Today, Telstra announced the availability of the Samsung i617T smartphone. The device is going to be an addition to the Next G range, thus presenting customers with more handsets to choose from when they make a buy.

The Samsung i617T is actually Samsung Blackjack II but, considering that it was released in the US almost a year ago, it seems that the company has decided to change its name in order to give it that new and shiny feel. This would be the second smartphone Australian Telstra users get, the predecessor of i617T being Samsung BlackJack.

"The new Samsung smartphone will allow customers to keep in touch with the office while they are out and about using email and calendar over Telstra's superfast Next G™ network.“ said Telstra Business Group Managing Director, Deena Shiff, speaking of the new addition.

"The Samsung i617T combines the advantages of a Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone with the coverage benefits of Telstra's super-fast Next G™ network, all at a very competitive price. Customers will enjoy a powerful personal computer experience with fast access to Microsoft Push Email, full synchronization of calendar, contacts, tasks and files, fast download of attachments, and fast access to the internet in more places across Australia." Shiff further explained.

The phone provides a 2.4-inch high resolution screen, full QWERTY keyboard, and it features a 2MP camera with video recording capabilities, an MP3 Player, 100 MB of built-in memory and a microSD card slot expandable up to 4GB. Also, the phone is rated at 3.6Mbps peak download, and comes with 3GSM Tri Band capability, thus giving customers traveling abroad roaming access to 3G mobile coverage.

The retail price for Samsung i617T is set at 589 AUD, but since Telstra is selling the smartphone together with a range of data plans, users will actually be able to get it for less than that.