i-mate Ultimate 6150, 8150 now shipping

In case it wasn't obvious from the retail 8150 hands-on, the first two (only two?) of i-mate's Ultimate series devices have started shipping. The color scheme has mercifully been changed from the sickly gold shown at CeBIT to a far more tolerable black, but otherwise the specs ring true to what we'd been told to expect: quadband GSM / EDGE plus triband HSDPA, 128MB of RAM, 256MB of ROM, 2 megapixel autofocus cam, VGA display, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, microSD slot and TV out (whew). About the only difference between these two models, then, is the notably different keypad layout. The releases appear to be restricted to the Middle East at the moment, though we imagine it won't be too difficult to get one shipped out to your region of choice for the right price.

[Via the::unwired]

Read - i-mate Ultimate 6150
Read - i-mate Ultimate 8150

[derX Posted Sep 8th 2007 10:45PM]

First, the specs make the phones gorgeous and the color change just augments this.

More importantly, I really hope that they didn't cancel the three other models. As expressed by the editors before, I agree that the ones cancelled were the more interesting models. Like I said, they're pretty inside and out *shot for use of platitude*, but relative to the cancelled models, they physically lack that "wow factor"....but, then again, they all had the same features.

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At the end of the day, I can't even afford a piece of any of them, so no net loss here, for me.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 8th 2007 11:45PM]

Well, they weren't at the GITEX Shopper in Dubai (very disappointing), but the ones being shown at the GITEX Show looked very production-ready. They were demonstrating the XGA output from the Ultimates and I was amazed at the quality, especially the video playback with the HSDPA connection. They were even connecting to a Windows PC from the Ultimate and controlling it with a bluetooth keyboard. You can't get that from any other device.

Hopefully I'll be able to buy the 8150 very soon. After seeing the demo, it is at the top of my shopping list.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 13th 2007 11:28AM]

"They were even connecting to a Windows PC from the Ultimate and controlling it with a bluetooth keyboard. You can't get that from any other device"

Several Nokias include the wireless presenter app. which allows PC control over bluetooth and have done for some time now. Put a shortcut on the desktop to the on-screen keyboard and you have total control via the phone dpad - no key board necessary...

~

I don't get the hype surrounding the other delayed devices.

You have a micro PC which is barely plausible as a PC substitute and too bulky as a phone. You'd be better served with a 10" with a 'full' OS, packing a USIM.

Then you have a fat slider which for the added bulk doesn't give you much more screen real estate than the 8150.

Finally you have a PDA clam shell that is novel but due to the screen size and awkwardness for wide screen usage isn't particularly useful.

Those released are innovative and practical. The 8150 is a great phone for those that want 50/50 usage of PDA and phone functions without yelling names into the handset on the train or polishing the screen every second minute, smudgy iPhone style.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 9th 2007 2:52PM]

These done have GPS right? sooooo close :(