Samsung SGH i617 Blackjack 2 Review

The Blackjack 2 is Samsung’s upgrade of the hugely popular handset Samsung Blackjack. Sporting all the features that made its predecessor popular with its fans, the Blackjack 2 has upped the tempo. Stunningly beautiful, the phone displays simple lines and a relatively slim figure.

Wider than handsets with candy bar figures or Samsungs low range sliders, the Blackjack fits surprisingly comfy in any palm. The phones form gives the user a better grip and feel for the phone. Design and form was top quality and speaks of good engineering and solid build. A full QWERTY keypad is located just below the screen and makes quick work of any mobile messaging needs. Noticeable changes include the addition of a navigation button. This button makes navigation of different applications in the phone quick and simple.

Ports and slots are conveniently located for easy access. A slot for the microSD is located at the on the right side of the phone, access for the headphone jack and volumes are located at the phones left corner. The Blackjets camera is placed at the phones rear panel. Power is toggled at the button located at the top of the phone.

Samsungs SGH Blackjack 2 is truly a world phone. The phone is able to use all four GSM bands. Phone calls made over the network showed exceptionally good voice quality. Speakerphones on the phone provided loud and clear audio and listening experience was good. Battery life is approximately two days with regular use. Talk time was above average at 6 hours and standby time was quoted by Samsung at 2weeks.

The Samsung SGH i617 Blackjack 2 has standard support for MMS and SMS messaging. Mobile messaging includes AIM, MSN and Yahoo messenger clients. A Microsoft Exchange Activesync System enhances email functions and synchronizes contacts, appointments and tasks over the air. Additional features include compatibility with Exchange 2007 servers that allows message searching.

A 2 Megapixel camera comes standard with the phone. Image capture is good but picture quality suffers when shot at close distances. Picture capture options include automatic white balance adjustment. Another welcome feature is the phones ability to capture QVGA videos.

Multimedia experience as expected is good with all Samsung phones. Listening and navigating through music tracks was easy. The phone comes with a Microsoft Windows Media Player. Music quality is controlled by a graphic equalizer. Downloading your tracks from your PC is a breeze. Bluetooth capability allows the phone to use wireless listening.

Samsung has definitely loaded the phone with features going beyond standard offers like clocks and calculators. PDF viewer and GPS functions come loaded with the phone making it a more versatile. Documents could also be viewed with phone, read and write versions for Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is available. The phone comes with a whopping 81 MB of application ram and approximately 125 MB flash memory. Exponentially expand storage space by replacing your memory card with an 8 GIG microSD.

The Samsung come loaded with Windows Mobile 6 standard. A Windows based application that is used for launching and navigating applications in the phone. Numerous shortcuts make navigating simple and menus are laid in an easy to access manner.

The Samsung SGH i617 Blackjack 2’s predecessor was a solid and quality device. The Blackjack 2 has since introduced improvements such as a better camera and features. It has moved from previous shortcomings from its predecessor and represents a major improvement. The Blackjack 2 would be a logical step or evolution for those who loved the old version. In a market where QWERTY phones have dominated the Blackjack 2 is poised to take a major share in this niche.

UPC	12
Brand	Samsung
Model	Samsung SGH-E250
Battery Type	Li - Ion
Battery Capacity	750 mAh
Battery Talk Time	5.00 hours
Standby Time	250 hours
GSM Bands	900/1800/1900
CDMA Bands	N/A
Operating System	N/A
OS Version	N/A
Processor	N/A
Memory	N/A
Unveiled on	N/A
Display Type	Color
Display Technology	TFT
Display Size	128 x 160 pixels
Display Colors	65 536
Display Physical Size	2.00 inches
Display Features	N/A
Additional Display Type	N/A
Additional Display Size	N/A
Additional Display Colors	N/A
Additional Display Physical Size	N/A
Multiple SIM Cards Support	N/A
Design Form Factor	Slider
Design of Antenna	Internal
Dimensions	3.93 x 1.96 x 0.55 (99,49,75 x 49,75 x 13,93 mm)
Weight	2.85 oz (80,60 g)
Global Roaming System	Yes
Accelerometer	N/A
GPS	N/A
TTY TDD Enabled	N/A
Camera and Video Camera Type	Built-in - Immobile
Camera and Video Camera Resolution	0.3 megapixels VGA
Camera and Video Camera Video Capture	Yes
Camera and Video Camera Flash	N/A
Camera and Video Camera Features	N/A
Camera and Video Camera More	Digital zoom, Multi shot, Effects, Self-timer
Camera and Video Video Playback Protocols	N/A
Camera and Video Video Playback Features	N/A
Connectivity Data More	GPRS/EDGE
Data Max Speed	N/A
Internet Browsing Protocols	WAP 2.0
Internet Browsing Features	N/A
Infrared Port	N/A
Bluetooth Version	2.0
Bluetooth Profiles	Headset (HSP)/Handsfree (HFP)/Dial-up networking (DUN)/File Transfer (FTP)/Object Push (OPP)/Generic Access (GAP)/Serial Port (SPP)/Service Discovery Application (SDAP)/Basic Printing (BPP)/Generic Audio/Video Distribution (GAVDP)/Advanced Audio Distribution (A2DP)/Audio/Visual Remote Control Profile (AVRCP)
Bluetooth Features	N/A
Wireless LAN Type	N/A
USB Type	N/A
USB Version	N/A
Proprietory	N/A
SyncML	N/A
Computer Synchronization	Yes
HeadSet Jack 2 5mm	N/A
Head Jack 3 5mm	N/A
TV Out	N/A
External Antenna	N/A
Pop Port	N/A
Full Keyboard	N/A
Touch Screen	N/A
Side Keys Left	Volume keys
Side Keys Right	N/A
Predictive Text Input Support	N/A
Predictive Text Input Type	T9
Memory Expansion Slot Type	microSD
Memory Built in	7.6 MB
Message Text Send Receive	Yes
Message EMS	Yes
Message MMS	Yes
Message Instant Messaging More	N/A
Message Instant Messaging Services	N/A
Message E mail Protocols	IMAP/POP3/SMTP
Message E mail Features	N/A
Music AND Audio Music Player Protocols	MP3, AAC, AAC+
Music AND Audio Music Player Features	Music player
Music AND Audio Radio	FM Radio
Music AND Audio FM Transmitter	N/A
Voice Dialing	N/A
Voice Commands	N/A
Voice Recording	Yes
Voice Speaker	Yes
Voice VoIP	N/A
Regulatory Approval SAR Head	0.48
Regulatory Approval SAR Body	0.54
Regulatory Approval SAR Measured in	1900 MHz
Polyphonic Rings Voices	N/A
Notifications Polyphonic Rings Features	MP3 ringtones
Vibration Alert	Yes
Alarm	Yes
Calendar	Yes
Calculator	Yes
TO DO	N/A
Stopwatch	Yes
Flashlight	N/A
Organizer Other	World Clock, Timer, Memo, Converter
Document Viewer Support	N/A
Document Viewer Supported formats	N/A
Book Features	Caller groups supported
Book Capacity	1000
Book Multiple Numbers Per Contact	Yes
Book Picture ID	Yes
Book Ring ID	Yes
Personalization Faceplates	N/A
Personalization Profiles	Yes
Games	Yes plus JAVA downloadable
JAVA Profile	Midp 2.0
JAVA Configuration	N/A
Wireless LAN Support	N/A
Messaging E mail More	N/A
Software JAVA Support	N/A
Connectivity Internet Browsing Support	N/A
Connectivity Bluetooth Support	N/A
Connectivity USB More	Yes
Battery Talk time 3G	N/A
Battery Stand by time 3G	N/A
Battery Video call time	N/A
Battery Music playback	N/A
Battery Video playback	N/A
Battery Gaming	N/A
Battery GPS usage	N/A

The successor to the original, highly popular Blackjack smartphone, the Samsung Blackjack II (SGH-I617) retains the thin, lightweight design, QWERTY keyboard, and large screen from its predecessor while adding the power of the Windows Mobile 6 operating system, integrated GPS, and upping image capture quality to 2.0 megapixels. It can access AT&T's tri-band HSDPA/UMTS high-speed 3G network, which makes it easy to download music purchased from AT&T Mobile Music, stream tunes from Napster and eMusic, and watch video streamed from CNN and Comedy Central via AT&T's Cellular Video. The cell phone also supports AT&T's Video Share service, which offers a one-way video stream during a mobile-to-mobile phone call. The Windows Mobile 6 Professional operating system offers a familiar office experience and the ability to read and edit in applications such as Word or Excel as well as review Powerpoint presentations. You can also receive Outlook email and update your contacts and calendar on the go. Other features include quad-band global connectivity. And you'll be able to get to where you're going fast with the integrated GPS receiver and support for TeleNav GPS Navigator software. Other features include Bluetooth connectivity for headsets and stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory expansion, speakerphone, instant messaging, and simultaneous voice and data capabilities.