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WM6 ROM leaked for Samsung BlackJack
They said it was coming, and by golly, it's finally here. Sorta. Neither Samsung nor AT&T have let an official Windows Mobile 6 update out of the gate for the BlackJack, but it's gotta be mighty close now that an official-looking update has trickled down through the 'nets and into a good number of users' eager hands. Initial reports from guinea pigs the first round of installers seem to be positive, with AT&T branding magically appearing throughout. So, ya know, if you're really attached to that Cingular branding on an early build for whatever reason, the update ain't for you -- otherwise, proceed at your own risk and post all the gory details in comments.[Via Smartphone Thoughts]
Engadget Mobile, Samsung BlackJack, free. Need we say more?
Offering up speedy data, Windows Mobile, and a thin, totally pocketable package, we really can't think of a single reason you wouldn't want to take a Samsung BlackJack off our hands -- for free, no less. Try your luck over at Engadget Mobile!Have a look at our other contests, too, before it's too late: Sprint UpStage by Samsung (the first one), Nokia N75, Motorola T305, Samsung u620, (PRODUCT) RED MOTORAZR V3m for Sprint, Sprint UpStage by Samsung (number two)
BlackJack gets AT&T branding on Samsung's site
Cingular's (painfully) slow conversion to new-skool AT&T branding continues, and it seems that at least some current models won't get left in the dust. The wildly popular i607 BlackJack would seemingly fit the mold of a device that AT&T would want to update with new branding -- especially in light of the fact that a Windows Mobile 6 upgrade is around the corner -- and sho' nuff, the BlackJack depicted on Samsung's promotional site now bears a big ol' globe logo on its bottom. No word on when the updated version might start appearing in stores, but we might recommend not upgrading just to get the new logo.[Thanks, Jensen]
Treo 750, BlackJack with Windows Mobile 6 in the wild
We'd reported this would happen, and, well... it happened. In Microsoft's booth at CTIA, anyway. It's anybody's guess exactly when it is end users will be able to drop Windows Mobile 6 on Treo 750s and Samsung BlackJacks of their very own, but we take it as a pretty solid sign that Microsoft is comfortable showing it off already.
Samsung BlackJack and Motorola Q, mano-a-mano
Q, meet BlackJack. BlackJack, Q. Now play nice, fellas.
Hands-on with the Samsung BlackJack
The date: November 16, 2006. The network: Cingular. Smartphone meets HSDPA for the first time on a North American market, with the Samsung i607 BlackJack launching alongside the HTC-sourced 8525. We headed down to our local Cingular corporate store on that fateful day, trying to get a feel for what (if anything) the landmark launches were doing for foot traffic and sales. Much to our surprise -- our very pleasant surprise -- the store is busier than we'd ever seen it, with virtually everyone in the joint inquiring about that sleek new Samsung with a keyboard they've seen on the telly. As it turns out, the store didn't even have any of the bigger, more expensive, less hyped 8525s; the curious customers and would-be customers had all wandered in on the strength of the BlackJack alone. By the end of the day, they'd sold out. What is it about the device that has everyone fired up? More importantly, is it justified?
Engadget Podcast 094 - 11.17.2006
Big, big week for gadget news (as we all well know). The Zune, the PS3, and the Wii, it's been pretty crazed around the hallowed halls of Engadget HQ. We're not going to spend a lot of time talking about the news surrounding the gadgets since something tells us a lot of you are wondering what they're like, and whether you should buy one. We also briefly touch on some other noteworthy announcements, including the Lenovo X60, Nikon D40, the Core 2 Duo MacBook, and those sweet new Cingular Windows Mobile devices. It's going to be a hell of a holiday season this year. Get the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [RSS OGG] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in OGG) to your RSS aggregator. Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International) Program: 0:01:25 - Zune review 0:20:37 - PS3 unboxing! 0:35:03 - Wii hands-on, unboxing! 0:43:03 - Xbox HD DVD hands-on 0:48:03 - Xbox Live Video hands-on 0:52:54 - Hon Hai cops to iPhone contract 0:56:02 - Apple's MacBook goes Core 2 Duo, too 0:56:16 - Cingular 8525, BlackJack now for sale 1:00:46 - Nikon D40 officially announced 1:03:40 - Hands-on with Lenovo's X60 Tablet PC LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com
Cingular's Samsung BlackJack i607, announced and reviewed
We love the Dash and all, but if you're Stateside and have been waiting for a formidable Q competitor complete with 3G, you've probably had your eye on the i607 BlackJack. It's a little chunky, a little clunky, and the keys and keyboard are not exactly our favorite (think: i320 meets Q), but it's the only GSM phone on the block with EDGE / UMTS / HSDPA. Other notable features include a QVGA display, new Cingular Music support (as well as Cingular Video), Bluetooth 2.0, and a 1.3 megapixel camera. Like its other holiday 2006 QWERTY smartphone competitors (see: Treo 680, Dash, Q), it too will be priced at $200 with a two year contract (and unlimited data plan). And hey, lucky you, both Phone Scoop and LAPTOP have reviews of the device, both of which seem pretty positive about Cingular's latest (even despite that sad lack of WiFi).Read - Phone Scoop's reviewRead - LAPTOP's review
Cingular's latest rebate form hints at holiday releases
Cingular's rebate forms are about as accurate at predicting the carrier's releases as weathermen are at predicting blizzards, but nevertheless, there are several juicy tidbits in the latest form (dated November 5 to December 30, 2006) worth pointing out. First up, the Samsung ZX30 and LG CU400 make appearances, both presumably destined to bring yet more clamshell love to the HSDPA game, and it'll be interesting to see how the ZX30 slots in against its SYNC stablemate. Also showing up to the party is the CU500v -- a phone we know nothing about -- but we're guessing it represents some sort of incremental upgrade to the CU500 (video calling, perhaps?). Next up, the SGH-i607 seems to have been officially christened the "Blackjack" for Cingular's release of the slim, 3G, QWERTY smartphone. Finally, the Treo 680 and 750 get some rebate love with both models coming in camera and non-camera variants. Conspicuously missing from the form, though, is the hotly-anticipated Nokia N75, suggesting that American S60 fans might be waiting until early '07 to get some 3G action.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Update: Looking closer at the form, we find a couple other goodies in the mix -- the Motorola K1 KRZR (in its GSM flavor, of course), the V3r (basically a red V3i, we hear), and the Pearl, a phone we'd previously heard wouldn't drop until 2007. Oh, and if you look really close, the ZX30 actually reads "ZX20" (how boring!). [Thanks again, everyone]
Cingular: we'll rock a Pearl in 2007
Cingular customers, we're afraid you're going to have to wait just a little bit longer to automatically ignore your calls. Though they say they'll still be getting a PTT-enabled version of the Pearl, it won't be coming until early 2007 now instead of the late 2006 we'd hoped for. By the time it comes, they'll hopefully have the ringer-silencing trackball issues worked out, but it sounds like it'll be going up against a strong competitor in the SGH-i607, a sprightly little smartphone that happens to pack 3G (not to mention a full keyboard) in a package every bit as small as the Pearl. Then again, we love a good showdown -- when it comes to smartphones dropping stateside, we say the more, the merrier.[Via Gadget Review]
