RIM's hot new BlackBerry with GPS and chrome bumpers takes on the slim Samsung BlackJack, with 3G networking and Cingular music. Which phone earns a spot in your briefcase?
Review summary of the RIM BlackBerry 8800:
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Full RIM BlackBerry 8800 Review:
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Round 1: Design
Neither the BlackJack nor the BlackBerry break significant new ground in terms of design. The 8800 resembles a cross between the BlackBerry Pearl and the full-QWERTY BlackBerry 8700-series. The BlackJack looks like a slimmer version of the Motorola Q, down to its five-way button and clickwheel. We prefer the chrome highlights and glossy black of the BlackBerry to the BlackJack's staid, albeit slim shell. Both use familiar operating systems, Windows Mobile 5 on the BlackJack and RIM's BlackBerry OS on the 8800, without substantial changes over similar devices using the same systems. Both have QVGA screens, similar in size to a tenth of an inch. We prefer the keys on the BlackJack, which are separate and slanted, ironically like the older BlackBerry devices, to the contiguous keyboard on the BlackBerry, though after a trial period, the BlackBerry keys were just as easy to use. Also, the BlackJack has a strangely designed number pad, which spaces out the numbers 1-9 over 18 keys, with a key in between each numeral. We especially liked the BlackBerry's trackball, a navigation tool that we think works very well, and is much more comfortable for long-term use than the clickwheel.
Winner: RIM BlackBerry 8800
Round 2: Calling
We won't harp on the BlackJack's strange numeric key placement after this category, but in dialing, it is a problem that has a sharp learning curve. Otherwise, the BlackJack benefits from Windows Mobile's excellent calling features, including live, while-you-type searching from the dialing menu and a robust contact list that synchronizes with Outlook. Still, the BlackBerry had all this and more, including speaker-independent voice dialing and great sound, probably thanks to RIM's recently-added noise cancelling technology in the BlackBerry, though the difference in sound wasn't so dramatic between these phones. Also, though we didn't have use for it, the BlackBerry features AT&T's push to talk for walkie-talkie like connections and contact availability checking.
Winner: RIM BlackBerry 8800
Round 3: Messaging
One of the more important categories in this duel, both phones are able messaging phones, in their own way. They both support push e-mail, though the BlackBerry trumps the BlackJack in the shear number of accounts you can attach to the device. Though both phones come with built-in messaging clients from their respective OS developers, the 8800 with BlackBerry messenger and the BlackJack with MSN Live, only the BlackJack has a download option for AOL, MSN and Yahoo instant messaging. Though the BlackJack has a faster network connection, this didn't matter much for e-mail, as even large attachments downloaded quickly on the BlackBerry. So, the category comes down to the keyboards. Though we chided the number keys on the BlackJack, the QWERTY keys were better than the BlackBerry's keyboard. We got used to the BlackBerry after a few days, but overall experienced more typos and errors on that phone's cramped and strangely curved keys than on the BlackJack, which gave our fingers more space. For that reason, and for better instant messaging, we prefer the BlackJack.
Winner: Samsung BlackJack
Round 4: Scheduling
In our original reviews, we criticized both calendar apps for looking a bit long in the tooth, but the BlackBerry version is definitely more archaic looking than the Windows Mobile version. Still, looks aren't everything, and creating appointments on the BlackBerry was not only easier, thanks to its huge list of options, but navigating the calendar was more pleasant as well, thanks to the trackball. For cycling through a month-view, the trackball's lateral movement was definitely better than the clickwheel's scrolling. Still, both phones did a fine job synchronizing with our Outlook calendar, and we were ultimately able to accomplish the same tasks on each. The BlackJack looks a bit better, but not much, and the BlackBerry navigates a bit better, so we'll call this category a draw.
Winner: Tie
Round 5: Productivity
Both phones can download office documents and pdf files, but the BlackJack, with its Picsel viewer, handles documents much more accurately. Documents look exactly like they do on your desktop PC, unlike the BlackBerry, which handled Word and Excel files well, but pdf files poorly. Though we again liked the trackball for navigating documents, Picsel does a nice job mapping zooming and panning controls in an intuitive way that makes navigating documents a pleasure. In the future, it is possible, and even likely, that we'll see Windows Mobile 6 on the BlackJack, which would bring the official version of Microsoft Office to the device, but for now the Smartphone Edition of Windows Mobile 5 excludes that option.
Winner: Samsung BlackJack
Round 6: Multimedia
The BlackBerry 8800 has more multimedia options than most BlackBerry phones, including Windows Media Player synchronization, as well as GPS-navigation from TeleNav integrated with the contact list, for easy driving directions. Still, we felt these options came up short, especially the GPS feature which had trouble finding and locking onto our position. The BlackJack, on the other hand, supports Cingular Video and Cingular Music, so you get streaming video clips from the carrier's 3G service as well as support for Napster and Yahoo music subscriptions. Though the BlackBerry is rumored to be getting A2DP support as a future firmware upgrade, the BlackJack has always had stereo Bluetooth options. Finally, Web pages looked better on the BlackJack, with its Internet Explorer Web browser, and large pages downloaded much quicker over the 3G HSDPA connection on the BlackJack than they did over the BlackBerry's EDGE-only network.
Winner: Samsung BlackJack
Round 7: Laptop sidekick
Hands-down, the BlackJack is the better choice for road warriors, thanks to its 3G networking. EDGE is acceptable for e-mail and mobile emergencies, but if you want to replace a dedicated Internet connection, 3G is the only way to go. The BlackJack uses AT&T's very fast HSDPA network, which is noticeably faster than EDGE. Thankfully, both phones charge over USB, though the BlackBerry uses a standard mini-USB cable, while the BlackJack connects with Samsung's proprietary cable.
Winner: Samsung BlackJack
Round 8: Battery life
You can't underestimate the power of a good battery, literally, and in this category, the BlackBerry is one of the best phones we've ever tested. The BlackJack has been roundly criticized for its middling battery performance, but in our tests we got a healthy, five hours of talk time. Still, the BlackJack can't compete with the BlackBerry, from which we eked almost nine hours of talking. We've read reports of tests that go way beyond even our results. Battery life is an underestimated category for business phones, and even though both these phones will charge while plugged into a laptop, the BlackBerry battery life is easily the best in its class.
Winner: RIM BlackBerry 8800
And the winner is . . .
The winner really depends on how you will use the phone. If you need access to a high speed network, either as a tethered modem, or for fast Web browsing from your phone, the BlackJack is the way to go, thanks entirely to its 3G connectivity. Had RIM installed an HSDPA radio on the BlackBerry, it would be an easy winner. Still, the BlackBerry works well in ways that count to business folks. Though it lacks the BlackJack's IM capabilities, real business users will usually IM within network, so BlackBerry Messenger may be enough. And its excellent calling capabilities and outstanding battery life are two areas in which we think business users will truly appreciate the BlackBerry's advantages. If you are a self-employed hipster, looking for the coolest, thinnest smartphone, the BlackJack is for you. But for serious business people, looking for a phone that is all work and little play, and that won't let them down during an important call, the BlackBerry is the way to go.
Champion: RIM BlackBerry 8800.
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