Samsung BlackJack II tops Consumer Reports' list of best smartphones

Sometimes it's the unsung workhorses that deserve the lion's share of the praise, and that might just be the case with the aging Samsung BlackJack II -- a phone that you probably wouldn't expect to top Consumer Reports' January 2009 ratings of popular smartphones. Sure, it may not be the shiniest device on the market these days, but you've got to admit it's just about as functional as you'd ever need a business-class handset to be with GPS, HSDPA, and WinMo 6.1, which gladly sucks up Exchange accounts until you're blue in the face. When you factor in the fact that it runs just $80 these days on an AT&T contract in a choice of four colors... okay, yeah, we can kinda see it. The iPhone 3G and T-Mobile G1 don't play second fiddle terribly often these days (they were way down in the middle of the Consumer Reports pack in this testing cycle, in fact), so let's just let this old dog have one more moment in the spotlight, shall we?

[chefgon_ign @ Dec 18th 2008 8:20AM]

They must be working with the misconception that Smartphones are still only intended for business use.

[Doug @ Dec 18th 2008 7:23PM]

No... just the misconception that the iPhone is actually a smartphone.

[tlarkin79 @ Dec 18th 2008 8:22AM]

My wife and I both recently upgraded from the razr to the Blackjack II, and we think it's a great phone. After upgrading them to windows mobile 6.1 these phones have been completely stable and haven't needed a single restart. I'd definitely recommend them, especially when you can get them for only $20 at Wal*Mart.

[spiceymooseboy @ Dec 18th 2008 9:21AM]

I just got one two days ago at sams club for free. I then upgraded it to 6.1. my only gripe is that it constantly beeps for no apparent reason while in vibrate mode.

[ZSX @ Dec 18th 2008 10:36AM]

In related news PhoneNews picked the Sprint Mogul (HTC Titan) as their phone of 2008, partly for reasons which you allude to. The cheap pricing and significant upgrades mean a low cost of entry and not having to buy new hardware just to run the newset software. This itself (according to them) had a significant effect on the mobile industry.

http://www.phonenews.com/editorial-the-phone-of-the-year-5886/

[Dez @ Dec 18th 2008 12:41PM]

I've been using my Blackjack II for about a year now, and I have to say, I really do like it. It's great for keeping my schedule, grabbing a few emails for me, texting, taking pictures in a bind, etc. I didn't bother with a data plan, so I can't really comment on how surfing on it is, not that I would anyway... mobile internet just seems silly to me.

But one thing has been bugging me for a long time now - the keyboard is still slightly too stiff, making me miss a letter here and there. firm presses help, but it can be slightly frustrating to be typing quickly, then realize i've misspelled everything because I wasn't paying much attention.

[kelim @ Dec 18th 2008 8:28AM]

I really love my BlackJack II :)

[Beetle100 @ Dec 18th 2008 8:30AM]

I just got myself one of these because I needed an all around good phone that was not expensive and it fits the bill. For what you can get them for now, I think it's one of the better smartphones for the money. It's an overall solid phone.

[Sachin @ Dec 18th 2008 6:20PM]

I have it too (the red one) on 6.1, and while the form factor is stunning in itself, the phone is also amazing. Glad to see it's on the top of the best smartphone list.

Potential buyers: you DO need to get a data plan for the first six months if you buy from at&t or one of their authorized online retailers, but we got ours from the at&t downtown, called at&t customer support a few days ago (it's been about 3 months since we bought the phone), and asked them to cancel the data plan. It was as easy as that.

[AlekZander @ Dec 18th 2008 8:31AM]

I maintain my conviction that the Bold / iPhone duopoly will eventually rule the world. WinMo just isn't worth the effort.

[Aaron @ Dec 18th 2008 8:42AM]

Rule North America, don't you mean?

[Mike Street @ Dec 18th 2008 8:32AM]

I'm a blackjack II users and it's an excellent phone. It's touch and rugged yet sleek. I got it to go against being a lemming and getting an iPhone like everyone. I like the Blackjack because it's a great phone. The camera is descent yet slow. But I've done everything from live blogging to live streaming with the phone. So I highly recommend it to anyone.

[macgregger @ Dec 18th 2008 9:01AM]

you're=your

[sndmn23 @ Dec 18th 2008 9:48AM]

LOL! Actually Mac, you had it right the first time. It's "you're".

And are you seriously calling him a douche simply because he was trying not to look like a douche?

[Joe C @ Dec 18th 2008 10:40AM]

Actually he was referring to "you're" in "you're shopping..." Reading is tough, I know.

[Dez @ Dec 18th 2008 12:50PM]

The blackjack II has always been a sleek device. I still get comments here and there about it, but I have to go with Mike here; having an iPhone just makes you seem like a sheep. That's kind of my feeling about most Apple products since they are all essentially locked up devices with a price premium on them, and I feel like anyone that knows anything about tech would avoid like the plague... GRANTED - for most users, Apple products are great. For those of use that prefer to know a little bit about what's going on under the hood of our OS and don't mind troubleshooting now and again instead of having to send a product away for service.

There, now that I've deviated from the topic, I'll finish what I was saying in the first place; pulling out the iPhone makes you seem like you are trying to impress everyone around you, while pulling out a Blackjack II may mean you ACTUALLY have something to do on your phone, and will still turn a few heads.

[superhobo @ Dec 19th 2008 5:23AM]

Respect to this phone.

[Barry @ Dec 18th 2008 8:33AM]

I bought one of these at Radio Shack for $40 (thus adding 2 years to my aging AT&T contract) and it was a decent little phone. Someone gave me their 1G iPhone about a month later and I sold the Blackjack on ebay for $150. Yes, the iPhone is hands down a much better device, but for the money it did a good job. Fairly reliable email and decent camera, good sound quality and very customizable. Web browser was understandably crappy, but most people don't buy these phones for web surfing.

[James Rainey @ Dec 18th 2008 8:34AM]

I've had five Smartphones prior to owning a BlackJack II. I agree with the results of this survey.

Even when I had a chance to move to the Epix, I decided it simply didn't offer enough compelling reasons to change. I've used iPhone.. not for me. Can't do anythign one handed and no built in voicedialing.

I wonder if we'll see a BlackJack 3?

[Professor STFU @ Dec 18th 2008 8:40AM]

ANDROID!

[skyblaze @ Dec 18th 2008 10:16AM]

as much as i love android... plz do yourself a favor and follow your own advice.

stfu.

[Wes @ Dec 18th 2008 8:41AM]

Anybody else find it ironic that 'aging' refers to a phone launched about a year ago?

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/11/21/samsung-blackjack-ii-launches-friday-on-atandt/


Love my blackjack.... only want would be a bigger screen.

Is the Propel ~ the BJIII?

[Ryan Trevisol @ Dec 18th 2008 8:41AM]

It's not the winmo that gets me. It's the screen size. Call me old fashioned, but I like having a big screen.

[melloncollie @ Dec 18th 2008 10:32AM]

How exactly is wanting a bigger screen old fashioned?

[zephxiii @ Dec 18th 2008 8:47AM]

I did not like the BJII, my main problems with the phone:

1. Build quality, too much plastic, and too much of a plasticy feel. The whole thing would twist and creak whenever i pulled the battery cover off (which happens often as I change phones a lot).
2. Didn't like the keyboard. I didn't like the hard plastic buttons, and how much pressure it took to actuate them (I never broke it in though). I also didn't like the way the KB looked. Other than that, layout was good.
3. Reception: Not up to par with my Tilt, 8525, v3xx, 6555, e62, and 6030. In addition, due to the way it was setup, it would camp on GSM in my room and office, whereas all other 3G capable phones i had would be on 3g. On the plus side the network menus were extensive.
4. Antenna location: Its in the bottom of the phone, terrible.
5. Lack of MiniUSB...

Other than that, the form factor is nice. GPS worked very well, and earpiece was very nice. The wheel was a very nice addition, i didn't like how loose it was though. I wish it had a dull click to it, with every click being a move.

Just my thoughts.

[Dez @ Dec 18th 2008 12:58PM]

Interesting post, but I had just a couple things to add.

1) After almost a year of use, i gotta say the build quality was surprising. It's taken a few more falls than it should have, but it's never been a problem.
2) Have to agree with some frustration with the keyboard, as it won't always pick up softer button presses. "breaking it in" hasn't done much, but a year of practice doesn't hurt.
3) All the other devices you are naming, all phones i was considering, are considerably more bulky. The Tilt/8525 were pretty high on my list, and, even with better reception, they were still hard to want after actually seeing how big they are, not to mention pricier.
4) Antenna location... who cares?
5) I don't know if you have dozens of miniusb cables laying around everywhere you go, or if you even charge/sync the phone in more than a couple of places max, but what difference is a miniusb gonna make?

[MasterCKO @ Dec 18th 2008 1:26PM]

I agree with the keyboard comments. It took a lot of getting used to, but was pretty annoying at first. Also, I have a small gripe about the placement of Fn and Shift buttons. I contend that they should be opposite (mimicking Ctrl and Shift on a normal keyboard). Took me FOREVER to get used to that.

I really hate proprietary jacks, though. I do actually have like 10 miniUSB-USB cords lying around my house and office, so it would have been appreciated. Not to mention a normal headphone jack (notwithstanding, the quality of the Samsung ones that I bought are pretty good). Not to mention, one would then be able to charge the phone AND have headphones in at the same time.

The wheel is a great addition. Love it.

I haven't had a problem with build quality. My unit has a wonky GPS antenna, though. I know that it's probably the unit itself and not indicative of all BJII's, but I'm too lazy to get it replaced.

Overall, I'm fairly pleased with this phone. In terms of getting stuff done, this is the best phone I've owned so far. I miss having a touchscreen, but the battery life is great (I use the hell out of smart phones and can pretty easily get two days out of this -- try that with an HTC), the form factor is phenomenal (it just settles right into my hand, and the keys aren't too small for me) and I still prefer the flexibility of WinMo (and the phone has been fairly stable) over the iPhone.

[majortom1981 @ Dec 18th 2008 8:48AM]

I cant figure out why people are always bashing windows mobile. Its slowness is due to the providers adding their software into it just like dell does to their xp and vista installs.

You can highly customize win mobile. A lot fo times just by editing the registry. I dont see that with the other mobile os's. Well maybe android but a lot of windowsa mobile devices can get android installed to them.

[Kamokazi @ Dec 18th 2008 9:37AM]

I'm a pretty devout Windows Moblie user myself, but I fully understand many people's frustration with it. Its greatest strength is also its greatest weakness: flexibility.

It's more like a mini PC than any other mobile OS out there (possibly reserving Android as I don't have much experience with it). This makes it great for tweaking and customizing to your heart's desire. Unfortunately, no matter how nice of a UI the manufacturer adds, it can still be a little confusing for non-techie types. And the increased complexity also leads to decreased stability and performance issues, as you mentioned, is often the result of 3rd party apps.

So WM is not for everyone, and I don't think anyone should expect it to be. RimOS is good for people who will primarily e-mail, but outside of that, functionality is limited. Mobile OSX is good for it's web browsing and ease of use, but you're locked into essentially one device and adding apps is limited to what's on the App store. Palm used to have its merits, but it's pretty much a joke anymore. And like I said, I don't have much experience with Android to comment intelligently about it.

None of them are perfect...people just need to pick what works best for them.

[bioadam @ Dec 18th 2008 9:59AM]

Some of us who hate Windows Mobile dropped out at WinMo 5 or earlier and never came back for WinMo 6.

[CJ @ Dec 18th 2008 11:01AM]

So what you're saying is that you've formed your opinion of a product based on what it has been like in the past?

Actually, I understand where you're coming from; those pesky modern-day Germans, always trying to exterminate the Jews (apparently, I formed my opinion on them in 1943).

[JS @ Dec 18th 2008 8:56AM]

Choosing tech based upon CR recommendations, makes as much sense as choosing laundry detergent from Engadget recommendations.

[GahannaKid @ Dec 18th 2008 9:46AM]

Yet people take their car recommendations as the gospel truth? I'm not saying I agree/disagree but where do we draw the line on what to trust them with & what not to?

[Jash Sayani @ Dec 18th 2008 8:58AM]

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER !!

[Mike Street @ Dec 18th 2008 9:03AM]

And it's an awesome phone if you want to scan 2D barcodes. The iPhone's camera just don't always get the scan right.

[ty @ Dec 18th 2008 9:08AM]

I still use the original blackjack. Besides getting a new phone for new phone's sake I haven't found a real reason to upgrade.

[Dave @ Dec 18th 2008 9:24AM]

I think the worse part of the article is that they gave 2nd to the tmobile wing.. which is an ultimate winmo POS.. sketchy processor with no real ram = restarts every few hours. then followed it up with a 4th to the tmob shadow which was set to replace the wing.. iphone and G1 tie for 61 points behind the blackberry curve flip... wow.. remind me to disregard consumer reports. how could you rate a tmobile wing ahead of a G1. Pretty much everyone on tmobile ditched their wings, dash's, and shadows to get a g1.

[--------- @ Dec 18th 2008 10:55AM]

I'm pretty happy with my Wing, I haven't ditched it for anything.

[TopaZ @ Dec 18th 2008 9:29AM]

This list lost credibility for me in choosing the Q9c to be in the top five. I own one and I despise it, longing for the stability and speed of Blackberry OS, or the power of a Touch Pro.

[jackcutts @ Dec 18th 2008 10:11AM]

You are crazy. The Q9C is a great phone. Only lacks Wifi, but makes up for it with sweet fake chrome, solid build quality (no cheap plastic like BB 8300s), and the best keyboard on any smartphone in existence.

Yes BB OS is more stable, but I'd rather have an open OS that vomits occasionally. That's just me I guess.

Plus, who wants to be forced into a BB data plan?

[loocas @ Dec 18th 2008 9:34AM]

And I thought iPhone was the bestest smartphone... o_O silly me...

[CJ @ Dec 18th 2008 11:03AM]

You thought wrong, and yes, very silly.

Now go and stick knives in your eyes, like a good boy.

[Ryan @ Dec 18th 2008 9:41AM]

I can understand how they came to this conclusion.
I use a verizon Samsung Saga w/ext battery as my primary phone. It is the next step from the Blackjack, and it is absolutely what i need to stay in touch and operate my business when I am away from a computer.

I have owned/used/abused almost every smartphone out there: iphone, g1, touch pro, touch, tilt, i760, list goes on...
In the end, after having fun with flashy devices i realize my GPS does my GPSing, and my ipod Touch does my Video playback, my ipod shuffle does my music on the run. I went totally converged, then I started to separate how i use my devices.

I don't need all my music with me at all times, just my favorites on the 8gb microSD card
I don't need turn by turn directions at all times, i have a gps in my car
I do need a phone that is solid, with great battery life, that pulls my multiple email accounts and has a keyboard that is FAST.
Saga FTW (for me)

[Ryan @ Dec 18th 2008 9:52AM]

before i get flamed-

I realize this post is about the BlackJack II, but i feel that the Saga is basically the BlackJack III, with win mo 6.1 pro, Touchscreen, and dual mode optical mouse (which is amazing when u get used to it- both the mouse for accuracy or the second mode which responds like a trackball to swipes moving you around like the G1 or a blackberry)


to add some unneeded detail:

My WinMo setup is SOLID and super simple after running the SBP mobile front end with the "today screen lock" - keeps SPB as your today screen. makes the phone easy to operate and navigate with three screens- MAIN / APPS / PICTURE DIAL

[Fernando @ Dec 18th 2008 9:56AM]

LOL what type of crack is Consumer Reports on? I have deployed at least 10 of these and every single person complains about them.

[dantheman99 @ Dec 18th 2008 10:54AM]

Wow you must really suck at deploying phones. I've set up three of these for family members and friends and haven't heard nary a complaint - they couldn't be happier.

[spam_free @ Dec 18th 2008 10:29AM]

Consumer Reports is one of the WORST sources for product reviews. Granted, they're as "unbiased" and "independent" as reviewers go. But their reviewers are often not qualified to make informed judgements about some of the products. Imagine having a vegetarian review steakhouses. I only turn to CR for simple household things like toasters. Most other stuff (especially tech) I turn to sites that specialize in those things.

That said, the BJII is indeed a decent phone, despite my loathing of WinMo. However, in my case, the iPhone wins for sheer painless ease of syncing data with my Mac. If other smartphones have good Mac sync abilities (built-in, not paid software), I would have such a headache trying to decide. I don't want to start an OS flamewar (it's been done to death), but if gadget makers put more effort into Mac compatibility, they may be surprised by how far that gets them in the marketplace.

[Chizo @ Dec 18th 2008 10:35AM]

I absolutely love my Blackjack II. Its highly customizable with a tone of free apps, keyboard is a good size. Head on over to http://www.myblackjack2.com/forum/ for all types of apps from themes, games unlockers etc. Also the upgrade to WinMo 6.1 was awesome, sliding panles are sweet!

[Rhinosaur @ Dec 18th 2008 10:41AM]

Not sure why people hold up Consumer Reports as the ultimate buyers' guide Bible. Just because they're "unbiased" doesn't mean they don't make mistakes/aren't human.

The 1997 child safety seat fiasco goes to show how their "scientific" test was incredibly flawed.

In researching vacuums last year, I also found their list to be full of head scratching picks...as did hundreds of others on forum boards.

No ads and no freebies may make an outfit unbiased, but where's their accountability?

[tony.folenta @ Dec 18th 2008 11:40AM]

love my BJII. it was only $80, and with winmo 6.0 it's an excellent and user-friendly little device. more than enough for what i need. i fiddle around with my friends' iphones from time to time, and while they're quite nice, all i really need in a phone is one that makes calls and is convenient to write messages on - both things that this phone does spectacularly well. even the email features are excellent; this phone has become my primary email device.

for the price, i'd say this phone is HIGHLY recommended. it's a winner in my book.