12 Dec 2007 10:09
i-mate Ultimate 8150, 6150, JAMA 101, 201
i-mate has not had an easy time recently. Since the company lost its longstanding relationship with HTC as a supplier of Windows Mobile devices it has had to find an alternative — and has not always done so with success.
The last i-mate device we reviewed was the JAMA which we judged to be good but not outstanding. Prior to that we found the keyboard-equipped JAQ somewhat clunky.
However, i-mate has recently announced an array of devices, four of which have landed at ZDNet UK at the same time, courtesy of Expansys. Two are extensions to the JAMA range, while the other two introduce the new Ultimate range.
i-mate Ultimate 8150
£399.96 (ex. VAT handset only)
The Ultimate 8150 is a large-format, keyboard-equipped handheld running Windows Mobile 6 Professional. Its Intel PXA 270 processor runs at 520MHz, and it is equipped with 256MB of ROM and 128MB of RAM. A microSD card slot sits unprotected on the left edge of the device.
Interestingly, the Ultimate 8150 also sports a graphics accelerator in the shape of NVIDIA's GoForce 5500. The device can output XGA-resolution graphics (and audio) via an adapter. We haven't tested this feature, but in theory it means you can run presentations from the Ultimate 8150.
The keypad is a classic mobile phone type, with letters and numbers sharing individual keys. All keys are 5mm tall, but their width varies in order to provide a design feature. We measured the widest at 22mm, the narrowest at 14mm. This is quite a difference, and there may be a learning curve before you can type very quickly.
i-mate Ultimate 8150 continued
The Ultimate 8150's mini-joystick is offset rather than being centrally located under the screen. It's embedded between the 2, 5, 3 and 6 keys and does not protrude greatly from its surroundings. There's also a scroll wheel on the left edge of the device.
The Ultimate 8150 is made of a black, rubberised material that's easy to grip but uninspiring to look at. The screen is a relatively small 2.6in. unit with VGA (640x480) resolution, and is remarkably sharp and clear.
The phone is a quad-band GSM with GPRS, EDGE, 3G and HSDPA support. There's a front-facing camera for video calling and a 2-megapixel camera on the back for stills and video. Bluetooth and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi are both integrated.
This is a chunky device measuring 118.5mm tall, 60.5mm wide and 15.5mm thick. It weighs 152g.
i-mate Ultimate 6150
£382.94 (ex. VAT handset only)
The Ultimate 6150 is closely related to the 8150. The chassis design of the two devices is very similar, both sharing a black rubberised casing, an unprotected microSD card slot on the left edge and a scroll wheel.
Internally there are similarities too: the Ultimate 6150 runs Windows Mobile 6 Professional; the processor is Intel’s 520MHz PXA 270; and there's an integrated NVIDIA GoForce 5500 graphics adapter. Like the 8150, the Ultimate 6150 comes with 256MB of ROM and 128MB of RAM.
The similarities continue: the 6150 is a quad-band GSM device with GPRS, EDGE, 3G and HSDPA support. It has a front-facing camera for video calling and a 2-megapixel unit on the back. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are integrated.
i-mate Ultimate 6150 continued
The difference between the two Ultimate devices lie in the screen and keyboard design. The display is a VGA-resolution TFT, but this time it's slightly larger at 2.8in. across the diagonal. The extra screen size is achieved because the Ultimate 6150 lacks a keyboard.
i-mate has used the same miniature joystick, in the same off-centre position, but this time it's part of a strip of buttons that includes Call and End keys and the Windows Mobile Start and OK buttons. A thin strip beneath the screen carries the Windows Mobile shortcut buttons — again this is the same strip as found in the Ultimate 8150.
It may not surprise you to learn that the 6150 shares its dimensions and weight with the 8150: 118.5mm tall, 60.5mm wide, 15.5mm thick and 152g.
i-mate JAMA 101
£187.19 (ex. VAT handset only)
The JAMA 101 is the smallest of i-mate's new devices and very reminiscent of the JAMin, which we looked at in May 2006. The JAMA 101 is smaller than the JAMin, though, and is as close as we've seen a Windows Mobile 6 Professional device come to emulating a candybar-format mobile phone. It is 105mm tall, 52.5mm wide and 15.5mm thick, and weighs just 110g.
One consequence of the overall small size of the JAMA 101 is a small screen. At just 2.4in. from corner to corner, it is tiny.
i-mate JAMA 101 continued
The bank of buttons beneath the screen is large. The navigation pad is recessed, making it very comfortable under the finger, while the remaining buttons are slightly raised from their surroundings. These comprise Call, End, Start and OK buttons plus the two Windows Mobile softmenu buttons. At the back is a 2 megapixel camera.
The specifications are a touch sparse. Bluetooth is present, but Wi-Fi is not. The JAMA 101 is powered by a 300MHz Samsung processor and comes with 128MB of ROM and 64MB of RAM, with a microSD card slot under a protective cover on the left edge. The phone is tri-band GSM phone with GPRS support, but there's no 3G.
i-mate JAMA 201
£187.19 (ex. VAT handset only)
The JAMA 201 is the only one of the four new devices not to run Windows Mobile 6 Professional. It runs the Standard version of the operating system, which means it lacks a touch screen.
Windows Mobile 6 Standard does include the Office Mobile suite of applications — Word Mobile, Excel Mobile and PowerPoint Mobile, the former two allowing you edit documents.
The JAMA 201 has a full QWERTY keyboard beneath the screen. Its keys exhibit a considerable amount of play in their housing, and we found this helped with faster typing. We hope they are well secured, though.
i-mate JAMA 201 continued
Like many other QWERTY-equipped devices, the JAMA 201 is fairly large. It measures 113mm tall, 63mm wide and 14mm thick, and weighs 152g.
Above the keyboard is a large bank of shortcut buttons — Call, End, Home and Back, Windows Mobile softmenu keys and a large navigation button. These are ranged on a sloping base: the section of the casing that haolds the screen is thicker than that holding the keyboard. The 320-by-240 resolution screen measures 2.4in. across the diagonal and is in landscape orientation.
The JAMA 201 is a tri-band GSM device with GPRS support, but it lacks 3G. It has 128MB of ROM and 64MB of RAM, and there's a microSD card slot for memory expansion. This is located on the upper front edge of the casing where it's easily accessible, although it's not protected by a cover. The processor, from Samsung, runs at 300MHz.
There is a 2-mgapixel camera at the back. Bluetooth is integrated, but Wi-Fi is absent.
Conclusion
i-mate has been quiet for some time, and this quartet of devices is, in effect, an attempt to relaunch the company. The range targets four distinct types of user, with four distinct sets of requirements.
The general build quality of all four devices is a little short of top-notch, though the rubberised casing is comfortable in the hand.
The JAMA devices are both disappointing in terms of specification, and they have plenty of competition. Lacking Wi-Fi and 3G, they may struggle in the market. We do appreciate the small size of the JAMA 101 though.
The two Ultimate devices show more promise, including some leading-edge specifications and adding a feature we’ve not seen before in XGA-resolution output to an external device.
Story URL: http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/handhelds/0,1000000735,39291454,00.htm
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