Standout Features
High Speed 3G Connectivity
Full QWERTY Keyboard
Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 OS
3G Data Network
The BlackJack II is compatible with AT&T’s 3G network so you can expect downloads speeds pretty consistently between 400Kbps and 700Kbps with short burst much faster than that. Microsoft Direct Push is included so you can get corporate email in real time as well as automatic synchronization with MS Outlook applications through the MS Exchange Server. Personal POP3 and IMAP email services are also supported but they are truly pushed to the device. Rather, the phone searches for your email automatically every fifteen minutes so you may get the illusion of push email. The device also comes with an integrated GPS receiver.
Document Management
As a Windows Mobile 6.0 based device, the BlackJack II is equipped with MS Office Mobile Suite which allows for viewing and editing of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. It also allows for viewing of HTML formatted email.
QWERTY Keyboard
The Samsung BlackJack II features a full QWERTY keyboard with well-spaced, comfortable keys. It also was among the first smartphones to move the navigation wheel from the side to the front of the device. It’s fairly unresponsive by current standards but still is a nice addition to the navigation toggle button.
Multimedia Suite
The BlackJack II is fitted with a 2.0-megapixel digital camera with 4x zoom but no flash. It can also be used as a video camera. Though having a theoretically more advanced camera than the Motorola Q9c, the quality of images was lower. Windows Media Player 10 Mobile is included and it will support a large number of popular audio and video file types. There is not a 3.5mm headphone jack so an adapter would be required to use standard headphones; however, the device support Bluetooth stereo for wireless headsets. In the BlackJack II’s favor, there is 128MB of onboard memory, twice that of the Q9c. The device can accommodate an expansion MicroSD card up to 4GB.
Battery
Rated talk time is 420 minutes while predicted standby time is up to 336 hours.
Design
The Samsung BlackJack II is a compact device that can be used comfortably. It’s offered in a slick, shiny black version or in burgundy with a textured back.
When it came time to get a new phone I didn't even think twice about checking out HP, opting to carefully weigh the pros and cons of iPhones, G1s and BlackBerries. I see now that I was remiss, as the HP Ipaq 910 does everything I need it to do for work and play, and I realized a little late that the physical keyboard is by far preferable to software ones -- even if they have that nifty haptic feedback.
Here are the things I really liked about the Ipaq 910:
It's unlocked if you buy it from HP or Amazon
Long battery life -- I used the 910 heavily for email, calls, IM, browsing the web, making notes, google maps, etc. for up to 16 hours a day and it never ran out of juice.
Integrated Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, and 3G kept me in touch no matter where I went, and worked with any bluetooth earpiece I tried
Fast downloads with tri-band UMTS/HSDPA -- great for getting game cheats and video tutorials when I was too lazy to walk to the computer
Clear calls - Everyone heard me loud and clear, and vice versa
Touch screen is responsive and precise. Most of the time my semi-chunky thumbs worked fine, but for those with particularly large fingers, the iPaq 910 has a handy stylus
Integrated with our Exchange Email and Windows Messenger flawlessly
GPS + Google Maps = locational bliss
QWERTY Keyboard!
Easy USB 2.0 connectivity
microSD slot supports up to 4GB of additional storage
Non-slip grip alleviated any concerns I had about dropping it
So aside from the keyboard, what's good about the Ipaq 910? A whole lot. I used it for editing documents, getting emails, texting (of course), scheduling, internet access, and GPS location along with all personal and work-related phone calls. The Ipaq 910 comes with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, Mobile Office which includes Excel, PowerPoint, Word and OneNote. I used Word and Excel more than a few times, and even with the slightly smaller screen on the Ipaq 910, I was able to edit spreadsheets and articles. Don't get me wrong, doing any task on a screen that's 1/30 the size of my computer monitor display takes some getting used to, but having the ability to edit documents on the fly was great -- even if it meant working from home.
I also set the Ipaq to sync with our corporate Exchange server, so keeping track of tasks, appointments, and contacts was effortless. Reading and replying to emails was easily done with either my thumbs or the thoughtfully included stylus. The touch screen is calibrated well right out of the box, so it was rare that I pressed the wrong button or link with my fingers. The keyboard keys have a very smooth finish, making it a little slick for my tastes, but I quickly got used to it.
When the Ipaq 910 goes to sleep, you have to press the power button on top to wake it backup. This was somewhat annoying, as I'm used to tapping a screen or key combination to power up a smartphone. Even so it was a minor annoyance that shouldn't deter you from buying your own 910. Google Maps is pre-installed, and together with the built-in GPS receiver I was able to find my location and various business types around me at most times. The receiver is a little too sensitive, however, as I was unable to get signals inside any building.
The 3 megapixel phone is handy for taking pics while you're out and about, but don't plan on getting a shot of Bigfoot before he disappears into the forest -- it took around 10 - 12 seconds for the camera to take a pic and a few seconds more for it to be ready for more picture taking. The button placement for the camera also doesn't allow for real steady picture taking, but this is another case where the 910 is best for business use, and not wedding photography. Performance and handling issues aside, the 910autofocuses well, and images turned out better than I thought they would.
The BlackBerry Bold 9000 is not destined to have the broad based appeal enjoyed by the Apple iPhone 3G but, for the mobile professional, it is likely to be the best device on the market. This is a serious communication device catering to those who need the best of email and connectivity to their other office information in an instant. Calendar, address book, and task lists are immediately available as are other selected corporate data bases.
Standout Features
• 480x320 resolution screen
• Improved document handling
• Increased processing speed
• Excellent multimedia capabilities
Features
Display
Let’s get the most obvious difference between the Bold and the iPhone and its myriad clones out of the way: the Bold doesn’t have a touchscreen. If you’re looking for the combination of BlackBerry features and a touchscreen your only option is the Blackberry Storm. The Bold does, however, have a great screen. Its 2.75-inch display is smaller than the 3.5-inch screen on the iPhone but it does feature the same 480x320 resolution. The result is the sharpest display available on a mobile device essentially because the same number of pixels is shown on a smaller screen.
Keyboard
Typing on the Bold’s excellent keyboard is a treat compared to most smartphones. The design of the back-lit keys seems to meld the best features of the BlackBerry Curve and the 8800 series phones. Rows of keys are separated by a thin metal strip much like the frets on the neck of a guitar helping those of us with wide fingers to press only the intended key. Feedback is quiet and firm but not too stiff. The keyboard is topped by the familiar BlackBerry send, menu, back and end keys and the signature trackball.
BlackBerry sets the industry standard for business and personal email versatility and accessibility. Email is pushed automatically to the device by the server so it arrives in a flash as well as conserving battery life because the phone doesn’t waste energy looking for mail. The Bold handles up to ten email accounts. There’s no need to sign in … each account has its own icon. Click it and you have immediate access to your mail.
Synchronization & Sharing
Using the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, intended for large businesses and organizations, allows remote synchronization of the device with your server. IT departments can easily customize access and security permissions for each device and even delete all data in the event of loss or theft. BlackBerry Professional Software, for organizations with up to 30 BlackBerry users, provides similar service on a smaller scale. For individuals, the BlackBerry Internet Service is ideal. It provides most of the same features though it doesn’t support remote synchronization with your computer. Even so, synchronization with Outlook or many other Personal Information Manager (PIM) programs is simple via Bluetooth or USB cable.
Recently available BlackBerry Unite! Software allows busy families and small businesses to share files and schedules with as many as five phones and even allows for remote wiping of a lost or stolen device. BlackBerry Unite! Software is free of charge.
The Bold can be used as a tethered modem allowing internet connection for your laptop computer when Wi-Fi or high-sped landline access isn’t available.
Messaging
Text (SMS) and multimedia (MMS) messaging are fully supported as are popular instant messaging programs. The BlackBerry Messenger Service is also available, allowing instant communication with other BlackBerry users, worldwide, without using the wireless carriers data or text allowance.
Speed & Memory
The heart of the Bold is a new 624 MHz Intel PXA270 processor, fully doubling the 312 MHz speed of its predecessors. Couple that with AT&T’s high-speed 3G network and you can really get down to business. When you can take advantage of the integrated Wi-Fi function in conjunction with the 3G network, you can seamlessly employ both voice and data services simultaneously. The Bold’s power and multitasking prowess is further enhanced by 128 MB of Flash memory doubling that of previous BlackBerries and most other handheld devices. Included also is 1 GB of built in memory allowing for the saving of a large amount of data without the potential security problems associated with removable memory cards.
Internet & Documents
The Bold comes equipped with the new BlackBerry OS 4.6 making it able to take full advantage of the also new BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) 2.5 which, happily, includes an improved web browser. For the first time HTML e-mail is available with all of its familiar features including embedded graphics and photos, active hyperlinks, and paragraph and font formatting. Additionally, attachments can be viewed in their native format such as MS Word, Excel, Power Point, Adobe Acrobat, and WordPerfect. Thanks to the inclusion of the DocumentsToGo program from DataViz, you can now edit Word and Power Point files, though unfortunately not Excel. If you’re willing to upgrade to the Premium Edition of DocumentsToGo, you can not only edit Excel files but also create new Word, Excel, and Power Point files.
Camera & Video
It’s disappointing that a top end device like the Bold has a just a 2.0 megapixel camera; nonetheless, it does feature 5x digital zoom and, frankly, results in photographs that are somehow notably better than those taken by other theoretically identical cameras. White balance can be adjusted and color effects can be added. The camera will take pictures with your choice of three image qualities and sizes. With the built in GPS feature, you have the ability to geotag pictures at your fingertips. Unlike the iPhone and T-Mobile G1, the Bold has a video recorder built in. Videos can be taken on normal format or for inclusion in MMS messages. Both the video and still photo functions are made all the more enticing by the remarkable clarity of the display screen.
Music
The Bold caters to your mobile music collection. The media player allows eleven equalizer settings and supports virtually all music file formats. With the recent introduction of the BlackBerry Media Sync program, you can easily transfer songs from your iTunes collection to your BlackBerry. To hold all of those files you need a lot of memory and the Bold supports up to a 16 GB MicroSD/SDHC card. To listen to you tunes, the Bold is equipped with a standard 3.5mm stereo headphone jack and, better yet, supports use of Bluetooth wireless stereo headsets or speakers. The high quality, built-in stereo speakers are also a most pleasant surprise. This is the first wireless device that I have ever found that I could actually enjoy listening to without a headset. An unexpected coincidence is that this feature makes the full duplex speaker phone much more usable.
Battery Life
Packed with so many features and multi-tasking functions, the Bold really needs a power-packed battery and fortunately it has one. The manufacturer estimates 270 minutes of talk time and 324 hours of standby time. If you can avoid too much battery hogging Wi-Fi use, getting through the day shouldn’t be a challenge.
Design
The design of the Bold is elegant if not spectacular. The generally black case with chrome trim and the rounded edges are handsome and the leather-like rear cover adds a tasteful, progressive touch. It has a substantial but comfortable feel the hand. Overall, it provides a fitting presentation for the device’s outstanding functionality.
Nokia N93i is an upgrade to the N93i,with smaller dimension and weight,Unfortunately it is still only triband GSM and single band UMTS phone and its specification are same.It has large internal swivelling QVGA display and 3.2 megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and VGA capture mode.
Motorolla hit CES hard, showcasing several recent addition to its device roster
Date
6 Jan 2009
Type
GSM Quad-band phone capable of global roaming (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
UMTS tri-band global 3G (850/1900/2100 MHz)
Data
GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA 1.8 Mbit/s/HSDPA 3.6 Mbit/s/HSDPA 7.2 Mbit/s/HSUPA
3G Capable
Yes
Dimensions
4.33 x 2.35 x 0.54 inches (110 x 59.7 x 13.7 mm)Size Compare
Weight
Type
Li - Ion, 1170 mAh
Talk
6.8 hours (408 mins) of Talk time
Standby
298 hours (12 days) of Stand-by time
Resolution
Type
65 536 colors, TFT
Physical Size
2.80 inches
Touch Screen
Yes with stylus and handwriting recognition
Resolution
Video
Yes
Features
Auto focus, Flash: Yes, Additional camera for video calls
Video Playback
MPEG4, 3GP, WMV, H.263, H.264
Music Player
MP3, AAC, eAAC, AAC+, WMA, AMR, MIDI
Memory Slot
microSD/microSDHC
OS
Windows Mobile Professional; 6.1 Professional
Processor
Qualcomm MSM 7201A, 528 MHz
Memory
128 MB RAM / 256 MB ROM
Predictive Text Input
Yes
Internet
Opera Browser
USB
microUSB
WiFi
802.11b/802.11g
Bluetooth
2.0, Stereo Bluetooth
Connectors
HeadPhone Jack (3.5mm)
PhoneBook
Capacity depends on system memory, Multiple Numbers Per Contact, Picture ID, Ring ID
PIM
Alarm, Calendar, Calculator, TO-DO, World Clock, Notes
Voice
Dialing, Commands, Recording, Speaker Phone
Email
IMAP/POP3/SMTP/Microsoft Exchange
GPS
A-GPS
FCC Approved