01/06/2009
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/mobilephones/0,39051199,44562549p,00.htm

There are very few ruggedized mobile phone choices in the market simply because these devices have a very niche target audience. Aside from the Sonim XP1 and XP3, Samsung has a couple of handsets built to withstand extreme conditions. The i-mate 810-F, announced at the Mobile World Congress this year, aims to run apart from the ruggedized pack as it powers on the robust Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone operating system.

Upside

If it was a match between man and machine, the 810-F would probably outlast us. In our few days with the phone, we've dropped it, dunked it in water and left it in the freezer. Granted our tests were rather simplistic, but it was evidently clear that the device would survive everyday abuse and accidents. Though we won't be able to test this aprt its claims, the 810-F can theoretically withstand temperatures from -10 degrees to 60 degrees Celsius.

In the hands, this i-mate feels solid. Well, it has to be. The chassis is made of impact-resistant rubber locked in by six metal screws on the front. The only parts which are exposed are the six contact points for the charging dock found at the back. Removable components are kept to a minimum with only the SIM card slot on the right edge and the RF connector at the back protected by rubber covers.

The 810-F has no lack of connectivity features including tri-band UMTS with HSDPA for high-speed data transfers. The quad-band GSM radio means it should work in most countries. In addition, the smartphone packs a 2.46-inch QVGA touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS with A-GPS for navigation and a 2-megapixel fixed-focus camera. Registering as a premium customer also gets you access to Secure i-Q. This lets you remotely lock or wipe data on the handset from any desktop browser connected to the Internet.

Downside

When we wrote about the 810-F last month, we mentioned that the company is offering a lifetime warranty for the device subject to terms and conditions. So while we already knew there would be a catch, it didn't prepare us for what this amounted to. According to i-mate, users have to pay an optional annual fee of US$150 that will go to servicing the phone in order to make sure that it is still in good stead after the first year. It will include complimentary software and firmware upgrades, access to i-mate's Secure i-Q security feature and replacement units. This means that you are paying for the lifetime warranty, an irony which we can't quite put our fingers on.



The 810-F also fails on three other aspects. Firstly, the keyboard is too stiff. While each button is clearly defined, it requires effort to type and our thumbs had a full workout as we punched out text messages. Secondly, the pointing device is a joke. It is short, flat and just plain unusable. Thirdly, the screen is embedded under a clear layer of material with a gap between. This is to protect the panel from impact, but it felt unreal tapping on the touchscreen.

There isn't an expansion card slot in the 810-F, though 2GB of onboard memory should suffice for most basic uses. We also didn't get to test out the 1,200mAh battery. This would have been fine for most smartphones, but it may not be enough for users who work in cold weather. This is because batteries drain faster in the cold and since the cell is non-swappable on the 810-F, finding a power source could potentially be difficult in that kind of condition.

Outlook

We can't say we're impressed with the i-mate 810-F at this point because of its numerous shortcomings. But for the minority who require a hardy smartphone in their line of work, there isn't much of a choice and the 810-F is a decent companion. The i-mate is expected in Singapore in July at an estimated US$699. It will also be available in Taiwan and Japan about the same time.