29 Feb 08 Samsung Blackjack 2 Expert Review
Samsung Blackjack II (SGH-i617) - AT&T
At a Glance:
Ratings:
Styling: 4
Ease of Use: 4
Display: 4
Voice Quality: 4
Battery Life: 5
Quality / Durability: 5
What’s Good: Compact, stylish Windows Mobile 6 smartphone; HSDPA (3G) high speed data; Improved battery life; GPS; Center mounted jog wheel
What’s Not Good: QWERTY keys are a little small and a little slippery; No touchscreen; Display is smallish for a smartphone
Bottom Line: Blackjack II is a solid improvement over its predecessor. There’s nothing revolutionary here, but faster hardware, improved battery life, and speedy 3G data make this a worthy update to the popular original.
Specs:
Make/Model: Samsung Blackjack II (SGH-i617)
Network: GSM Quad-Band
Data: HSDPA (3G)
Carrier: AT&T (Locked)
Size: 114 x 61 x 13 mm
Weight: 116 g
Form Factor: Candybar
Display: 2.4” Color LCD, 320 x 240 (QVGA) Resolution, 65,000 Colors
Memory: 155 MB built-in, microSD card slot
Notable Features: Windows Mobile 6 Standard OS; QWERTY thumbpad; Front-mounted jog dial navigation; Integrated GPS; 2-megapixel camera; Supports AT&T Video Share videocalling
Tags: Blackjack 2 expert cell phone review, Noah Kravitz, phonedog
29 Nov 07 Samsung Juke Expert Review
Introduction
The Samsung Juke for Verizon is a cool little phone that makes calls, plays music, and tucks away almost unnoticed in a pocket or purse. Featuring two gigabytes of built-in storage, a front-mounted scroll wheel for navigating through your music library and contacts list, and a unique switchblade design, Juke is small, slick, and easy to use.
Samsung and Verizon left a lot out of Juke in order to make it tiny and inexpensive. There’s no 3G data, no access to Verizon’s VCast multimedia offerings, and a very small - if bright and sharp - display. You’re not going to want this phone if you text, email, or surf the Web a lot on the go, and Juke’s VGA camera and low-res screen won’t do much for the technophiles out there, either. But if you’re looking for a cool little handset for calling, listening to music, and the occasional GPS usage, Juke is a neat piece of gear that works really well. If you like its look, that is.
Design
Juke is a uniquely designed handset. It’s long, narrow, and a bit on the thick side, and somehow reminds me of an oversized, squared-off tube of lipstick. Samsung sent me the Blue version of the phone, which features a shiny silver click wheel as well as a silver keypad.
Tags: cell phone review, Noah Kravitz, phonedog, samsung juke u470
