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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?
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]
Samsung's SGH-i607 in the Cingular wild
Looks like that developer site's leak of the Samsung SGH-i607 coming to Cingular was spot-on. The pics above plastered in Howard Forums are purported to be the latest Q-killer from Samsung. No front-facing camera like we we've seen elsewhere but that Cingular branding is unmistakable. Just to run it down again for ya, this WinMo Smartphone is expected to bring quad-band GSM / GPRS / EDGE / HSDPA data, Bluetooth, MicroSD expansion, and a side mounted scroll-wheel said to be "on-par, or better than those on RIM devices." We'll see soon enough if the Q3 launch date is accurate. Another picture 'round back after the break.[Thanks, Notorious J]
BlackBerry Pearl 8100c and Samsung SGH-i607 coming to Cingular?
This one's a little difficult to explain, but it would appear that a Cingular developer's site of some kind is under construction at a design firm's domain, and in it they show with some accuracy their 2006 roadmap, including two new devices we hadn't yet seen coming to Cingular: the BlackBerry Pearl 8100c (due Q4) and the Samsung Blackjack SGH-i607 (due Q3, which will be ending in short order). The specs on the quad-band Pearl look to be in place and has that tweaked appearance, and the i607 pictured retains the i600's front-facing camera, as well as quad-band GSM / GSRS / EDGE / HSDPA data, and Bluetooth; of course, we knew the Pearl was headed to Cingular, but the Blackjack will make a nice little addition to the cadre of Q-killers making their way to the states. P.S. -Oh, and the 8525 is listed as Q3, too. Big surprise.[Thanks, Jaybo]
