Gizmodo: i-mate

i-mate Briefly Reappears On Everyone's Radar, Just to Die

John Herrman — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:22:55 EDT

Oct 23 2007: The last time we posted a story on i-mate, a once-hopeful early player in the Windows Mobile handset field. Since then, the company's story has been one of slow decline: restructuring, moving, layoffs, missed orders and debt. And now, at long last, death. [ITP]

i-Mate Creating Palm Foleo-like UMPC With i-Mate Shell?

Jason Chen — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:29:19 EDT

According to Ubergizmo, i-Mate's working on a Palm Foleo-like UMPC/PDA device that has a 1024x768 display, a built-in keyboard, an 80 (!) hour battery, and a price point of only $300. However, this shell is just a "shell" (like its name), and uses one of i-Mate's Windows Mobile Ultimate smartphones as a base/processor. That makes sense with the VGA and XVGA display out on the phones, and is slightly more reasonable than what the Foleo was trying to do. [UberGizmo]

i-Mate Ultimates Gallery and Hands-on

Jason Chen — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 13:43:25 EDT

Here's a close-up hands-on gallery of the i-Mate smartphones we saw last night. We got a quick hands-on with them, and to us they feel just as speedy—if not speedier than the HTC phones we're used to (thanks to the beefy processors they have inside). The D-Pad used for scrolling is more like a nub or a small joystick than a scrollpad, which takes some getting used to. Other than that, the screens are huge, but it's hard to use a Windows Mobile phone for messaging if there's no on-board QWERTY keyboard. Only two of the phones have a keyboard, which means the ones that don't are more for incoming data than outgoing. Do we prefer these to the HTCs? It's too early to say, but they're at least on-par.

i-Mate Makes Official North American Push With 4 Windows Mobile Smartphones

Jason Chen — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:58:57 EDT

These four devices in the i-Mate Ultimates line—the 9502, 8502, 8150 and the 6150— are i-Mate's official push into the North American market. We've seen their Ultimates line before, but now they've promised a marketing campaign and sales direct from their website. Until now, the US market for Windows Mobile phones have been dominated by HTC and Palm (with some various other smaller companies picking up the end), but i-Mate's a big contender overseas. Here's what the four phones look like.

The 9502 is quad-band GSM, 3G Windows Mobile 6, 3-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash, front facing VGA camera for video calls, GPS, 2.86-inch backlit LCD, microSD support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a 400MHz Quallcomm MSM 7200 processor, and a QWERTY keyboard underneath (the screen slides out).

The 8502 is also quad-band GSM and 3G with Windows Mobile 6, but has a 2-megapixel cam, GPS, 2.6-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, but the interesting feature is its XGA output for projectors and TVs so you can make presentations right from your phone. The QWERTY keyboard is right on board, on the bottom.

Then there's the 8510, which is similar to the 8502 with the XGA out, quad-band GSM, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 2-megapixel camera with flash, VGA front camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 2.6-inch touchscreen. The big difference is its lack of a QWERTY keyboard.

Finally the bottom of the pack is the 6150, with XGA out, quad-band GSM, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 2-megapixel auto-focus camera, VGA front-facing camera, and a 2.8-inch touchscreen. No keyboard on this model either.

Will this be enough to make a dent into HTC's 4-carrier explosionary dominance? Hard to say. I-Mate's targeting their products more towards Enterprises and people who know the i-Mate brand and want to purchase the phones sans-carrier subsidy (Gizmodo readers). Release dates for the phones are targeted at November. [i-Mate]

i-mate Shows New SideShow-enabled Portable Display

Louis Ramirez — Fri, 18 May 2007 14:00:22 EDT

Just when we thought we had seen all the SideShow news from WinHEC, out comes i-mate with the View 2010. The 14-inch portable display has an XGA touchscreen, and in addition to retrieving info from your Vista PC it can also hook up to a keyboard and mouse letting you check email messages, watch videos and do simple Internet browsing. No word on pricing or availability, though it sounds like a larger version of Ricavision's eChatter. – Louis Ramirez

Press Release [PDF]

i-Mate's 2007 Phones Leaked Online

Louis Ramirez — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 09:28:34 EDT

We've given you a heads-up on a couple of i-Mate's forthcoming phones, but now someone at the company has done us the favor of leaking the company's entire roadmap for '07. Aside from the new Ultimate models, there's also an X Series that looks particularly interesting with HSDPA/Edge support and Wi-Fi. The series consists of four phones, which will be released from May to June. Check out the PDF while you can. – Louis Ramirez

i-Mate 2007 Roadmap Leaked [Mobility Site]
i-Mate 2007 Phones (PDF Link) [via Pocket PC Thoughts]

i-Mate Debuts Ultimates Line

Jason Chen — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 21:01:23 EDT

i-Mate's traded their funky "JAQ" naming scheme for five "Ultimate" series of Windows Mobile 6 phones.

All of them have a 520MHz processor, Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA, Quad-Band GSM/EDGE, 802.11b/g/e/i Wi-Fi, Blueooth 2.0, miniUSB, Direct Video Out, microSD, 2.0-megapixel camera, and FM Stereo, but here are the differences, and our hands-on photos:

• Ultimate 5150: 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen slider

• Ultimate 6150: 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen candybar

• Ultimate 7150: 3.8-inch Primary Touchscreen, 2.2-inch OLED secondary display, QWERTY flip-keyboard

• Ultimate 8150: 2.6-inch Primary Touchscreen, candybar shape

• Ultimate 9150: 2.6-inch Touchscreen, clamshell

Five different form factors, but the same technology (basically) inside makes for a wide range of interesting phones. More details as we get them. – Jason Chen

i-Mate X-Stream Digital Media Hub Actually a TV

Jason Chen — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 15:10:01 EST

Not just content to make phones with horribly lousy names, i-Mate is branching into LCD TVs with Media Center PCs built right in to the set. Named the X-Stream Digital Media Hub, this TV has a 500GB hard drive, 720p/1080i support, and a wireless router. Wait, wireless router? We're sure they meant wireless connectivity, not an actual router.

Pretty decent setup assuming the built-in PC has enough power to handle that 720p/1080i, which it should. No pricing info yet. – Jason Chen

i-mate Shows X-Stream Media Hub and RSS Photo Frame [Wired]

Big and Proud: More Impressions of the Nokia e90 and the iMate Ultimate

Louis Ramirez — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 05:57:08 EST

I'm pretty superficial when it comes to my cell phones. I like them thin and stylish—drop them in your pocket and forget they're there. They gotta be smart too, I won't settle for any crap interface (although since I'm on Verizon, that's tough to do). So you'd think I'd be all over Samung's new Ultra series, right. Eh, not really. They need more carbs. Much to my surprise, I ended up falling for these two fatties instead. Nokia's E90 and the locked in glass iMate 7150. The E90 is huge. No doubt about it, but the over-sized keyboard feels great. As for the iMate, it's kinda like an E90 with WM6 (size-wise). Take a look and see what I mean. – Louis Ramirez

iMate's Ultimate Series Run WM6 and Feature VGA Screens

Louis Ramirez — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:18:32 EST

Looks like HTC's X7500 might have met its match. This beauty here is iMate's Ultimate 7150. A tablet/handheld/UMPC type smartphone that not only runs Windows Mobile 6, but also rocks the eye candy with a nice 3.8-inch VGA screen. The GSM/EDGE phone supports HSDPA connectivity and comes with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The model you see here is only a prototype, so it was locked behind glass and guarded heavily by fat mean-looking men. Luckily, we did get to grope the 7150's little sibling, the JAQ4.

The JAQ4 doesn't have a VGA screen (QVGA), but it does come with built-in GPS, a QWERTY keyboard, an FM radio, and Windows Mobile 6. It's pretty lightweight, like the Moto Q, though not as thin. Looks-wise, it got hit with the ugly stick one too many times, but otherwise I've seen fuglier. Both the JAQ4 and the 7150 are expected to make their debut back home in the States in June.

iMate

iMate JAQ4 Gets Official, Slightly More Stylish

Jason Chen — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 13:18:46 EST

Compared to the product renders we saw in December, the official i-Mate JAQ4 looks quite a bit better. It's straighter, squarer, and blacker—a transformation not seen since Steve Urkel drank Boss Sauce and turned into Stefan Urquelle.

As for the phone itself, there's GPS, quad-band GSM, the front QWERTY, a 2.8-inch touchscreen, 64MB RAM, 128MB ROM, miniSD expansion, 200MHz OMAP processor, 802.11b/g WiFi, 2-megapixel auto-focus camera, Bluetooth 1.2, and the whole thing runs on Windows Mobile 6 Crossbow. All in all, the specs aren't THAT impressive, but it's a solid phone that features the next mobile OS from Microsoft. – Jason Chen

i-Mate JAQ4 [i-Mate]

i-Mate KJAR Windows Mobile Smartphone Coming to AT&T or T-Mobile

Jason Chen — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 19:40:42 EST

The i-Mate brand hasn't really had any presence in the US, leaving fans of Windows Mobile smartphones to turn to HTC for all their mobile computing needs. However, as this FCC filing shows, the i-Mate KJAR is going to make its GSM-presence known some time soon.

The KJAR itself looks similar to the Cingular 8525, except this flips and flops instead of sliding. The KJAR has a TI OMAP750 CPU, 128MB ROM, 64MB RAM, 2-megapixel camera, miniSD expansion, 802.11b, and Bluetooth 1.2. Since it loses out in the features department to the 8525—no 3G, no 802.11g, and no Bluetooth 2.0—looking forward to this would be like looking forward to cake when you already had ice cream. Unless it's ice cream cake. Mmmmmmmmm.

– Jason Chen

FCC Filing [via MobileMag]

iMate Momento Digital Picture Frame: Wireless, RSS, Wi-Fi

Charlie White — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 09:05:38 EST

iMate announced the Momento wireless digital picture frame, available in 10.2-inch ($299) and 7-inch ($200) sizes, both with an 800x480 display. You can plug a flash memory card directly into the frame to display its pictures, transfer photos via USB, or send pics to it via Wi-Fi. Plus, the device can communicate with its mother ship, using the Momento Live Online subscription service that lets you upload pics from anywhere.

Momento will also be able to stream picture galleries (such as Flickr) via RSS, forward pictures from your inbox to other Momento Live users, and you can also send photos to the frame from your camera phone. If this really works, it'll slam-dunk that ill-fated eStarling. Both the 10.2-inch Momento100 and the 7-inch Momento70 will be available February 1. No word on the pricing of that Momento Live service, but you get your first month free. – Charlie White

Product Page [Momento Live, via Newlaunches]

I-Mate JAQ4 Tries To Suck Less With GPS, Wi-Fi

Gizloco — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 12:05:42 EST

The best part about the upcoming I-Mate JAQ4 is that it includes a built-in GPS receiver. I say that because there's pretty much nothing here—in the rumored specs, at least—that current smartphones don't already do. You'll find all the staples of smartphones like Wi-Fi, spacious screen (2.8 inches, to be exact) and Windows Mobile. What isn't known is how fast the CPU is, which is a shame because then we've no idea if the smartphone will run swimmingly or dreadfully.

It's also key to point out that, for whatever reason, the I-Mate just hasn't done as well other smartphones out there. Maybe I-Mate will take this opportunity to make something worth your while. Past history would suggest otherwise, however. Definitely a wait-and-see with this one. – Nicholas Deleon

i-mate JAQ4: a candy bar phone with the QWERTY-keyboard and GPS [Mobile-review.com via CrunchGear]

I-Mate JAQ Reviewed (Verdict: Should Have Stuck With HTC)

Jason Chen — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 15:23:06 EDT

CNET calls I-Mate's latest Motorola Q-like device a dud. Why? Because it's pretty ugly, fairly bukly, has no WiFi, and lacks a camera. It does have some redeeming qualities, however, as the keyboard is spacious and easy to use, and the OS is Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC edition. This means you get a touch screen and Pocket Office, which doesn't come with the Motorola Q's Smartphone Edition.

Other features are MP3/WMA/WMV/MPEG4 playback, quad-band GSM, EDGE, Bluetooth 1.2, and four hours of talk time. If it were up to us, I-Mate would have stuck with HTC and released the HTC Excalibur as the I-Mate Joke (or whatever lousy name they come up with this week). Stay away from this one. – Jason Chen

I-mate JAQ [CNET]

i-Mate JAQ in the Wild

Jason Chen — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 17:45:18 EDT

Mobility Today has a few shots of the i-Mate JAQ, which actually look pretty decent in the up-close shots. Which has to be the first time EVER that real pictures look better than the product photos. So, i-Mate, it's probably time for you to get a new cameraman.

To recap, 2.8-inch screen, miniSD, WM5, and Bluetooth. – Jason Chen

First Shots: i-mate JAQ [Mobility Today]

i-Mate Announces Four Windows Mobile Phones at CTIA

Jason Chen — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 16:01:09 EDT

Targeted at all segments of the smartphone loving community, these four phones come in three different form-factors and all feature Windows Mobile 5 as their operating system. First, their i-Mate JAQ, which is not a rebadged HTC Excalibur like we first thought. It has a Motorola Q-like shape, a QWERTY keyboard, 64MB of internal usable storage, 2.8-inch color LCD, miniSD for expanded memory, and Bluetooth. It runs Windows Mobile Pocket PC edition, and not the Smartphone edition, like the Motorola Q.

The other three phones after the jump.

The second is the i-Mate SPL, which as we noted, looks like a Moto SLVR. This phone runs Windows Mobile Smartphone Edition, has a 200MHz TI OMAP processor, 64MB internal memory, miniSD card slot, 2 megapixel camera, and 2.2-inch screen.

The next is the i-Mate SP JAS, which is a candybar phone and has a thumbwheel for easier navigation. There's a built-in 1.3 megapixel camera plus a front camera for video calling, WCDMA/HSDPA connectivity, tri-band GSM, 64MB memory, microSD slot, and 2.2-inch LCD. This, most likely, runs the Smartphone Edition as well.

Last is the i-Mate JASJAM, the rebadged version of the HTC TyTN we've grown to love, not to mention want really badly. The phone is quad-band GSM, 3G HSDPA/WCDMA, has 64MB internal memory , a microSD slot for expansion, 2.8-inch touch-screen, and a 2 megapixel camera. There's also a front camera for 3G video calls as well. – Jason Chen

i-mate Announces Four New Windows Mobile Devices [MobileTechReview]

SPL Product Page [i-Mate]

JAQ Product Page [i-Mate]

I-Mate SPL Looks Like a SLVR

Brian Lam — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 16:45:40 EDT

The I-Mate SPL is the slimmest I-Mate to date. It's gorgeous, but that keypad gives us SLVR deja vu. Besides ganking Motorola's industrial design, we're pretty sure this phone is going to wow us with its Windows Mobile 5.0 OS, tri-band GSM, 128MB ROM, 64MB RAM, 2.2-inch color screen, miniSD card and Bluetooth.

As far as we know, this is not an HTC OEM, so don't bother looking for it on any other carriers that usually carry HTC devices. People may like the Motorola RAZR/SLVR style keypad, but will they really enjoy typing long emails and entering in calendar info on it? Probably not. – Jason Chen

Press Release [Mobility Today]

I-Mate SPL [Mobility Today]

I-Mate JAQ Glamour Shots Reveal Oversized Bottom

Brian Lam — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:00:20 EDT

I'd always thought of I-Mate and HTC Smartphones as highly-functional Windows Mobile kit that looks too ugly to pull out at a bar. Then we caught a glimpse at the JAQ a few weeks ago, and daaaaaaaamn did that phone look fine. Today, a Mobility Today photo gallery dropped JAQ beauty shots on us ultimately revealing the phone's fat booty. The spec sheet quotes a thickness of 22mm, and we're thinking that has to be the battery pack. That might lend itself to better handling, but it's not going to slip into my pocket like a Motorola Q, is it? Stat-smather after the jump.–Brian Lam

Stats:

* operating system: Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0

* processor: TI OMAP850 200Mhz

* RAM / ROM [MB]: 64/128

* display: 2.8 inch 320x240 (QVGA) TFT LCD 64K colors

* weight: 160g (with battery)

* dimensions: 122mm x 71mm x 22mm

* card slot: mini SD

* wireless: IrDA, Bluetooth v1.2

* battery: 1440 mAh Li-Ion

I-Mate JAQ Photos [Mobility Today]

i-Mate Releases JASJAM and SP JAS, Re-badged Versions of The HTC TyTN and MTeoR

Jason Chen — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 17:15:49 EDT

i-Mate continues the practice of letting the CEO's two year old child name their phones by releasing the i-Mate JASJAM and the i-MATE SP JAS. The JASJAM is their re-badged version of the HTC TyTN, and the SP JAS is their HTC MTeoR. Honestly, we can't decide which one of these two sets of names we dislike more. Though, HTC probably is a bit better since their names, phonetically, sound like real words.

In any case, both phones support GSM, GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA, HSDPA and Bluetooth, and a secondary camera for 3G video calling. They both have push email, since they're running Windows Mobile 5. The JASJAM also has WiFi, a QWERTY keyboard, a 2.8-inch touchscreen, and a 1300mAh battery which gives 5 hours talk time and 8 days of standby. The SP JAS has a 300MHz processor, and similar battery life at 4 hours talk, 7 days standby.

Both are available now for $888 (JASJAM) and $544 (SP JAS). – Jason Chen

i-mate Launches JASJAM and SP JAS Windows Mobile 5.0 Phones [Mobile Burn]