Samsung Blackjack-2-SGH-617 Black Review - Conclusion

Conclusion

BlackJack II is a solid smartphone.  I can’t get super-excited about because I’m not its target audience - I don’t like Windows Mobile and I do like touchscreens and snazzy features - but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate it.  Samsung took a good thing in the original BlackJack, fixed its fatal flaw by upping the battery life, and boosted performance and features in the meantime.

If you’re wedded to the idea of being able to navigate your smartphone via a thumbwheel on the side panel, you won’t like this new BlackJack.  Like I said, I really like the front-mounted navigation dial but I know some users really miss the original BJ’s side-mounted setup.  Aside from that, there’s nothing here that would put off a BlackJack fan looking to upgrade.  Windows Mobile 6 is an upgrade over 5, BJ II’s processor, screen size memory, and megapixel count are all upgrades over I, and now there’s GPS thrown in, too. 

Samsung did a nice job updating a popular handset without straying too far from what made the original a success.  Is this enough to make smartphone buyers pony up for BlackJack II?  Yeah, I think so.  BlackJack II is a mid-range smartphone - there’s no giant touchscreen or WiFi, but it’s got 3G and it’s small, sleek, and priced to move.  Sounds like another winner to me.
 

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