I am new to the smartphone universe and I'm wondering how I ever got along without one. At the time of this writing I have owned my BJ for only 24 hours and I am having fun learning how to stay organized, play my favorite music, and actually hear people who call my phone.
SPEAKER CLARITY
The quality on the external speaker is excellent. There is zero distortion of music as it comes through the speaker which is on the back of the phone. I love the fact that you can play music between calls and there is an option to have the music continue where it left off after you receive a call. Phone reception is the best I've experienced in a cell phone, ever. I noticed right away that I could hear callers much better than I could on my Motorola Razr; that is a big plus. The speakerphone option is also an added bonus and it too is crystal clear.
WINDOWS MOBILE 5
This was the selling point for me. You don't need special software to get your favorite music, email, or organizational tools. It's already on your computer and all you have to do is load the Samsung Blackjack disc that comes with your phone. I reccomend getting this done right out of the box. Then all you have to do is perform your initial synch to set up your Outlook Calendar and contacts. There are also a few trials on the disc that may be of interest, like NotepadSynch so that you can save the notes you write yourself on your BJ onto your computer hardrive. Windows Media 10 on your PC is already set up to interact flawlessly with BJ media so programming music favorites is a cinch. I had no problems loading songs to my phone and its fast! You can also have a lot of fun using the Song ID. It will "listen" to a song as you play it from your radio or computer and allow you to store the artists' name and song info---how kewl is that! Warning, this feature can be quite addictive.
CAMERA
I really like the camera quality on this phone. I was so frustrated with the Razr camera I just stopped using it altogether. Now I am looking forward to taking pictures and using them with CallerID. My only hangup is the fact that you can only access the camera via the START menu. There is a video feature but I do not plan to use it much as there is no flash on this phone.
BATTERY LIFE FIX
After doing a bit of homework I found out you CAN extend your battery life dramatically. I used the 3G Network for a few hours and noticed my battery was already drained so I changed it. While the second battery charged, I thought I'd test out a fix I've seen posted on several message boards for Blackjack users. I am glad I did because it works. If I can do this anybody can.
As if you are dialing a number, type in *#1546792*#. When the admin screen appears, scroll down to 3 Network & Call Settings then hit OK. Next, scroll down to 5 Network Mode, hit OK. Then scroll down to GSM and select it (a dot will appear when you select this). Hit the soft key button for "Done". Now go to the "Home" screen. You will soon see the 3G change to E for Edge Network. I changed my settings three hours after I bought my phone and have not had to switch batteries. In fact, the battery is still "full" eventhough I have surfed the web, sent several text messages, downloaded 9 new songs, listened to the Media Player for about 30 minutes and this alone will suck the battery dry. I have not noticed a drop in internet speed when I used Edge to surf the net on my Blackjack.
A NOTE OF CAUTION
I suggest you exit the Admin Settings immediately after making this "fix" or you could lose valuable phone data!
DATA PLANS
I also suggest you shop for Data Plans because the salesmen are obviously confused about which one works for this smartphone. While some reccomended the PDA Connect unlimited at $39.99 I am still using the original MEdia Max Bundle at $19.99 for unlimited Media Net/Cingular Video access and 1000 text messages. So far it is working just fine. I will keep this plan and use it for at least one month before deciding if I will need to upgrade to a higher data package.
UPDATED INFO
I just discovered that there is a shorcut to the camera afterall. On the right side of the phone is a thumbwheel which comes in handy when scrolling through messages or on the net and below that is the back button that, when held longer, will activate the camera feature as well. Very handy. I also upgraded to the $39.99 unlimited data plan recommended by Cingular but, to tell the truth, the only difference is that I now have the ability to use POP3 email service. Any other upgrades like Cingular Video, and and XM Radio come with additional charges.
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