i-mate hits the operators in Singapore

John Chan | Mar 11, 2008

The i-mate Ultimate range of PDA-phones started to go on sale in Singapore during last week's IT Show. We commented that those waiting for an operator discount would have to wait further because it seemed then that the device would be sold only at retail shops. Well, we didn't have to wait long as the Dubai-based company has announced that it has tied up deals with operators StarHub and M1 to make two models of its range available through them.

With M1, i-mate will be offering its top-of-the-line model, the Ultimate 9502. While with StarHub, the 8502 will be available, another Windows Mobile PDA-phone with a form factor similar to the Treo and BlackBerry devices.

Some of you may be asking: "What's the big deal? Why is this considered news?" Well, if you've noticed the mobile phone models sold by operators, they are generally from big brand names like Nokia and Sony Ericsson. Though not new in the business, i-mate is relatively unknown in these parts, and having its products out there in operator advertisements and promotions is a big boost. This could pave the way for i-mate to do well here and build up a fan base, which will provide much-needed competition in the Windows Mobile handheld space.

Prices have yet to be announced. But with operator discounts, they will surely be lower than their retail prices of S$1,348 (9502) and S$1,298 (8502). As of now, the Ultimate series have started to go on sale only in Australia and Singapore for the Asia-Pacific region. The company said these will be released in more countries but is unable to be more specific at this time.

Filed under: Handhelds
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