i-mate is back in the game – the Ultimate Series are announced

Today at the 3GSM show here in Barcelona, we are happyto see the new phones i-mate is preparing to launch - Ultimate series devices.All of these phones are running Windows Mobile 6 Professional (the successor ofthe Pocket PC Phones line) and have features that look almost perfect for suchdevices:

• Operating System: Windows Mobile 6
• Processor: Intel Bulverde 520MHz
• Memory: 256MB ROM and 128MB RAM
• microSD card slot
• Quad-band GSM/EDGE and Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA
• Display: VGA 640x480 262k color Touch display
• miniUSB high-speed (480 Mbps), Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/e/i
• Direct Video Out XGA
• 2.0-megapixel camera
• 1400 mAh battery
• FM Stereo Radio

All the phones have exactly the samespecifications and features, but in different form factors, designs anddisplays. There are:

• two candybars – one with numeric keypad and 2.6” display (Ultimate 8150) and one with only soft and navigations keys (Ultimate 6150) and 2.4” display
• two clamshells – one standard (Ultimate 9150) with 2.6” internal and OLED 1.8” external and one landscape-opening with QWERTY keyboard (Ultimate 7150), 3.8” internal and 2.2” external displays
• one slider (Ultimate 5150) with 2.8” display

We really like what we see on paper andhope we will also like the actual phones when we check them out at the i-mateboot, here at the 3GSM Show in Barcelona.Stay tuned for our hands-on experience later today or tomorrow.

Updated: i-mate told us that almost all of their current devices such as the JAQ3, SPL (if manufactures in the last 2 months) and PDAL will actually start shipping with WM 6 as well. For customers who already have i-mate phone, the company will provide ROM updates.