samsung blackjack

Originally uploaded by georgeaye.

I’ve been quite the lucky bastard of late. I’ve gotten myself a whole slew of goodies in my possession recently.

I’ve had my new Samsung Blackjack phone for the last two months now and I’d like to let you all know that it’s pretty damn good. At least until the iPhone comes out and then it’ll be a total piece of crap. But for the next few months at least, it’s pretty sweet.

This will be my third smartphone in 18 months and I’m rather embarrassed at the rapidity of electronics renewal. Let me explain.

My first was a HTC/Cingular 2125 candy bar phone. It was great and a huge upgrade from my dumb, Samsung flip when I was on the ghetto fabulous Sprint PCS network. The 2125 was good and functional until tragedy struck in the form of a rain storm. I’m not kidding. A torrential downpour came down one night and I was dropping something off at a mate’s house. I left my car, went to put away my phone, and I think it just slipped out of my pocket. I didn’t even know I’d lost the phone until I got home!

The candy bar smart phone was replaced, at some considerable expense to me with a lovely new HTC/Cingular 3125, aka, the Star Trek phone. A super slim, very usable flip phone. It was a very excellent telephone device first, smart phone second. Oh to have a flip again! And I was perfectly happy, one handedly T9 texting my way through Chicago.

But it seems that nothing every sits still for very long. You see, my work over the last couple of years have created more and more of an urgent need for me to be available to my clients. And while I don’t have Meg Whitman calling me directly, I did have clients relying on me to respond to calls, emails and text messages as quickly as they were being sent. And all of this on my poor little smart flip phone?

Well no more. IDEO was kind enough to step in and provide me with a business account and a new phone, hence the introduction of my shiny new phone (actually it’s mostly soft touch so it’s very matte). I was thankfully also able to keep my current number, yeah! I expect it’ll have to go on my business cards now.

So, here I am. I am the proud new owner of a smart phone and alos shamefully responsible for massive amounts of consumer consumption. I think that when I was being transfered over to the business account I could just not upgraded to a new phone. But when faced with the chance to own something new… I fell for it.

And it looks as though I was not the only one. if there was any doubt in my mind as to how crazy delicious the Blackjack is right now, I have two data points.

One: I saw at least twenty shiny/matte Blackjacks dotted around the San Francisco office the other week. There are so many of them knocking around, people are dangling huge, gaudy, Asian cell phone charms to tell them apart.

Two: I was eating a rushed, rather sad, lonely dinner at El Pollo Loco in Logan Square the other night and the greasy fingered lard ass next to me was thumb scrolling his way through a game of Texas Hold ‘Em on his Blackjack. Probably while being on high speed EDGE network too.

One last tip, if you do succumb to getting the Blackjack (in the last few months before the iPhone drops it like it’s hot), then I’d recommend using the supplied larger battery back. Not only does the phone get through two days of normal use the phone, but it’s a lot more comfortable in your hand. The fascination with thin electronics can lead to soreness in the palm.

Oh and if there’s anyone out there that would like a gently used, perfectly capable, Windows Flip Smartphone, then let me know. Mines just sitting in a box.

The space where my old SIM card used to be is now vacant.