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!
Why do people keep posting that the BJII has more memory than the Q9 Global? That just isn’t true. Research the facts before posting and making a fool of yourself.
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I was dead set in the BJ2 now im not sure…do either of these have WI-FI?….also I think the BJ2 has an expandable memory via micro SD card…what about the q…does it have that?
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Picked up a BJ II last night and I think Im taking it back already. First impression was cheap. It feels very cheap in the hand. I had a Q9 but took it back because it seemed like I got a lemon. I think Im going back to the Q9. It was the best “phone” I ever used. Great audio quality. Build quality was fantastic too. Ringers were loud. The BJ II has some nice things that the Q does not like more ringers, more home screen options, a status light, and the software thats already been mentioned. GPS on the Q was VERY slow to connect. Havent tried the BJ II yet. The BJ II seems to have some signal issues too. I have 3G right now at my house but it has trouble keeping hold of it. The Q was rock solid when it came to signal. Just my .02.
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Hey! Dont take pics in the movie theater! I’m trying to watch the flick! Hope your Q is on Silent?
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@Mike;
Neither the BlackJack II nor Motorola Q9h have WiFi, so no Skype for me on my phone
But I’m pretty sure all higher end “Smartphones” have the option to add more memory via micro SD, even a lot of dumb phones have that. I’m rocking a 2 Gig in my Q9 now.
If it’s the same Mike, I too came from a T-Mo Dash and couldn’t be happier. It’s a great phone but, tailored more for “business users”, it lacks some of the “pro” consumer extras that the the BlackJack II seems to have.
For me it’s a non-issue since my Q9 is already loaded with my favorite third-party apps and the first was SBSH Facade which negates the whole concept of whatever Samsung or Motorola (or whoever) think I would like or should have for a home screen.
Being a tweaker, I’ve never been one to take what the companies want to dish out. That’s why I like Windows Mobile. Infinite possibilities
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@Mike
Yes the Q9h has an extended MicroSD memory slot.
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I been using a hunk of junk phone for a year…I too am a tweaker and am getting this phone for the email..online bills and internet..Mp3’s stereo bluetooth etc…My hunk of junk works fine for talking.
So i wonder if i should wait for one of these “smart phones” that has the wi-fi..Ive never used 3g and wonder how reliable its gonna be for me wanting to be online all the time..downloading etc..
Is there a new phone on the horizon..I should wait a month for?
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I’m about to buy one…is the Q9h tri-band 3g??? I can’t find an absolute answer to this question anywhere…
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WM Experts (video unboxing report) is disagreeing with Boy Genius’ Reports assessment on the BlackJack II vs Moto Q9h (Global).
While the Moto is a nice phone too…in some aspects I really like the build quality a little more on it, but that said, I really struggled with which one go for…The points by Boy Genius are pretty much on but there are some other factors to consider…After a some additional research, I have to agree with WM Experts so far and I’m going to get the BJII.
Based on my own research….
1) The GPS is based on the excellent SIRF III chipset. While currently locked to just TeleNav and LiveSearch, there are hacks already out to open the GPS to other software. Look besides Windows Mobile 6, the only other real reason to get the BJII over the original is the addition of built-in GPS. As someone who travels worldwide, having a built-in GPS is going to come in real handy.
2) If you are at all going to use this phone in Europe, you’ll need the BlackJack’s extra band of UMTS/HSDPA support. Moto’s only has two bands of UMTS/HSDPA.
3) After playing with both phones in a nearby AT&T store, I have to say that as a past BJII user, I found the keyboard on the BJII easier to text on….Moto has a nice keyboard…but the BJII is certainly an improvement and I could simply type faster on it.
4) The integrated jog dial built into the main buttons is really nice…as as somone who reads a lot of email this will come in real handy.
5) The BJII comes with twice the amount of ROM, so you can install more apps into the faster main memory.
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@ d_anders Correction: both units have GPS, and the GPS is not locked on the Q9, and never was…
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I’m writing this from a Q9h and I must say I agree it’s great but I imagine the jog dial on the BJ2 is a huge benefit because it is a PAIN to scroll pages on the Q. Thoughts?
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@ d_anders
The Q9 has built-in GPS and it is NOT locked. I just used it yesterday with the GoogleMaps, it worked like charm.
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Agreed. Q9 has GPS. I never stated otherwise, but since I omitted it I can see how it can be inferred.
I was simply stating that the blackjack had a great GPS chipset, Sirf III, which is already field tested and is one of the leading consumer based chipsets available.
On a number of forums, I have been reading scattered complaints from Q9 owners that the q9’s gps isn’t so great…I don’t know which chipset they’re using, but the lack of field reviews on these devices (especially on the blackjack II) is making me make the decision based on what I can read via specs and forum feedback.
I’m at the end of a 30 day trial of a Pantech Duo and I have to make the decision within the next day. The Duo is a nice phone overall, but the qwerty keyboard looks great, it’s poor in terms of overall usability…plus no integrated GPS.
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Have the Q9h and love it. The phone/speakerphone is fantastic and that is key for me. Keyboard is awesome
Blackjack II has size in its favor, but if size is critical, get a dash– it has a better keyboard.
Anyone know how to get the GPS to work with the free Google Maps program? It says my GPS radio is not turned on.
Thanks
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BJ II
1) battery life is terrible. Worse than the BJI. In 2 hours I went from 100% to 70% with only 1 phone call
2) every email triggers the backlight to come on. With Direct Push that sucks. See #1.
3) Internet Connection Sharing is removed from the ROM. Tethering is made more difficult.
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Can someone tell me why you are able to see Cell video Tv shows(streaming video) in true full screen with the BlackJack II but not on the Motorola Q9h? I selected full screen but it did not display in full screen on Motoq9h.
Same TVshow using same application on both phones. I was playing with it at the store and had both phones side by side. Sales Rep and ATT support did not know. Motorola says it is ATT so the Tennis match begins.
I like watching my missed TV shows.
Still trying to decide which phone to go with…
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I tried the Q9 & the Blackjack II. I prefered the BlackJack II over the Q9. The Q9 is a nice phone but the size and keyboard were issues for me. I dont agree with everyone else that the Q9 keyboard is so great. I prefer the BJII keyboard. I think it’s because the space between the letters make it easy to know which key your getting. Very close between the two, but the BJII just felt better and I was more comfortable using it then the Q9…..
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I’ve only had my BJII for a couple of days but so far the battery hasn’t been an issue unless using GPS which sucks it down just use car charger while GPS is on. GPS on mine worked with Google maps without a problem. Very accurate fix, too.
SlingBox Mobile works great, good picture good signal.
Tethering thru USB cable only but no big deal. Set up DUN once and it’s a click away from then on.
Form factor was my reason to go BJII but it seems to do everything I need so I’m happy. Not an expert just like new toys.
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I just recently bought the Q9h and my first major problem was that I couldn’t transfer my contacts from my SIM to the phone memory or vice versa. Secondly, the Q9h sorts my contacts by last name rather than first which is equally annoying.
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@ Eric
Sorry to hear about your problems Eric.
I had my sim card data transferred to a new sim card while at the AT&T store during my purchase so there would be no issues and there wasn’t.
All contact info was there when they put the new card in.
And I use a third-party app for my contacts which allows me to sort my contacts anyway I please.
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In case anyone is wondering, Google Maps works great with the GPS on the Q9h as well.
Pinpointed my location and followed me all the way to my destination via the route Google suggested.
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Can you reprogram any buttons to voice recognition dial on the Q9h? Is it pre-programmed voice dial or the teachable kind? Maybe it already has it on the keyboard. If not, how many clicks to get there? This is important to me.
Thanks
ps. can this be done on the blackjack II also?
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@Inewtonus
No, it’s not the teachable kind but it is supposed to let you launch any number of applications with it. I say supposed because it doesn’t want to seem to recognize voice dialing.
I’ll say a name, say “Call John” and it will give three choice of perhaps “Did you say call Mary Jane?” How it comes up with 3 syllables names when I’ve only said one is beyond me.
I tried it a couple times (it does have a dedicated hardware button) but gave up in frustration therefor never trying to launch applications with it.
I’ve been meaning to try it without using my bluetooth headset to see if that makes a difference with performance but have yet to try. It shouldn’t but it might.
To access you simply press and hold the key (bottom right corner) and the app will beep when it’s ready (not very long, almost immediate) and ask you to say a name.
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The Bj2 is a pile o’ crap… motoQ9 is the bestest
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Q9 has predictive typing application that bj2 does not…
Q9 is faster and more automatic about connecting to bluetooth headsets than bj2…
Q9 is definitely louder…
Q9 comes with audio adapter
Q9 feels very wide in hand though - and bj2 scroll wheel is nice. I would say bj2 is ergonomically better, but q9 is better phone device.
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