Samsung SGH-i617 BlackJack™ II (AT&T)

Call quality: Calls sound very good on the BlackJack II with voices coming through loud and clear on our end. There was a bit of background hiss, but nothing serious. Callers also reported good results, even when we were using the speakerphone. On our end, the speakerphone quality was better than average with little distortion at the higher volumes.

Audio quality: Music playback through the BlackJack II’s external speaker is pretty much what you’d expect—not good. Unfortunately, we couldn’t test how tunes sounded with headphones because the device doesn’t come with a pair out of the box, and you can’t use standard headphones with the BlackJack II (more on this later).

Menu/Phonebook: As a Windows Mobile 6 device, the BlackJack II’s interface should be familiar to those who’ve used other Windows-based smartphones. From the home screen, the left soft key activates the Start menu, which provides access to all your applications and settings. The right soft key accesses your contacts list. The menu structure can get dense. Bluetooth settings, for example, are buried under three layers of submenus under the Settings menu. On the other hand, we like the fact that you can dial a phone number or look up a contact directly from the home screen simply by using the keypad, eliminating the need to first enter the phone mode or contacts list.

The phonebook is limited only by available memory. The SIM card can hold an additional 250 entries, and you can add up to 4GB of memory with an optional microSD card. Each contact entry can hold up to 12 numbers, three e-mail addresses and IM names, and a Web address. You can also assign a picture for caller ID, as well as choose from 27 polyphonic ring tones. Microsoft ActiveSync handles synchronization duties for phonebook entries, calendar items, tasks, and music files.

Messaging: This is one of the BlackJack II’s strong suits. The AT&T Xpress Mail program supports POP3 and IMAP accounts, and the device uses Microsoft Direct Push technology for real-time e-mail delivery. The BlackJack II automatically configured the settings for our Comcast and Gmail accounts quickly. The BlackJack II also comes preloaded with AIM, Yahoo Messenger, and Windows Live Messenger for instant messaging. You can be signed on to all three accounts simultaneously, but you can’t instantly toggle between accounts. Instead, you have to press the left soft key to move back to the main IM screen, and then select the service you want.

Camera/Video: The BlackJack II features a two megapixel camera with video recording, 4x zoom, and a self-timer (two, five, and 10 second delay). There’s also a multishot mode—ideal for capturing for fast-moving sequences—and a mosaic mode, which groups four consecutive shots into a four-panel mosaic. There’s no flash, but you do get white balance adjustments. Picture quality left much to be desired, with washed-out colors and fuzzy images.

Music: Music is not the primary focus of the BlackJack II. Still, you do have several options for listening to tunes on the smartphone. You can listen to streaming music from AT&T Music and AT&T Video, and you can subscribe to XM satellite radio (you get a three-day free trial period). The device doesn’t support over-the-air downloads, but you can transfer music stored on your PC to the device with Windows Media Player. The BlackJack II includes the mobile version of WMP, so you can create playlists directly on the device.

Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.0 support means you can use mono and stereo headsets, hands-free kits, and perform wireless file transfers. We successfully paired a Plantronics 610 Discovery headset with the BlackJack II, and we beamed contacts back and forth between a Samsung A640 cell phone without a hitch.

Look and feel: Tall, thin, and imposing, the BlackJack II looks like the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey when viewed from the rear. The black lacquered finished is a bit slippery and very prone to smudges, but it’s what gives the BlackJack II its sleek appearance (the burgundy version of the device has a more textured finish). The device is a bit wide, but it’s comfortable to hold both for phone calls and messaging. Text and images were sharp and bright on the 2.4-inch diagonal screen. It’s not a touch screen display, and there were occasions when we missed that functionality, but it’s hardly a deal breaker.

The jog wheel is supposed to make you forget about the lack of a touch screen by making it easy to scroll through long lists or documents. But it feels loose and flimsy and isn’t as responsive as it should be. We preferred pressing and holding the button to scroll up or down. Even more annoying is Samsung’s choice to use a proprietary connector rather than a miniUSB jack. As such, you can’t use headphones that connect with a standard 2.5mm or 3.5mm jack. If you plan to listen to music, you’ll have to shell out some extra dough for a Samsung headset or Bluetooth stereo headphones. Also, our microSD card never snapped into the slot properly.

Keypad: The keys on the full QWERTY keyboard are fairly well spaced and sufficiently tactile. Unlike the first generation BlackJack, the number keys are grouped together instead of spaced out over every other column. It’s not ideal for extended periods of typing, but it gets the job done for quick messages or IM chats. The bottom row features several quick-launch keys, providing one-touch access to the Web, AT&T Video, e-mail, and the camera.

Unlike so many smartphones with push e-mail capabilities, the BlackJack II’s battery life is exceptional. Even with the device set up to check e-mail every 30 minutes on two accounts, five days had gone by before we had to recharge the battery. If you make several hours worth of cell phone calls per day, you’ll have to recharge more frequently. But for the occasional call with regularly scheduled messaging, the BlackJack II’s battery is a powerhouse.