller ID, but there are a number of features that I decidedly did not have on my RAZR:

• A calendar and a planner, that can remind me of appointments I've made.
• ActiveSync, which can "synchronize [my] device with a desktop computer," whatever that means; I haven't tested that out yet.
• The ability to access my e-mails and instant message people with AOL Instant Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, or Y! Messenger.
• A notepad.
• A task list which allows me to make note of things I need to do, and check them off when I've done them.
• A "smart converter," which can convert currency; length, weight, volume, and area measurements; and temperature.
• A world clock, which tells me what time it is all over the world.
• A suprisingly fast internet browser.
• A 2.0 megapixel camera, which is an upgrade from my RAZR though I'm not sure by how much.
• A PDF viewer.
• An RSS reader.

I could continue this list for several pages, but that would be a waste of both my and your time. Suffice it to say that the Blackjack has tons of useful features, and even the less-than-useful ones are still fun to mess around with.

The Blackjack also comes with a number of customization options, to make your phone feel a little more distinct. There are plenty of themes, wallpapers (of course, you can use any picture you've taken as a wallpaper in addition to the standard ones), and ringtones that come with the phone, and there's always the option to purchase new ones. If you get tired of what Samsung has to offer, you can also download themes and ringtones onto your phone from your computer, since the Blackjack can link up to any computer via USB.

Are there downsides to this awesome, awesome phone? Well, yes. For instance, while there's plenty of space to store songs on the phone, any ringtone can't be more than 300KB in size. Apparently the Blackjack is unable to simply select a 300KB portion of whatever song it is you want, though it shouldn't even have to do this, since the whole song is already on the phone anyway. Having to push three buttons to unlock the phone is also a little cumbersome, as is the fact that you have to hold down the lock button for several seconds before the phone will actually lock.

In the end, however, these minor nuances barely detract from the experience as a whole. Get a Blackjack if you can. It makes having a cell phone exciting again.

The Rundown
Style: 10/10. I'd get this phone again even if it were ugly; fortunately, however, it's very sleek and stylish.
Functionality: 10/10. Everything works just fine; the clarity I get with the camera is particularly impressive.
Ease of Use: 9/10. Unlocking and ringtone-setting are annoying; everything else is wonderful.
Extra Features: 10/10. Soooo many extra features...
Overall: 9.75/10. This phone makes even me want to organize and plan out my life. Impressive.

EDIT: As it turns out, I have a Samsung Blackjack II, so treat this post as a review of the Blackjack II, not the Blackjack.