Alright, so maybe its a bit over stated, but I have recently switched from my trusty old VX-6700 to the new Cingular Blackjack. I have to say that I am extremely impressed. First, the some of the major differences:
- The Blackjack is on a GSM network and the 6700 is on CDMA (Cingular v Verizon).
- The Blackjack is 3G capable. The number one requiremnt at this time in my life is to have the ability to be mobile. With the 3g (HSDPA) service I can do that to the tune of about 800kbps down and 486 kbps up. Not too shabby for a cell phone.
- The Blackjack is a smartphone not a Pocket PC. That means its a phone first but with the integrated QWERTY keyboard it is still easy to respond to emails and search on the net.
I switched providers from Verizon to Cingular for a few reasons but the biggest is the difference in price. Being that I work at an employer with some clout, we happen to have a stellar discount on service and accessories with Cingular. Verizon, not so much. Also since I will be a more global traveller, GSM will allow me a better chance of having my phone work in South America or India.
If you want to get a good deal on the thing, you can get one from Wirefly.com. They have a deal now where if you plan on signing up for the data service plan you can get your phone for $49.00 after rebate. Vastly different from the $199 (after rebate) from Cingular. Wirefly transferred my number over as well as sent me all the forms I need to send back. The downer is that you have to wait 150 days before you can submit your rebate request. Here is a picture of the BlackJack.
(Image courtesy of Cingular)