By
John Chan
23/10/2007
URL:
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/mobilephones/0,39050603,62033678,00.htm
We've been talking about the i-mate Ultimate series since hearing about it earlier this year. Somewhere along the line, there were even rumors that the company will be dropping all but two of them, leaving only the 8150 and 6150 PDA-phones. Well, it looks like there was some truth to that. No, the company didn't axe the rest of the Ultimate series, but it did a redesign resulting in the new 9502 and 8502 devices.
Like the previously announced products, the two new devices in the Ultimate series come jam-packed with features. The 9502 has a slide-out display, much like the Sidekick products which are popular in the US. It's quite hefty at 200g, but comes with a 2.8-inch VGA display, built-in GPS, HSDPA and HSUPA. Just about every feature you can think of in a Windows Mobile 6 device can be found in the 9502.
The other new Ultimate, the 8502, has a form factor similar to the BlackBerry and Treo devices. It's the only one in the series with a QVGA display but its other specs remain impressive with integrated GPS, HSDPA and HSUPA connectivity. These two devices use the 400MHz Qualcomm MSM 7200 processor, the same one found in current and upcoming HTC products starting with the TyTN II.
Besides the new additions to the series, it looks like the 8150 and 6150 will sport different colors, too. Instead of the off-white shade previously, they will now come in black. More detailed specifications are now available along with new images.
Outside of the Ultimate series, i-mate also has a range of devices named Jama-- three lower-end devices without 3G capabilities. Two of them are touchscreen devices, while the Jama 201, the only one of the three with a QWERTY keyboard, will run Windows Mobile 6 Standard and does not have a touchscreen interface.
As previously reported, i-mate will be setting up an office in Singapore for this region and the latest is it will be launching its brand here soon. But as of now, the company is unable to confirm the availability of these new products in Asia Pacific. We'll have to wait and see what it has planned in the coming month. Click over to the next page for images and specs of the new models.
The new i-mates
| Model name | In a nutshell |
i-mate Ultimate 9502
Click for more details
|
Wow factor: Don't mistake this for a Sidekick messaging device, it packs a lot more punch than that handset.
Notable features:
- Runs Windows Mobile 6 Professional
- Quadband GSM, 3G/HSDPA
- 400MHz Qualcomm MSM 7200 processor
- Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.0
- 128MB RAM; 256MB ROM
- 640 x 480-pixel display
- 3-megapixel camera
Availability: TBC
|
i-mate Ultimate 8502
Click for more details
|
Wow factor: The BlackBerry-esque form factor of the 8502 will appeal to the email and messaging fanatics.
Notable features:
- Runs Windows Mobile 6 Professional
- Quadband GSM, 3G/HSDPA
- 400MHz Qualcomm MSM 7200 processor
- Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.0
- 128MB RAM; 256MB ROM
- 320 x 240-pixel display
- 2-megapixel camera
Availability: TBC
|
i-mate JAMA 201
|
Wow factor: The JAMA 201 is the only one in the new lineup which features WM6 Standard for a non-touchscreen interface.
Notable features:
- Runs Windows Mobile 6 Standard
- Triband GSM
- 300MHz Samsung processor
- Bluetooth
- 64MB RAM; 128MB ROM
- 2.5-inch display
- 2-megapixel camera
Availability: TBC
|
i-mate JAMA 101
|
Wow factor: The 101 is another basic model with triband GSM and WM6 Professional.
Notable features:
- Runs Windows Mobile 6 Professional
- Triband GSM
- 300MHz Samsung processor
- Bluetooth
- 64MB RAM; 128MB ROM
- 240 x 320-pixel display
- 2-megapixel camera
Availability: TBC
|
i-mate JAMA
|
Wow factor: If entry-level is what you are looking for, the JAMA will fit the bill perfectly.
Notable features:
- Runs Windows Mobile 5.0
- Dualband GSM
- 300MHz Samsung processor
- Bluetooth
- 64MB RAM; 128MB ROM
- 240 x 320-pixel display
- 2-megapixel camera
Availability: TBC
|