BlackJack II Hands-On (Verdict: Speedy, Slim and Sexy)

We just got hands-on with the BlackJack II, the Windows Mobile Smartphone follow-up to the popular BJ1. The things we noticed: it’s thin like the original, and small enough to feel the same in your pocket as non-smartphones. The OS is Windows Mobile 6, which improves greatly on the original’s WM5, and is definitely speedy.

We liked the scroll wheel (think the original circular movable wheel of the original 1G iPod) that let us scroll around. It’s not as convenient as having a touchscreen, but it’s good enough. The screen, although 320×240 resolution, is still large enough at 2.4 inches to clearly display Barbara Walter’s mug on the on-board Slingbox Mobile app. We couldn’t test the GPS since the phone was bolted down, but Telenav was fantastic when we tested it with the AT&T Tilt earlier this month. So far the BlackJack II is a decent, if similar, follow-up to the original.