Sexy Samsung BlackJack Takes On Q and Dash

The sexy smart phone race continues to heat up with the Samsung BlackJack, which Samsung unveiled this morning at its showcase shop overlooking Central Park. Available from Cingular Wireless on November 16 for $199 with a two-year contract, the BlackJack will be a strong competitor against Verizon Wireless' Motorola Q and T-Mobile's Dash.

Like those other sexy smart phones, the BlackJack has Windows Mobile Smart Phone Edition. This means it has all of the advantages and disadvantages of that stripped-down version of Windows Mobile, everything from compatibility with subscription music services and desktop video (advantages) to lack of a text editor for documents (disadvantages).

But I'll focus on how well the thing works after I've had a chance to check it out at length. For now, I can talk about some specs and how the thing actually feels in my hand.

It feels pretty sweet. Not only is it narrower than the Q, it's nearly as thin and actually shorter. These differences are nearly indiscernable when either device is in my pocket but significant enough cosmetically to prompt at least a couple of questions from strangers on the street (who can tell it's not quite a Q).

This phone runs on high-speed HDSDPA (the second smart phone for Cingular's 3G network), as well as EDGE, both of which are GSM-based. This means that unlike the Q, the BlackJack will work internationally. And unlike the Dash, the BlackJack has high-speed 3G capability for fast surfing and downloading. In other words, the BlackJack is the first sexy consumer smart phone to run on a high-speed network both domestically and internationally.

One advantage Cingular's HSDPA network has over the EVDO network of Verizon Wireless is the ability to do data and voice at the same time. In other words, you could surf the web for information or read emails and talk using a Bluetooth headset at the same time. With the Q, for example, you can only do one or the other.

To complement the previously mentioned compatibility with music subscription services like Yahoo! Music Unlimited, Napster, and the recently launched Cingular Music Store, the BlackJack has stereo Bluetooth compatibility. The BlackJack will also work with all of Cingular's video-streaming services, like full episodes of Sex and the City and Entourage. In addition, the BlackJack has a built-in XM radio client that lets you listen to live streams of ten XM channels. Pretty cool.

The BlackJack is a slight reworking of Samsung's i320 unlocked triband GSM phone, with a slightly different keyboard.

Would you buy this over the Dash or the Q?

Related links:

Which Sexy Smart Phone Is for You?
Two Cool Windows Mobile Smart Phone Imports