Samsung BlackJack II vs. Motorola Q9: smartphones to the death!
We’ve been using the BlackJack II since yesterday, and we have mixed feelings about it. We love the Motorola Q9, and spec-wise, the BJII and Q9 are almost identical. Both have UMTS/HSDPA radios (the BlackJack actually has a tri-band UMTS radio for world-roaming), 2 megapixel cameras, integrated GPS, full QWERTY keyboards, both run Windows Mobile 6 Standard, and well, you get the point. Size is a difference, with the BlackJack a lot sleeker than the Q9, but oh man, the Q9’s keyboard! We’ve broke down our thoughts comparing the BJII and the Motorola Q9 after the jump, so let us know what you end up picking up!
Signal:
Samsung BlackJack II:
We’re not sure if this might be just our unit, but it has had major issues with data connections. Sometimes it even switches down to GPRS! Our device doesn’t hold a candle to the old BlackJack which was a 3G monster. That thing could pickup a 3G signal 20 stories underground.
Motorola Q9:
Really nothing to complain about. The Motorola Q9 holds a 3G signal like Britney is trying to hold on to her kids…
Q9 wins here.
Keyboard:
Samsung BlackJack II:
Sammy’s keyboards have always disappointed us. No matter what you do, if you’re a real fast typer, the keyboard will skip key presses. It is not a software thing, it is a hardware issue. It’s happened way back from the Verizon Samsung i730 and was definitely an issue on the last BlackJack. We’re pretty sure it is fixed on the BlackJack II, but we need to test some more. Additionally, the keys are really narrow on the BJII, but they are a little improved from the previous version.
Motorola Q9:
The Q9’s keyboard is one of the best in the biz! The trade off is that the device is incredibly wide to accommodate the full QWERTY ‘board, but the layout, buttons, and anything else are top notch.
Q9 wins here again.
Navigation:
Samsung BlackJack II:
Samsung finally ditched that shady "scroll wheel" from the original handset and added a scroll wheel which also functions as a 5-way directional pad. This works really well, even better than the T-Mobile Shadow. It makes navigating the phone, web pages, emails, and anything else you need to zip through a breeze. The back button and home button are adequately placed and sized. We’re not mad at them.
Motorola Q9:
Motorola also ditched the scroll wheel from the first Q and instead added up / down keys, a select key, and back button on the right side of the handset. These are alright, not perfect, sometimes a little hard to reach due to the wideness of the Q9, but do work pretty well. There’s no fancy schmansy navigational wheels or accelerometers here, just a 4-way directional pad and a center select key. The home, back button, and send and end keys are also adequately sized and placed.
We’re giving the BJII the win here!
Screen:
Samsung BlackJack II:
The BJII’s screen is very nice. It’s crisp and bright, but is a little washed out. It doesn’t have an ambient light sensor like the Q9 so the backlight will not automatically adjust based on your lighting conditions.
Motorola Q9:
Both screens are 320×240 but the Q9 provides a richer, brighter, more pleasant display to look at. Add in the ambiant light sensor and we’ve got a winner.
Moto Q9 wins here.
Speaker loudness / quality:
Samsung BlackJack II:
One word describes the BlackJack’s speakers…disappointing. They sound very muffled and are not as loud as we had hoped. Speakerphone volume was pretty low for us and we even missed some email alerts because of the volume. One good part about the tiny, tiny speaker is where it’s placed. It’s made so when you lay the phone on a flat surface like a desk or table, the speaker won’t be covered and you should still hear the majority of what you’re supposed to.
Motorola Q9:
Hate to say it, but best speakers on any Windows Mobile device we’ve ever heard. Period! Volume and sound clarity and quality overshadow anything else. Just Blaze, back me up on this one!
Motorola Q9 wins yet again.
Call quality:
Both made very good calls, and were equally clear, but talking on a Motorola is talking on a Motorola, and we found it offered a better conversational experience (?).
Built-in apps:
Samsung BlackJack II:
The BlackJack comes loaded with a lot of things. From a nice Windows Media Player skin, to a built-in RSS feed reader, to a converter, world clock, and one of the best searching programs, it’s ready to rock out!
Motorola Q9:
The Q9 didn’t come with as many pre-loaded applications, but the stand out one would be the inclusion of the Opera Mobile browser for free.
Samsung takes the win.
Device speed:
If you just want the actual CPU speed, the Samsung runs a TI OMAP CPU at 260MHz, and the Motorola Q9 runs a TI OMAP CPI at 325MHz. If we’re talking about which device feels faster, we’d have to say it really is close, but the Q9 feels faster from our unscientific experiments.
Battery:
Samsung BlackJack II:
Unlike the first BlackJack, Samsung doesn’t give you an extended battery this time. We haven’t had enough time to really test the battery, so we’re going to guess the fact they didn’t include the larger battery was because the standard one should do fine.
Motorola Q9:
The battery in the Q should be called the Energizer Bunny because it keeps going, and going, and going. Sorry. For the extreme hardcore freaks, Moto even includes an extended battery which should last you a couple hot air balloon flights around the globe…
From early impressions, the Moto wins, but we didn’t have enough time to really test the BlackJack. We’ll call it a tie (that’s being more than fair).
Charging cable / USB cable:
Samsung BlackJack II:
Dudez, we don’t live in Korea, and no one uses your messed up charging cables. If Nokia can manage to start transitioning to microUSB ports, so can you. Enough of this crazy nonsense, please!
Motorola Q9:
While it’s not the miniUSB we all know and love, microUSB will do just fine. Thanks for the included adapter too, Moto.
Motorola hands down wins.
Look:
This is totally subjective so we’re not going to declare a winner here. The Motorola Q9 is more of a beast, with a sharp next-gen look. The glowing blue lights when charging are enough to freak out your grandmama. The blue keyboard backlighting is awesome as well. The BlackJack II is completely glossy, less wide, and over all more pocketable. The screen and device keys have a mirrored finish, and we can’t really say anything bad about it.
We won’t declare a final winner because that’s going to be up to you guys. If you do end up going with the BlackJack II or the Motorola Q9 this holiday season, hit us up and let us know which one!
Okay, not having seen the new BlackJack in the flesh I must say the first one was pretty good.
However, I picked up the Q9h late last week and think it is the best phone yet. I agree with all of your assessments of the Q9h (again, not being able to compare it to the BlackJack II) and find them absolutely correct.
The standard battery isn’t bad.
At the end of the day I was down to two bars with bluetooth always on, data plan updating e-mails every 15 minutes, texting, responding to e-mails, in and out of PIM and other third-party apps all day, plus Windows Media Player at the gym (about an hour, hour and a half streaming to bluetooth stereo headphones).
But, using the larger battery, I did all of the above and THE THING DIDN’T MOVE! All day still showed a full charge.
Can’t say anything negative about the new BlackJack, but I can say many great things about the Q9h.
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Hey, thanks for the good comparison of these two phones. I’m looking to upgrade my Blackjack to one of these phones, but haven’t been able to decide which one yet. Right now I’m thinking Q9 because 1)3.5mm headphone adapter included 2)better keyboard
A couple questions though: Does the Q9 have an LED on the front like the BJII for notifications? Are both screens the exact same size? Does BJII use the hold button for symbol on keyboard, and the quick launch app by holding the scroll wheel on side like original BJ?
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As someone who works for AT&T Mobility I rock a Q and a Tilt. BGR may like to know that AT&T has passed up every single HTC smartphone pitched to them including the S710.. its a crying shame. Now, if they would just release Blackberry Connect for the Q I can ditch Good.
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lol @ the britney joke..
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Such a good review man. Gonna pickup a Q9 tomorrow instead of the blackjack ii.
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Glad you gave us this today, I was thinking of dealing with the crowds tomorrow to get the BJ II instead of my Q. I do love the size of the original BJ so I will check out the BJ II later.
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How about also mentioning that the BlackJack has double the RAM and ROM? Also isn’t the processor dual core in the BJ2? Wouldn’t that even out the processor difference some?
We need more battery info, that is crucial.
Personally I think the BlackJack has a better look because the screen looks big for the device rather than the Q which has an enormous bezel and is a rather large device in general.
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Neither one is a BlackBerry…and they both run WM6. If the first one ain’t a dealbreaker for me…the second one surely is.
But, inasmuch as I detested my old Blackjack…the Moto Q9h would be my pick…if I had not other choice.
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I picked up the Q9H a week ago, and I’m a huge fan. The OS is snappy, the camera is sharp, the keyboard is rediculously friendly and the 2 included batteries is a sweet touch. Pick this one up, you wont be disappointed.
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what about the gps features?
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I have had the Q9 since it came out.. and I love it.. I have the original blackjack, an 8525, and a iphone… so far the Q9 is my fav!… I will get the BJII when it comes out… but don’t plan on switching my business phone to it… will keep the Q!
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“…the Motorola Q9 holds a 3G signal like Britney is trying to hold on to her kids…”
Than the Q9h must have a bad signal, because Britney isn’t trying [to keep her kids] very hard. :-/
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Picked up the Q9 a week and a half ago and love it. It’s a lot skinnier and lighter than my old 8525. I love how the OS is snappy and the camera (w/flash turned on) actually works pretty well in the dark of a movie theater. The best thing though is the reception, almost double the performance of my 8525.
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I have the BJII in hand, had it since Tuesday. I’m returning it for a Q9.
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@ davistld01
Couldn’t have said it better. BB all the way!
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Moto q9 Hands Down.!! I played with the BJII in my store when we received the shipment yesterday and i have to say that the battery life on the q9 is far more superior than the BJII (and thats with the standard battery). Other than that, i do have to say that the BJII GUI is rather impressive and sleek compared to the q9. Buuuuuuuut I still rather take the q9 over the BJII. It just feels right lol
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@Tyler
I don’t think the Q9h is any bigger than the T-Mobile Dash if anyone needs a quick comparison. They are very similar but the Q is more “rectangular” or “blockish” than the Dash.
As far as the battery life, the standard isn’t bad, recharge is fairly quick but I don’t think anyone would be able to complain about the extended battery. As I said in my first comment, all day long with not a loss of a single bar.
Adding the extended battery does put a little weight on the device but the battery cover is also “rubberized” and makes the whole phone feel better in my big hands. Then again, I like having something I feel I can hold onto.
I am impressed with the camera. Pictures look better than expected. And everything moves along pretty quick on the device. The keyboard rules though.
I almost waited for the BlackJack II because I first saw the Q9h at the local Best Buy. Maybe there is a difference but when I saw it again at my local AT&T store, it didn’t look like the high chrome that was at Best Buy (lighting maybe?). They seemed to have the appearance of brushed stainless steel at AT&T as opposed to the bright chrome at Best Buy.
I can’t speak to the internet experience since, even though I have the data plan, I have yet to need access to the web that badly that couldn’t wait till I got to a real computer.
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They both look and seem to be great but at a glance I’d get the Q9, it’s reviewed to be the better one and since I haven’t seen either one yet, that’s what I’m going on.
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I’m definitely leaning towards the Q9. It is a little more bulky, but I think that just makes it feel more substantial in my hands.
Plus the Blackjack has crappy keys.
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According to Phonescoop, BJII has 155MB shared memory and q9h Global has 256MB shared memory. Also, q9h comes with Documents to Go, as well as Opera Mobile. Getting Opera to run on the BJI was a royal PITA because of Java permissions.
I don’t really care about slick interface customizations, and I never used any of the extras that the BJI came with (converter, world clock, etc.)
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#11 comment…how do u manage to use all those phones..do u have several #’s and data plans for each one. I have an iphone and a tilt and enjoy them both.I also like trying new devices that come out but its expensive. How often do u guys upgrade phones?
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The BJII has twice the memory of the Q9 which makes it a lot faster since everything can be installed in memory. The BJII battery is 1700mah vs 1170mah of the Q9 so I can’t see the Q9 winning on that one. Data on the BJII is very fast but it has a bug and always shows “G” on the screen. Q9 keyboard is better but the device is bigger and heaver than the BJII. Q9 also has ICS which was removed from the BJII.
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Never heard such words of wisdom from Bush before that actually make some sense! LOL!
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I already purchased the Q9 and was thinking of returning it for the sleeker BJ2. Thank you for the review–I will keep my Q9. It took some time to adjust to since I was used to my T-Mobile Dash but I now could never go back to that slow peice of junk!
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To George
Is that really coming from your head, Bush?
I am going to go buy Blackjack II because I really don’t bevelie it.
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