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Hands-on with i-mate's Ultimates
Even as we marvel at the HTC Touch Diamond's gorgeous VGA display, let's not forget that 640 x 480 resolution (buried within the larger context of a monster spec sheet, no less) is old hat for some Windows Mobile devices. i-mate's Ultimate line has been reppin' the high res displays for a while now, starting with the 6150 and 8150 models that were announced well over a year ago; more recently, the 9502 was added, offering shoppers a grand total of three distinct form factors from which to choose plus a more traditional QVGA setup with the 8502. Hate on Windows Mobile all you want, but you have to admit, it's hard to find this kind of hardware diversity with any other platform out there.We just had an opportunity to play with all four models side by side -- an especially rare opportunity, considering that neither the 8502 nor 9502 are officially being sold in the US (despite their support for HSDPA 850 / 1900). Follow the break for some quick impressions with each of the fearsome foursome.%Gallery-25531%
Planar's PD8150 and PD8130 1080p DLP projectors shipping in March
If Mitsubishi's polite pair of projectors weren't enough to satisfy those impeccably high standards of yours, we've all ideas that Planar's duo won't let you down. First spotted at Runco / Planar's zanily themed booth at CEDIA, it seems that Planar is just now getting around to giving us a ship date that we can dutifully pencil in. The flagship PD8150 -- which checks in with a glorious 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, 1,000 ANSI lumens and a 15,000:1 contrast ratio -- will finally ship in early March for $7,999. As for the $5,999 PD8130, which also hits the road in March, you can expect the same resolution with a slightly lower 10,000:1 contrast ratio. Pretty tempting, no? [Via AboutProjectors]
i-mate Ultimate 8150 sees FCC approval, and just in time
We're not sure why it took so long for the i-mate Ultimate 8150 to follow its almost identical sib (the keypadless 6150) through FCC labs, but whatevs, it's here now. The Arima-sourced handset rocks the usual array of high-end specs touted by i-mate's entire Ultimate line: HSDPA, Windows Mobile 6 Professional, WiFi, VGA display resolution, 2 megapixel camera, and the list goes on. Seeing how these bad boys are already supposed to be finding their way into retail channels, the FCC certification comes just in the nick of time. Let's hope the units customers receive are black, because we're still not any closer to digging the sickly gold than we were six months ago.
i-mate's Ultimate 8150 out and about
Okay, we've gotta admit, it looks way better in black than it did in the sickly champagne hue we'd originally seen. ce4arab's had a chance to play with the production version of i-mate's 8150, one of the first members of its flagship Ultimate line to see the light of day. We'll save the review itself for the Arabic speakers among us, but the extensive visuals (right down to a test of its TV out capability) here are enough to justify taking a peep. In particular, we're feeling the blue backlighting on the keypad -- and as we said, the black theme is a huge improvement. The specs are less notable now than they were back when these things were announced at CeBIT, but hey, if you can score one at the right price, at least it's not gonna look like you're pulling a brick of fool's gold out of your pocket.
Three of i-mate's five Ultimate devices canceled?
We wish we could say we were surprised about this, we really do. It seems that i-mate has canceled arguably the three most interesting versions of its Ultimate line: the 5150 slider, 7150 QWERTY flip, and 9150 numeric flip. Remaining and now apparently scheduled for October production are the 8150 numeric candybar and keypadless 6150, devices that could be considered pretty uninteresting by the time they enter a market rife with 3G capable Windows Mobile 6 hardware. So far, this is all unconfirmed -- it's being reported by a UK retail firm, Clove Technology -- but it seems plausible considering that the 7150 and 9150 have taken on a certain air of vaporeware-ness that the FCC approved 6150 has not. We have to admit, we're a little surprised that the 5150 bit the dust since it's nothing more than a slider grafted to a 6150, but considering the strength of its competition, it's probably for the best.[Via All About Symbian]Update: Crave Asia is reporting that i-mate says all five devices are still on track, but will be released on a "staggered" schedule starting with the 6150 and 8150. We'll keep you updated as we hear more.
All five i-mate Ultimate devices to land in September?
It seems i-mate is making good on its promise from earlier this year by delivering its Ultimate line handsets in one 5-round salvo. While i-mate has chosen Singapore as the base of operations for its spring into new Asian markets, we do hope some of these will still trickle over here -- though we doubt they will carry any North American-carrier branding. i-mate CEO Jim Morrison commented on i-mate's ability to customize the new handsets to individual user's needs, and while we're loving the idea of customizing something, we're worried about the process. Another tasty tidbit is i-mate's newfound focus on the bundled software; its new suite will apparently offer tools for remote wipe, the ability to push updates (corporate users rejoice) and even the ability to remotely lock the handset down. We were a bit down on its last announcement, but this news has certainly renewed the shine we all once held in our hearts for Dubai's best, now let's get those shipped.[Via the::unwired]
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
