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Will it freeze? i-mate JAQ takes a chilly beating
We won't say it's for certain just yet, but we've got a sneaking suspicion that the now-infamous Will It Blend series of destruction videos has created a monster. In a zany spinoff of the violent series, an i-mate JAQ is dealt a chilly beating as a presumably deranged individual ponders if it will "pass the freeze test." The snazzy smartphone was placed in frigid waters and then frozen block solid, only to be bashed repeatedly once it returned from the freezer. As with most of these cases, the JAQ didn't exactly perform admirably, and in fact, it failed to ever turn on again. So if you don't mind seeing perfectly good electronics go to waste, or you'd just like another bright idea to try yourself, be sure to hit the read link for the ominous video.
i-mate JAQ4
By any measure, i-mate and one of its post-HTC era manufacturing partners, Inventec, had some explainin' to do after the debacle that was the JAQ; while packing Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition into a device of its form factor was pretty innovative for its time, the chubby dimensions and somewhat bizarre appearance left us wanting. Enter the JAQ4, which will become i-mate's first phone to launch with Windows Mobile 6 (Professional, no less) and makes good on the JAQ's indiscretions with a more understated look integrated into a black shell. Specs are pedestrian but workable, starting with a quad-band GSM / EDGE radio (no 3G here), 802.11b / g, 128MB ROM, 64MB RAM, Bluetooth 1.2, a camera of the 2.0 megapixel variety, and a 2.8 inch QVGA touchscreen. Follow the gallery link for some shots of the JAQ4 doing its thing, including some alongside i-mate's Ultimate 5150, which is also being announced today. Oh, and don't worry about the blasphemous presence of Windows Mobile 5 on the phone -- we've been assured that it'll be hitting with 6. i-mate JAQ4
i-mate's JAQ3 gets the review treatment
i-mate was quick to right its wrongs after the... uh, unique looking JAQ dropped at CTIA last year. The TechFaith-sourced JAQ3 (there was no JAQ2) improves on the original Inventec piece by leaps and bounds. And yes, we can say that with confidence despite the fact we've never laid hands on the 3; one need only to put up pictures of the two side by side to make that call. Of course, just because it's better than the JAQ doesn't mean it's good. Mobility Site had the chance to put a JAQ3 through the ol' review gauntlet recently and came away with a generally positive impression of the device; the keyboard is apparently decent, and really, what's not to like about a QWERTY Pocket PC with WiFi anyway? Downsides include a relatively pokey 200MHz core, poor battery life (though nothing BlackJack owners can't relate to, we reckon), and -- yeah, we're starting to nitpick here -- the lack of a mirror next to the camera. With the quadband radio and US availability of unlocked units, this is one review that's actually relevant to Windows Mobile fans, so have a look, k?[Via Pocket PC Thoughts]
i-mate's JAQ3 heading stateside
Barely two weeks after i-mate's JAQ3 got previewed, and just a single day after some other firms caught the smartphone blues, the now-dull looking device is headed to American shores. Presumably hoping to grab the business of those who just can't wait for an iPhone, our textual begging was apparently heard, as now we US lads can get a little JAQ in us, too. As expected, this Window Mobile 5-powered device will sport a full QWERTY keyboard, massive D-pad for navigating those menus, 802.11b/g, two-megapixel camera, 2.4-inch touchscreen LCD, 128MB of onboard ROM, 64MB of RAM, a microSD slot, and four hours of reported talk time to boot. You'll also find quad-band GSM and Bluetooth 2.0 (with A2DP) connectivity, EDGE, and a side-mounted scroll wheel for one-handed navigatin'. So if the nicely-featured JAQ3 was everything (keyword: was) you wanted in a smartphone, you can rethink your decision to pick one up when they land here later this month.
i-mate's JAQ3 previewed
If you hadn't noticed, we had a bit of a time opening our hearts to i-mate's JAQ monstrosity, which is why we're glad i-mate didn't take too terribly long to procure a followup. The phoneArena kids have gotten ahold of the slick new JAQ3, which keeps all that is right with Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC edition in this for factor, but shaves off a few pounds from its frumpy progenitor. Turns out the keyboard ain't too shabby either, and with welcome design perks like a jog dial and hugemongous d-pad, there's a lot more going for this phone than just size. Oddly enough, size might still be the major beef with this thing, since the 2.55-inch display and a well-spaced QWERTY keyboard don't help for skimping on volume too terribly much -- even if the phone looks svelte in comparison to the JAQ. Still, this new-and-improved phone should do plenty for the Pocket PC candybar faithful for now, and if not there's always that JAQ4 right around the corner.
i-mate gets real with JAQ3
Let's just sweep that original JAQ under the mat and carry on as though it never existed, shall we? The TechFaith-commissioned JAQ3 looks to take a major leap beyond the original Inventec piece in the looks department, thanks in part to its slimmer form and black shell. High-speed data is conspicuously missing here, though it'll top out with EDGE on all four GSM bands -- better than the previous intel we had indicating that GSM 850 and EDGE would be no-shows. Other major features for the Pocket PC Phone Edition device include a 2 megapixel cam, 802.11g, 128MB of ROM, and 64MB of RAM. Initially, it looks like the JAQ3's launch is restricted to the Middle East, but who knows? If we ask nicely, it might just come to grace US shores alongside the JAQ and SPL.[Via the::unwired, thanks kerunt]
i-mate to take on TechFaith's 501 as "JAQ3"
Finally, a JAQ we can get excited about. After the Inventec-designed original left us wanting less (less bulk, that is), it's good to see that i-mate is strengthening its relationship with TechFaith after the SPL launch and bringing the UBiQUio 501 on board as the "JAQ3." Whether it'll be sold along side the pudgier JAQ or it'll usher in the fastest successor rollout in cellphone history, we don't know, but we don't care -- just make this thing available, guys. Unfortunately, the 501 lacks GSM 850 and EDGE; we wouldn't expect that to change with the JAQ3 variant, so i-mate probably won't be pushing this one stateside, but our congratulations go out to the territories that have the good fortune of seeing a local launch.
The i-mate ZAQ
Remember the legendary Zack Morris Phone (aka, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X)? Ok, steel yourselves, we're re-christening it from here on out: the i-mate JAQ is now to be referred to as the ZAQ because it's the largest, ugliest, most plasticy Windows Mobile phone we've ever used. Seriously, straight up like that. We know it's not i-mate's fault -- they didn't design Inventec's reject of a QWERTY phone -- but we really think they should do the real Zack proud and stick with HTC. Morris called us earlier tonight on his 8000X to tell us he doesn't appreciate what's going on, and he's considering going to Belding with all this hullabaloo.P.S. -Click on for more shots of the JAQ and SPL, as that's why we were writing this in the first place.
i-mate rolls out JAQ and SPL models
It's official: i-mate isn't just a HTC rebrand shop anymore. Their new JAQ and SPL models have just been announced for reals, and neither relies on their ol' standby partner to provide the goods. The JAQ hails from Inventec, packing Pocket PC Phone Edition into a fairly clever looking (or different looking, if nothing else) QWERTY chassis with 128MB of ROM, 64MB of RAM, miniSD expansion, Bluetooth, and a 2.8-inch display. The SPL, on the other hand, bears a striking resemblance to a device we first saw outta TechFaith. The slim candybar Smartphone rocks stats similar to its JAQ sibling with the same 128MB ROM / 64MB RAM, miniSD, and Bluetooth, but with a more Smartphone-appropriate 2.2-inch LCD. i-mate is positioning both of these devices as mid-range, suggesting that they might be looking at non-HTC handsets to bring Windows Mobile on the cheap while their HTCs will stay positioned at the top. [Warning: PDF link]
i-mate sheds HTC for Pocket PC Q-killer?
With info and pic originating from Hungary, you know it's gotta be good. Someone over at HowardForums just spotted this new, unconfirmed i-mate model, the i-mate Jaq, at Hungarian site PDA Mania, and were kind enough to share. Notably, i-mate doesn't appear to be relying on HTC (who has that little Q-killer of their own brewin') for the design here, and while their in-house designers might take a little while to warm up, a bit of diversity in the market never killed anyone. Also of note is that this phone purportedly runs the full-fledged Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Phone Edition, allowing pen input on its QVGA screen and the software advantages that OS provides. As for the rest of the specs, the phone is a quad-band GSM, GPRS and EDGE unit, with 64MB of RAM, 128MB of ROM and a miniSD slot for expansion. There is IrDA and Bluetooth 1.2, but no WiFi, and the 1.3 megapixel camera is a bit lackluster these days, but with that QWERTY action this just might turn out to be a decent contender from i-mate.[Via HowardForums]
