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Today, Sprint released a major software upgrade for the Samsung Ace, its version BlackJack II from AT&T. Sprint first rolled out this Windows Mobile smartphone back in February.

Key enhancements in the update include improved GPS to support Sprint Navigation, Windows Mobile 6.1 and the addition of Office Mobile 6.1.

Sprint Navigation provides audio and visual turn-by-turn directions, more than 10 million local listings, and one-click traffic rerouting on compatible phones, similar to an in-vehicle GPS system.

Office Mobile 6.1 allows users to view and edit the latest versions of Microsoft Word and Excel documents. It also enables them to view the latest versions of PowerPoint and PDFs.

Windows Mobile 6.1 provides new timesaving features, easier phone navigation and management, stronger security safeguards, support for Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008, and an improved Internet Explorer Mobile application, among other enhancements.

In a nod toward the openness, the upgrade will also allow for the installation of unsigned third-party applications, even those without certification.

This free software ROM upgrade and downloading instructions are available here.

Samsung's Ace is tablet-shaped and can be used both in and outside the U.S.-typical of handsets offered by GSM carriers like AT&T, but rare for CDMA operators like Sprint.

This world phone capability is, perhaps, the Ace's most interesting feature. So in addition to a Sprint-standard CDMA radio with EV-DO 3G data networking, the Ace sports a second, GSM-type dual-band (900/1800Mhz} radio for use when abroad.

Unfortunately, you can't get super fast cellular-wireless 3G (or even 2.5G EDGE) GSM data networking with the Ace in areas outside the U.S. That's because the Ace's GSM radio tops out at anemic GPRS data-exchange standard.

Like the BlackJack II, the Ace integrates a BlackBerry-like QWERTY thumb-keyboard and a 2.3-inch, 240 x 320 pixel (QVGA) resolution display. Because it runs on the Windows Mobile 6 Standard platform, the display is not a touch screen.

The 4.65 x 2.32 x 0.46-inch and 3.9-ounce smartphone includes 64MB of RAM, 128MB of ROM, and a microSD card slot for gigabytes of extra storage. There's also a 1.3 megapixel camera, 1300 mAH standard battery for around 4.3 hours talk time, and Bluetooth 2.0 wireless with support for stereo headphones.

It includes support for carrier-specific content like Sprint TV's over 50 channels of live television and on-demand video and audio, for example.

The Samsung Ace currently sells for $99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate.