Mobile Jaw » Samsung

Rogers Offers First Bada Phone: Samsung Wave

Darren Humphries — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:53:58 +0000

Earlier this year Samsung introduced it’s new operating system, Bada. Their first phone is called the “Wave” for it really does look quite nice. It is available from Rogers for $99 on contract. Full Press Release below:

Samsung Makes a Splash with the Launch of Wave

First smartphone to feature Super AMOLED display and bada, Samsung’s open platform

MISSISSAUGA, ON, July 8 /CNW/ – Samsung Mobile, the leading mobile phone brand in Canada, today announced the availability of the Samsung Wave (model: S8500), the first smartphone to leverage bada, Samsung’s new, open smartphone platform. The Samsung Wave is the first Canadian smartphone to feature Samsung’s Super AMOLED screen technology – providing users with improved outdoor visibility, reduced power consumption and unrivalled picture clarity.

With the launch of the Wave, Samsung is actively constructing a total eco-system around the bada platform including Samsung Apps, an integrated application store. Samsung Apps will increase the premium content and applications pool through collaboration with partner companies and developers.

The availability of the Samsung bada SDK (Software Development Kit) will ensure that consumers can experience a steady stream of new applications that support bada platform.

“The Samsung Wave represents our strategy to deliver rich, exciting smartphone experiences to everyone via one of the highest quality display screens in the industry,” saidPaul Brannen, vice president, Samsung Mobile. “We also anticipate that Samsung bada will significantly expand the smartphone consumer market in Canada, which will create an ocean of opportunity for developers.”

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Read the rest of Rogers Offers First Bada Phone: Samsung Wave at MobileJaw.

New Samsung B7330 Messenger Device Heading to Canada

Mike Temporale — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Samsung is the king of Windows Mobile Standard based devices. Since the launch of the original BlackJack, Samsung has been improving and updating this form factor. Last year they released the B7330 in the Netherlands, and now it appears that it will make it’s way to Canada for Bell and Rogers. The B7330 is only the second Windows Mobile Standard (non-touch) device to feature the larger 320×320 screen. While it doesn’t sound like a big difference over the regular 320×240/240×320 screens we see on other devices, it does make a significant difference in the day to day usage of the device.

The device specs seem to be an exact match to the version from the Netherlands, with exception to the radio being used. This version will take advantage of the North American 3G network. There’s no pricing information that I was able to find. However, it appears that the B7330 will be available for purchase starting on April 28th (Yes, that’s today!) from Bell, and May 4th from Rogers. You can check out the device and all it’s specifications from the Samsung Canada website.

Source = MobileSyrup

Starting Over with the Samsung Blackjack

Mike Temporale — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 01:30:00 +0000

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published way back on January 23, 2007 on my personal blog. There have been some changes since then and my personal blog is, well.. more personal focused. Mobile Jaw is where I post mobility related information. It was recently brought to my attention that a number of people that are still looking for this solution. So I decided to raise it from the dead and post it here for everyone to enjoy. So.. Enjoy!

Cingular’s hot new Smartphone – the Samsung Blackjack SGH-i607, is fast becoming the one of the best and most popular Smartphones we’ve seen in a while. It’s easily one of the best Windows Mobile devices that I have used to date.

If you’ve picked up a used device and you want to clear out all the crap from the previous owner, then you’re going to be looking to hard reset the device. This will set it back to the factory image, removing all programs, settings and files that the previous owner might have changed or added. If the device was SIM card unlocked, a factory reset will not change this.

So how do you reset the device? There are 2 different ways to do this. The first is the more common way – Start / Settings / (more) / Security / (more) / Reset – and enter the password. Which should be ’1234′ – unless it’s been changed under the ‘Change Reset Password’ option in the Security menu. Using this method means you have to know the password to reset, and the device has to be able to boot. So what happens if you can’t boot the device? Well, then you need to kick in the manual hard reset method. It’s not hard to do – When the device is powered off, press and hold the up button on the control pad (joystick – circle thingy) and then turn on the device. Keep pressing up and it should kick off a hard reset process. When the reset is done, you’ve got a brand new device to play around with again, at least on the inside.

On a side note, make sure you have a full battery, or that it’s plugged into the wall when you’re doing a reset. You wouldn’t want it to run out of juice in the middle of the reset!

My Favorite Windows Mobile Standard Device is…

Mike Temporale — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:00:00 +0000

I’ve been a big fan of non-touch smartphones for a while now. I find that they are faster to navigate around, easier to use with one hand, and all around more stable than their touch brothers. I have also been very lucky in that I have had access to many of the different models that have come out over the years. Recently I made the following comment on Twitter: I think the Samsung Propel Pro is my all-time fav Windows Mobile Standard device. Original BlackJack with scroll wheel is 2nd. I was asked to explain why I felt this way, but that’s one area where Twitter falls short. There was no way I could explain why the Propel Pro was my favorite Windows Mobile Standard device in just 140 characters. So I sat down to explain why and ended up with 850+ words on why it’s my favorite. I can’t see how to condense this down to just 140 characters.

Without wasting any more time, here are the reasons. Please let me know your thoughts and which non-touch Windows Mobile device is your favorite.

1: Form Factor – There are 4 main form factors – A) Screen with no keyboard, B) Screen with a side-slide keyboard, C) Screen with front-facing keyboard, and D) Screen with front-facing number pad only. I like the physical keyboard as I find it provides a better experience for people that do a lot of writing on their devices. That factor alone removes half the options from the above list leaving a front-facing keyboard or a side-slide keyboard. A lot of devices have the side-slide because it offers a larger keyboard while allowing it to slide away for protection. What drove me nuts when I was using a side-slider, is having to wait for the screen to rotate. It’s just too slow. The front facing keyboard devices don’t have this problem because there is no delay in waiting for the screen to rotate. The downside is that the keyboard is now exposed all the time. The Propel Pro from Samsung is one of the few devices, and only current device, that offers a front facing keyboard but hides it with a up-slider design. That means there is no delay in waiting for the screen to rotate when you slide out the keyboard to type a message. Perfect!

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Read the rest of My Favorite Windows Mobile Standard Device is… at MobileJaw.

Taking a Look Into the Samsung Omnia II at Mobility Minded

Mike Temporale — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:40:00 +0000

Verizon has recently launched the Samsung Omnia II smartphone powered by Windows Mobile 6.5. This is the follow up to the extremely popular Omnia which saw a CDMA release in North America along with 2 different GSM versions released in Europe and the Middle East. Mobility Minded has posted a 3 part review that takes an in-depth view of this device. Part 1 is focused on unboxing the device. Part 2 walks you through the user interface that Samsung loaded onto the Omnia II, and part 3 deals with data input on the device. Samsung has done some great work with this follow up to the Omnia.

Check out the video’s at Mobility Minded and let us know if you’re thinking of adding one of these to your holiday wish list.

Taking a Closer Look at Samsungs Jack Smartphone with Windows Mobile 6.5

Mike Temporale — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Last week, Samsung released Windows Mobile 6.5 for their popular Jack Smartphone. Microsoft claims that the Windows Mobile 6.5 update is all about touch. It offers an improved home screen and today menu for touch screen devices, as well as an updated version of Internet Explorer Mobile, Market Place for Mobile, and a number of more finger friendly enhancements to the general user interface. But the Samsung Jack does not have a touch screen. So is there any reason to apply this update?

Samsung offers the following list of enhancements and additions that Windows Mobile 6.5 brings to the Jack:

Internet Explorer Mobile 6
Windows Market Place for Mobile
Modified UI with updated text & icons in several areas
Enhanced, Java platform
Battery optimization
Radio signal optimization
Fixed, T9 predictive logic (able to use z character)
Added, RNDIS bypass support (Settings>Connection>USB) for simpler desktop connectivity
Added, AT&T WiFi and Mobile Share
Added, Vlingo for Windows Phone for improved voice recognition

The two big things that you’re going to see after upgrading to 6.5 are an improved web browsing experience thanks to Internet Explorer Mobile 6 and the new Market Place for Mobile. I’m sure that Samsung has done some tweaks to the battery life, but it’s nothing ground breaking. I haven’t noticed an extra day or power or anything. As for the modified UI, take a look at the pictures below and you be the judge if there’s anything there that is so over the top you just have to have it, because, frankly, I don’t see it.

While the market place is a welcome addition, it has yet to receive the praise or attention that it needs from developers to make it worth while. Many developers still see developing for Windows Mobile as a costly endeavor and that hasn’t changed with 6.5.

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Read the rest of Taking a Closer Look at Samsungs Jack Smartphone with Windows Mobile 6.5 at MobileJaw.

Samsung Releases Windows Mobile 6.5 Upgrade for Jack

Mike Temporale — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:45:00 +0000

Samsung has released their ROM upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.5 for the Jack Smartphone. Now, to be clear about which Samsung Jack we’re talking about; If you have a Rogers or Fido Samsung Jack, then this upgrade is not for you. If you have an AT&T Samsung Jack, then this is your path to Windows Mobile 6.5. The full details and installation instructions can be found on Samsung’s website. And just like with past upgrades, Samsung has made it as difficult as possible to upgrade your device. There’s numerous steps and hoops that you need to jump through, but in the end I think the result will be worth it.

Before performing this upgrade, be sure to backup any personal information you might have on the device. The upgrade will wipe the device and restore it to factory default settings. If you don’t have a backup procedure in place, I highly recommend you install Microsoft’s My Phone service and backup all your data to the cloud for free. You can sign up here, or read more about it in my review – here.

I’m off to upgrade my Jack. If you have any problems or questions about the upgrade process, just post them in the comments here and I’ll do what I can to help. I’ll post my thoughts on the new ROM once my device is flashed and I’ve had a chance to play around with it.

Update: It looks like the update will not run on Windows 7, even if it’s run under compatibility mode as an administrator. You’ll need a machine running Vista or XP in order to do this upgrade. When I launched the installer on Vista, it failed the first time. I had to run the installer as an administrator in order for it to work.

Palm and Motorola Call it Quits on Windows Mobile

Mike Temporale — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:30:00 +0000

This past week word broken that both Palm and Motorola would stop using Windows Mobile on their handheld devices. That can’t be good news for Microsoft as they struggle to regain market and mind share as new mobile operating systems are moving in quickly. But is really all doom and gloom? Sure, it’s never good to lose customers to the competition, but did Palm and Moto really bring that much to Windows Mobile?

With all the handsets created by both Palm and Moto, only 1 device ever made Microsoft’s million plus sellers list – only 1. That device was Motorola’s Q, a ground breaking device for its time, even if it had a hard time making it through a day on a charge. Just like the RAZR, Moto has tried to recapture their success with similar styled follow-up devices without much luck.

As for Palm, their users a very loyal and typically love their handhelds. However, Palm was never able to get their popular Treo handsets into the million plus sellers club. It’s no surprise that once Palm was able to release their new, long awaited follow-up to the Palm OS, dubbed the WebOS that they would toss in the towel on Windows Mobile. The new Palm Pre running the WebOS is getting mediocre reviews on the street, but Palm.afford to continue working with 2 mobile operating systems. They need to curb the cash flow and cutting the mobile license fee that Microsoft asking for Windows Mobile is one sure fire way to save a little money in the short term. Can they last purely on their WebOS? We’ll have to wait and see on that one.

For me, I’m more looking forward to what Samsung, HTC, HP, etc… are going to release next, and what LG is going to bring to the table when they get their first devices out of the gate later this year.

HTC Snap vs Samsung Jack – FIGHT!

Mike Temporale — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Being a big fan of the Messenger style Windows Mobile devices, I was pretty excited to see HTC return to this market with the Snap (T-Mobile Dash 3g, Verizon Ozone, etc…). While they were away, Samsung really stepped up their game and released a number of devices. HTC typically does a great job on the hardware, so let’s compare it to the latest and greatest device from Samsung and see how it fairs.

Processor

Both the HTC Snap (also known as the T-Mobile Dash 3G) and the Samsung Jack sport a 528MHz processor which provides a wealth of power for general tasks. Despite the fast processor, I have noticed some lag on the HTC Snap. Especially on opening the start menu after a fresh reboot. It’s a good 4-5 seconds waiting for the start menu to populate. It draws the windows almost instantly, but it takes a while to show the available programs. Advantage – Jack

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Read the rest of HTC Snap vs Samsung Jack – FIGHT! at MobileJaw.

A Closer Look – The Samsung Jack Reviewed

Mike Temporale — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:00:00 +0000

It may not be called BlackJack, but the new Samsung Jack is the third release in the popular BlackJack series of smartphones. The original BlackJack and BlackJack II devices both reached the million plus sales mark. Can Samsung repeat that success with this new phone? If first impressions are any indication, then the new Jack should easily live up to the reputation of the BlackJack’s before it and reach that million seller mark.

Here’s a rundown of the technical specifications for the new Jack:

Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard (Non-Touch)
528MHz Processor
256MB ROM / 256MB RAM
Supports 16GB MicroSD
GSM/GPRS/EDGE – 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
3G UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA – 850 / 1900 / 2100 MHz
HSDPA – 3.6 Mbps
320 x 240, 2.4 inch screen
QWERTY Backlit keyboard
1480 mAh Battery
3.2 Megapixel Camera
WiFi – 802.11b/g
GPS
Bluetooth 2.0
4.4 x 2.4 x 0.5 inches (H x W x D)
Weight – 3.6 ounces

If you compare these specs to the BlackJack II, you’ll notice that the processor is a whole lot faster, and the battery is a whole lot less. The BlackJack II sported a 260MHz processor, while the new Jack has a 528MHz processor. That’s a pretty significant upgrade in speed and it’s noticeable. The battery goes from 1700mAh down to 1480mAh. That’s a drop of 220mAh! We’ve got a faster phone with a smaller battery and if you guessed that battery life dropped, then you would be right. The BlackJack II would easily make it through a day and most of the second day before it would need a charge. With the Jack, you will get 24 hours our of a charge and then need to charge it. If you have a busy day, you’ll need to charge it when you get home. Otherwise, you’ll probably need to charge it on the way to work in the morning.(...)
Read the rest of A Closer Look – The Samsung Jack Reviewed at MobileJaw.