Samsung's Winning BlackJack

While it has a few flaws, this smartphone offers versatility, plus impressive call and photo quality

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By Ian Sager

January 31, 2007 at 2:38 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

With a product name like BlackJack, a reviewer is tempted to make all sorts of gambling references. But the Samsung BlackJack phone turns out to be no gamble at all. If you are in the market for a smartphone (and not interested in saving your pennies for Apple's (AAPL) iPhone), then the Samsung BlackJack is for you.

The BlackJack immediately sets itself apart from the competition in one important aspect. For the moment, it is the thinnest Qwerty smartphone on the market. With a svelte 0.4-in. depth, it is smaller than the Motorola Q (0.45 in.), T-Mobile Dash (0.5 in.), or BlackBerry Pearl (0.57 in.). In addition, the BlackJack (3.52 oz.) is lighter than both the Q (4 oz.) and Dash (4.2 oz.), but not the Pearl (3.1 oz.). Overall, its weight and depth make the BlackBerry an attractive device. In a more perfect world, all smartphones would resemble the BlackJack.