i-mate Ultimate 8502

The i-mate Ultimate 8502 is a PDA phone with touch screen that runs on Windows Mobile PocketPc. The i-mate 8502 does not impress its first time users mainly because of its VGA display. In fact, the 8502 is the only PDA phone with VGA display in i-mate’s Ultimate series. However, there are lots of other features that will impress the users as they continue to use it. Lets look at the i-mate 8502 in detail.

Upside:
– The 8502 has wide range of connectivity options. It has tri band UMTS and quad band GSM. In addition it supports HSDPA and HSUPA for internet access.
– It can be used anywhere in the world as it supports both tri band UMTS and quad band GSM.
– It has an in-built GPS and works exceptionally well with Google maps application.
– It is the lightest among the Ultimate series phones weighing just 140 grams.
– Another striking feature is the layout of the QWERTY keypad. It has a directional pad for menu navigation which is effective to use with the right thumb when the device is held in the right palm. When held in the left hand, there is a scroll wheel near the left thumb. This shows i-mate has done some research in layout of the QWERTY keypad.
– It has advanced security options to protect data.

Downside:

– The 2 MP camera does not have the auto focus feature.
– The TV out feature does not use the VGA out. Instead it use composite video.
– Though it has 128 MB RAM, only 41.5 MB is free for running applications after a reset.
– Although the QWERTY keyboard has a good layout it looks delicate and seems like it may fall off easily.
– The softwares on the 8502 are not memory efficient.

Cost and Availability:
It is expected to be available in mid-December and it is expected to cost 895 USD. The package includes a two year global warranty. It also has a couple of security and support software which makes data secure.