i-mate goes deep with Ultimate line, five models promised

i-mate is taking a pretty interesting approach with its newest range of Windows Mobile devices -- the WM6-equipped "Ultimate" range -- by shoving a full five models out the door, all differing only in form factor. Clockwise from the upper left, we have all five in purely theoretical, rendered form: the 5150, 6150, 7150, 9150, and 8150. The strategy makes sense, really; everyone wants a solid spec sheet, but getting everyone to agree on a single shape is an exercise in futility. With 256MB of ROM, VGA displays across the board, tri-band 3G radios, Bluetooth 2.0, and FM radios, the Ultimates definitely hold their own in the spec department -- the only question, then, is whether they've nailed the industrial design. The first model being shown all public-like, the 5150 slider, is admittedly an acquired taste, but some of the others really caught our eyes (7150 and 9150, we're looking at you).

Gallery: i-mate's Ultimate line

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[Matt @ Feb 12th 2007 9:02PM]

Give me the one in the to left corner and throw in linux and you got me sold

[NomBomB @ Feb 12th 2007 9:27PM]

the 7150 is effing boss mang! sign me up.

[Mobi Fin @ Feb 12th 2007 9:27PM]

Ohhh.... I'll take the one with the keyboard! Is beautiful... Windows Mobile 6 please and I can get my companmy to pay for it!

[Jeff Lewis @ Feb 12th 2007 9:32PM]

I'm just amazed the Macboys haven't shown up to point out the hinge on the 7150 and 9150 look a lot like the iBook hinge design. :)

And yeah - put me down for a 7150. Just hope it comes in under a grand...

[chris @ Feb 12th 2007 10:06PM]

that 7150 is WICKED! Please say its got wifi!

[Bo @ Feb 12th 2007 10:07PM]

Oh 7150, love at first sight. The screen is rotatable ala tablet PC as well.

[j3oomerang @ Feb 12th 2007 10:09PM]

umm, does that 7150 have a tablet screen, looks like it might swivel

[Peter Payne @ Feb 12th 2007 10:54PM]

Have you guys used a Zaurus at all, running the Linux (whatever flavor, not sure) OS? That has/had so much potential, why the hell is that not everywhere? It wasn't perfect, but with better hardware it could totally be the equal of Window Mobile. Heck, why don't they make smallish laptops with that inside? It'd be great, fits inside flash memory, and does most of what people need (Word/Excel/web/mail/terminal).

By the way, any reason Engadget is set to not remember the password, dooming me to always having to look it up or do the stupid "click to confirm your comment" thing? I'd really like this solved, guys, since having that information refuse to be remembered by my browser is a drag.

(Oops, I found an answer for Safai users at least. See here, and scroll down: http://macosx.com/forums/howto-faqs/267316-howto-enable-safari-ask-save-login-password-all-sites.html)

[John Doe @ Feb 13th 2007 12:32AM]

Its not everywhere because its Linux. Period. Linux is great for small closed systems. I borrowed a friends Zaurus a few years back. Other then it being a geek toy its pretty much worthless. Palm and WM have the most robust software out there. Again for a standard phone sure. Linux all the way. But devices like this. Fuck that. WM is the most robust OS right now.

[zoara @ Feb 13th 2007 6:34AM]

Total Apple ripoff - the hinge on the 7150 and 9150 looks just like the iBook's hinge design!

[BAMF @ Feb 13th 2007 7:16AM]

That 7150 is nice, but WHERE THE HELL IS THE OMNI!?!

[Crux @ Feb 14th 2007 3:26AM]

Word!

:)

[boe @ Feb 13th 2007 6:39PM]

Sure wish I could get a CDMA version of the 6150 or the 9150. These are the phones I've been waiting for years to get my hands on.

[Brian C @ Feb 13th 2007 11:10PM]

I hope the 7150 screen can rotate like the JASJAR. Hate to have to open it every time just to make a phone call.

Does anyone know if the resolution is VGA?

I assume it runs on WM 6.

Please throw in GPS as well and it would have me sold.

[Shane @ Feb 15th 2007 10:27PM]

A couple of reports from 3GSM say that the 7150 does NOT appear to have a swivel screen. However, they believe it looks like it will resemble the Nokia E90 design, where there is a second display on the front with a standard 12 key phone pad for making calls without opening the device.

Speculation at this point, but more that one report has claimed that it is nearly identical to the E90 in every way except that it runs WM6, does not have built in GPS, but does have tri band 3G. So that would elude to the outside display.

[vinnie @ Feb 21st 2007 1:43PM]

the 7150 does have a swivel screen

pics: http://www.mobilmania.sk/Dalsierubriky/AR.asp?ARI=7704

[Mac @ May 25th 2007 7:46PM]

Vinnie's shortcut pics show a swivel screen but do not show a secondary 2.2" display that I-Mate says is on the phone. The pictures show a different layout of the connections on the bottom of the phone and it is brushed gold in color. Every other picture I have seen of these phones is silver.
I hope it is a swivel and and has all the specs as advertised.

[NuShrike @ May 2nd 2007 8:03AM]

Mac: I see an secondary display in those pictures that's OLED showing the signal strength, time, etc a la Sony z750i style.

The OLED screen looks like it's part of the cover since it doesn't need a backlight area.

[daffodil @ Sep 3rd 2007 9:10AM]

hey..


I just booked my Ultimate 8150 on
http://www.clubimate.com/myultimate/

Looking forward to it...