vB Easy Archive - Blackjack vs. Dash?

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Blackjack vs. Dash?
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Posted by: xtina

I was wondering if you guys and girls can help me with a dilemma:

I'm with Cingular and am up for an upgrade from my loyal and wonderful MPX220 (a QWERTY keyboard suddenly seems very important..maybe it's all the Christmas lists as holiday to-do lists :| ).

I could get a Blackjack for the $199 price, but then, a friend is selling a his T-mobile Dash which he got unlocked for about the same amount (plus a nicer case and a car charger, and for another $30 or so, a 512MB MicroSD).

Which is the better phone? Will Blackjack work better since it's already a Cingular phone to begin with? Or, if, let's say, they were both Cingular phones, which is better then?

If I go with the Dash, will I have to do a lot of tweaking to make work fully as a Cingular phone?

What do you think?

Thanks,

- Christine.

Posted by: xtina

Okay, I have to apologize...I haven't logged on in so long that I simply dove in with my questions.

Just got my bearings and found several near-identical threads to this...sorry, moderators, et al.

Still, additional feedback means additional opinions, which would really be helpful.

Thanks again.

Posted by: gregski

My Qtek 8310, which is now being used by my techno-phobe wife, had the same processor as the dash. If the memory isn't filled up with programs, its OK. But fill it 75% full and it slows to a crawl. I now have the Blackjack and it is lightning compared to the 8310. If they ever get Voice Command working on the BJ I will be in heaven. I have been extremely happy with the Samsung. Just my .02. Take from it what you paid for it.

Posted by: Chriš

Quote:

Originally Posted by xtina

Which is the better phone? Will Blackjack work better since it's already a Cingular phone to begin with? Or, if, let's say, they were both Cingular phones, which is better then?

If I go with the Dash, will I have to do a lot of tweaking to make work fully as a Cingular phone?

Besides cosmetics, there are two big differences. The Dash has WiFi so you can connect to any wireless access points or Hotspots (like in Starbucks). The Blackjack doesn't have WiFi, but is does have the ability to use the new 3G high-speed cellular network from Cingular. It is not available everywhere yet, but if you are going to stay with Cingular that may be an advantage.

As far as using the Dash on Cingular's network, as long as it is unlocked it should work fine since they both use the same GSM bands. But the Dash does have some T-Mobile branding, so when you turn it on/off you'll see the T-Mobile logo, as well as a few other places.

Posted by: Student Driver

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chriš

I would say this covers the big stuff, and I love my WiFi access.

Also, I would recommend a typing test on both devices so you can get a "feel" for them. The images that I have seen of the Blackjack seem to show the keys of the unit being a bit shallow, probably to allow for the reduced thickness of it. It looks rather nice, but I love the tactile feel of the keys and how they engage. Also, the joystick and center selection button are fantastic. I have had my Dash for 3 weeks now and I hope to try out a Blackjack soon.

Posted by: xtina

Thanks so much, all. I really appreciate all the feedback, particularly the input on WiFi vs. 3G, the feel of the keypad and even Tmobile branding issues.

To be fair, I have yet to play with a Blackjack...everything I know about it is from Web research. I really like the compact heft of the Dash, though. As for the other, more technical aspects, except for speed, I don't expect (or even need, except for the QWERTY) it to be much different than the mpx220, at least as far as my needs go.

Posted by: gregski

I have had my Blackjack for 2 weeks now and absolutely love it. Today, I got to play with the Dash. What would truly be nice is if the joystick/d-pad of the dash was with the keypad of the Blackjack. To me, someone with not exactly small fingers, the keys on the Dash are just too close together. I had to hit them with just a fingernail to not hit one of the keys next to the one I wanted. The Blackjack keys have some separation to them, making it very easy to type one handed. The Blackjack joystick/d-pad on the other hand leaves something to be desired. I don't hate it, but I do have to pay attention when using it, cuz there is very little differentiation between them, making it hard to tell what you are actually pushing without looking at it.

Posted by: crispeto

I have the Dash and I love it. I don't live in a 3g area so having wifi is great. I have played with both phones but I type better on the Dash probably because I own it and have gotten used to the keys. Battery life is also better on the dash. I have to admit though, if I lived in a 3G area and Cingular was an option, I highly consider the BJ. Either device is great. Good luck!

Posted by: Kid1972

I'm on Cingular and using the Dash. I love it. They don't have 3G where I am and I swore when I got my K-Jam I'd never be without WiFi. I use it all the time.

The Dash is a great device. I've never used the BJ for more than a few mins here and there.

-K

Posted by: jerryk

I have had a HTC s620/Dash since they first came out. I really like the phone. It has a good display, good sound qualify, and a good battery life. However, my daughter, who needs a new phone, also likes it so I may give it to her. If I do give her the phone, I will probably get a Blackjack because I find I very rarely use the WiFi and half of my city has 3G access.

jerry

Posted by: mobilezen

The dash has wifi....blackjack doesn't. If wi-fi isn't important, get the blackjack. At least when you have warranty issues, you won't have problems getting a replacement.

Posted by: Gunner1

The two biggest issues with the Blackjack that most people are complaining about are Java issues and the issues with Bluetooth on the Blackjack not working with lots of things at 100%, doesn't even work right with Microsoft Voice Command

Posted by: HectorV

I have the Blackjack and briefly owned a HTC S620 and I have to say that I kept the Blackjack. My reasons for doing this is that the keyboard on the BJ is far better in my opinion with its key spacing rather than all together on the S620. Second, I love the use of t9 on the BJ (English and Spanish) and the S620 doesn't have t9 and the Dash only has English T9. Third, I use a Mac and tethering to the Mac is possible with the BJ using USB and not possible with the S620/Dash. That's the deal breaker for me.

Posted by: xtina

Thanks again, everyone. Lots of great advice. I've decided to give the Dash a try...if I end up not liking it as much as I ought to, there's always the HF Marketplace

Now all I have to figure out how to get rid of the Tmobile branding...and how to provision the Dash for Cigular services. Not that I am any good at this! Once again, any help would be appreciated. The seller (who worked with TMobile) said I could simply call Cingular and ask for the provisions. Has anyone done this before (call Cingular to ask for help setting up a non-Cingular phone)?

Posted by: Kleany

bj kuz dash is ugly!!!

Posted by: xtina

I think you're looking at a mirror and not a cell phone :P

Seriously, with the unnecessary complexity that I have no patience for, the Dash is losing its appeal. It's fun to play with, though. I'll give it (and myself) a few more days.

Posted by: Prom1

Xtina,

Import the upcoming SGH-i600 *the precursor to the calobarated Cingular BlackJack!
its the SAME device but with WiFi 802.11b/g

best of both worlds. Bye Bye DASH; I'll wait for the Cavalier instead of buying the DASH!

Posted by: ascalon

I really love how samsung is apparently replacing motorola as the main producer of revolutionary phones. Motorola, the last time I searched for a phone, went from greatness to the crap heap.

Posted by: Djhouse77

even LG is slapping Moto

Posted by: HectorV

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prom1

Xtina,

Import the upcoming SGH-i600 *the precursor to the calobarated Cingular BlackJack!
its the SAME device but with WiFi 802.11b/g

best of both worlds. Bye Bye DASH; I'll wait for the Cavalier instead of buying the DASH!

I have to say that you are mistaken about the SGH-i600, it is a tri-band GSM phone (900/1800/1900) and it has the UMTS 2100 band which doesn't work here in the US. The Blackjack on the other hand is a quad-band phone (850/900/1800/1900) and it has dual-band UMTS (850/1900) which is the 3G band used here in the US.

Posted by: blackandthick

well i love my dash and love the way it look i ve seen the bj but havent played with it i have tmobile so i love al my phones but i use my dash more thenmy mda becuse of the size.

Posted by: Sgt_Strider

Quote:

Originally Posted by HectorV

You're wrong. In another thread on this forum, someone posted a link to Samsung's ITU website and it's a quadband phone. I don't know if the i600 support all the North American UMTS bands, but that's not important to me since I don't use 3G. Assuming that it's not a typo, then the i600 is definitely the phone to get, but it won't be out until Q1 2007. Even then, I doubt Cingular will carry it since it's just a Blackjack with wifi and a second camera. I'm pretty sure the processor is the same on both phones.

Posted by: crispeto

Well, if you don't live in a 3G area - then I think the Dash is the way to go. I have wifi at work and at home so for the most part I can surf at high speeds. I think it's a great phone.

Posted by: JMBrown

I'm in the market for a QWERTY WinMo Smartphone edition phone, and am considering the same two phones. I think I'll end up going with the HTC S620 (which is the same as the dash, essentially). I've read the BJ has trouble keeping up when typing quickly, plus its navigation keys are supposedly quite bad. Also, my area is a LONG way from getting 3G, so that pro of the BJ is pretty much moot.

On a side note, regardless of what I get now, I will definitely be upgrading to the Cavalier when it's released!

Posted by: jlczl

Wirelessly posted (SAMSUNG-SGH-I607/I607FG1 Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 4.01; Windows CE; Smartphone; 320x240) UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

I also had heard the unbranded Samsung was tri-band and would only be of use to TMobile customers.

Posted by: odnerd

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kleany

bj kuz dash is ugly!!!

lol, thats a joke right? The BJ is way uglier than the Dash. Plus the rubberized feel of the Dash instead of plastic... Much nicer

Posted by: Sgt_Strider

Quote:

Originally Posted by odnerd

lol, thats a joke right? The BJ is way uglier than the Dash. Plus the rubberized feel of the Dash instead of plastic... Much nicer

You have to be kidding me here. The BJ smokes the Dash when it comes to style.

Posted by: zoom2020

Quote:

Originally Posted by odnerd

lol, thats a joke right? The BJ is way uglier than the Dash. Plus the rubberized feel of the Dash instead of plastic... Much nicer

Blackjack is a sexy looking smartphone. They are both great devices I just think the BJ is better looking than the Dash. Blackjack also has the same rubberized finish as the Dash.

Posted by: crispeto

I don't think so. The BJ looks like a calculator a buddy of mine has. It's just too business looking for me. I think the Dash is waaaay classier looking. Have you all held them both at the same time and looked at them next to each other? The Dash wins for me.

Posted by: odnerd

you sure it has the rubber feel. the display at my local store felt like plastic. even so, the bj is still ugly. of course someone who has it isnt going to insult it but it just looks cheap. like the dude above said, it looks a calculator

Posted by: secrecyguy

I don't know if Blackjack is better or not but it is a newer phone. I have a chart comparing different smartphones available for T-mobile. It might help you to decide.

http://www.geocities.com/sk3vsbb8100/

Posted by: zoom2020

It's definitely rubber and definitely sexier than the Dash. I realize if you brought a Dash you will be more bias towards that device. But not everyone feels that the Dash is the best device for them so to each his own.

I like the Dash, I just like the BJ better. It has a lot more built in features that work well for me. Both devices have the rubberized finish which I like because the BJ is thin and it makes it feel nice in your hand.

I have been eyeing the Cavalier but see that it is even bigger & thicker than the Dash. After having the BJ, I not sure I want something thicker & bigger . . . but we'll see when the time comes.

I have had so many HTC devices (and love them by the way) but HTC devices don't have GREAT RF, they have Good RF. Samsung has GREAT RF (& speakerphone). You don't realize the difference until you get something better. HTC phones also have good multimedia function but BJ has great multimedia functions so for me it is a refreshing change not to have callers saying "Can you repeat that, you were breaking up".

I buy smartphones because I want a great phone 1st & PDA 2nd. Otherwise I would go back to PPC platform. BJ is a great phone and a great pda.

Posted by: hondaguy

i have owned both phones and i am very happy with the blackjack. i do really like the dash, too, but i am happier with the blackjack for a few reasons. i use the phone a lot during the day and i am finding that the bj has better sound quality for incoming calls. i was also finding that the dialer program was a little picky with the htc device. too many times for my liking i was finding that calls would not go through the first, or second time. the bj works better as a phone. i could type more accurately with the dash when typing quick, but i am not unhappy with the bj. this is tough to explain as i would have expected this to bother me as i do a fair amount of email, sms, calendar and notes entry per day but i really hasnt. i type a bit slower and all works fine.

battery life has actually been much better than expected. i leave the 3g off and the battery lasts me from 8am to 12am without me having to try to save battery or charging during the day. when i had the dash i was having to plug in during the day as i was always nervouse that i was going to get caught with a dead battery. i carry the spare in my bad, but i have not needed to use it yet, but i am sure when i start using the bluetooth during the winter i will need to swap batteries during the day or at least plug in during the day.

i really think that samsung has done some nice work with the os. i have owned so many different ppc and wm5 smartphones that i am finding the little differences that samsung has added to be a big deal. all of the htc devices work well, but one device is the same as the next device except for form. the task manager pops up when holding the home key, user defined shortcuts can be added to a list that pops up when you hold the scroll wheel in, there are several diifferent styles of home screens included, you can change the function of a couple of hard keys, etc, etc. these are a few examples of additions to the os that make this device feel different enough for a guy like me to feel like it is something new when compared to all the htc devices i have owned.

this might even hold me over until the vox comes out............

Posted by: crispeto

I don't mind the look of the BJ, I just think the Dash has more style and personality. The Dash seems more like what a executive would carry. I suppose if I had the BJ I would grow to really like the looks. I do agree with other posts, I like the feel of the Dash better but maybe because I'm used to it. When I held them together in the store, the Dash just felt more solid and less Texas Instruments (like the BJ) to me. Also, the BJ may be thinner but only if someone mentions it. Otherwise the Dash feels just as thin. They're both great devices. If the BJ had wifi (since my area doesn't have 3g) and if it had better battery life - I wouldn't mind owning one. i get awesome and I mean awesome battery life on my Dash.

Posted by: Prom1

Quote:

Originally Posted by HectorV

I love the use of t9 on the BJ (English and Spanish) and the S620 doesn't have t9 and the Dash only has English T9. Third, I use a Mac and tethering to the Mac is possible with the BJ using USB and not possible with the S620/Dash. That's the deal breaker for me.

I'm not sure why T9 would matter on a full qwerty keyboard as I havent used such an implementation in practice.

Why is it NOT possible to tether the HTC S620 to the Mac via USB? does it NOT have a USB port? Furthermore could you send me an email as to how you tether the BlackJack (BJ just sounds odd & hilarious to my juvenile mind, hehe) to your Mac? I'm going to be a Mac user myself early next year (quite possibly 6 more weeks) - with Vista on BootCamp +Parellels.

Furthermore have you been successful at iSync with either; sorry slightly off topic but still related vs the Dash.

Posted by: HectorV

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prom1

T9 is useful if you are writing in Spanish since it's very hard to get the correct punctuation (accents, ñ, etc...) using the keyboard on the Blackjack.

The Dash/S620 isn't able to connect to the Mac for USB tethering because it lacks USB Modem mode(under Settings/Connections/USB/Modem,ActiveSync,Mass Storage). By switching the USB connection to Modem the Mac sees the phone as a modem and you are bale to connect to it using your Mac. Instructions have been posted in this forum.

There is a program called Missing Sync which enables you to sync with entourage/address book etc...

Posted by: rEVOLVE

I told my Dad to get the Blackjack since he's on Cingular. He returned it because he didn't like the number key placement on the QWERTY pad. After looking at it more closely I had forgotten that they separated the numbers like they did - that would bother me as well. I like that the Dash has the numbers together because it means I can dial numbers very easily by keeping my thumb in one place and tilting it back and forth (great for no-look-dialing). I'm almost tempted to put another raised-bump on the "K" key of my dash, because I think I'd be able to one-hand-thumb-type that way.

I think if I wasn't looking right at the keypad on the Blackjack I'd have trouble dialing the same way. Of course if you've purchased and installed MS Voice Command, you can digit dial by speaking, but there are times when that wouldn't be appropriate.

I hate the Dash touch-strip though, and if the BLackjack has a real scroll-wheel I think that's better. I'd really miss the wifi though. . .

Posted by: xtina

I was finally able to play with a Blackjack, and I can understand how some people would really like it. Personally, I prefer the Dash, however. It just feels better in my hand-- heft-wise, grip-wise and even the keypad. Also, it (again a personal opinion) looks less like a calculator. So far, the only thing that bothers me is the moody volume touch pad. It can actually get quite frustrating. Now I'm off to once again search for ways to strip the TMobile branding from the phone. Anyone ever successfully do the following:
- Edit the Tzones shortcut key destination? It's greyed out on my phone
- Remove the Tmobile background img from the contact and in-call screens?

There are lots more, I am sure, but I am distracted by the need to find a decent chocolate cookie recipe that I can add candy cane bits to.

Thanks again, all!

Posted by: jerryk

I have an HTC s620/Dash and a Blackjack. They both get the job done, but they are pretty different.

Things I liked about the s620 are:

- Easier to push keys
- Wifi
- Hand feel
- Hidden micro SD slot
- Battery life
- Bigger screen (just a little but it is noticable)
- Easier to bring out of keyboard lock
- More solid feel

Things I like about the Blackjack

- More apps
- 3G (I am seeing 1 Mbit/sec)
- Scroll wheel
- Brighter screen
- Slightly better sound
- A little smaller.

jerry

Posted by: rEVOLVE

It's interesting how I've seen claims of "more apps" on the Blackjack. I'm assuming this means Samsung/Cingular have bundled more apps w/ their unit? I'd like someone who has seen or used both to apprise us with what these extra "apps" are, as I am now intrigued what they must be (they must be kinda special considering since I've noticed the mention a few times already).

Also, being that they're all the same OS units- wouldn't those same apps work on the Dash and Q respectively?

Posted by: ascalon

Tell me, how good is the "phone!" functionality of the blackjack? Better than some phones that go retarded and take 3 attempts or so to put a call through with a full signal?

Posted by: sfu_engineer

Blacjack is better because I've always wanted to call my phone a BJ! :P

But really personally for me wifi is more important than 3G data speeds as up in Canada data is expensive anyways ($100 for 25MB on Rogers). So the Dash is the winner.