iMate SP3 To Be Available In North America Soon.

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.soundsolutionsam.com/' target='_blank'>http://www.soundsolutionsam.com/</a><br /><br /></div>Joseph Hoyle from Sound Solutions wrote us an email to inform us that they will be the exclusive North American distributor of the iMate Smartphone 3. I was unable to get an estimated price for the phone. However, when I asked about the availability of the iMate, he mentioned it will be available in early September, and "any day". :D I was also told that pre-orders are available from the web site, but I was unable to find that page. :( I did find the 2 page PDF that lists all the specs for the phone! Man, this is one sweet phone. :D

[Kris Kumar]

Who should I sell my soul to...MPx220 or i-Mate SP3?
I was waiting for MPx220. But I think I am tired of waiting.

One thing I would like to know is what about software updates? Will Sound Solutions be providing the updates. It's an important question because we know that C500 has a few bugs and critical games compatibility issue. And i-Mate will also have the same problems at launch.

[mar2k]

Too bad there's no GSM 850 band or they might sell a lot more of these over here.

[Dinesh_H]

Any chance that T-Mobile will pick this up? I sure hope so!

[Nikhil]

I'm assuming i-mate themselves will provide the updates; I have a Smartphone2 from them and their service, limited as it is, is certainly better than a standard import. It's generally assumed that the latest ROM update from i-mate is superior to Orange's, and i-mate provides Club i-Mate for free to all who own their devices; you can download the latest updates, talk in a live chat to a support tech, get free apps (mainly a few free games and such), free Club i-Mate Exchange email, and a discussion board.

All in all, I can't wait. Expansys put up a price of $453 for the SP3...certainly worth paying for in my eyes considering I spent $650 on my SP2; the SP3 has the same features but in a smaller package and seems to improve on them in almost every way for $200 less.

[Mike Temporale]

Expansys put up a price of $453 for the SP3...

I've heard that their price has changed a couple times. That's why I'm looking for something a little more reliable. :wink:

[brianchris]

Too bad there's no GSM 850 band or they might sell a lot more of these over here.

A BIG concern for me as well. But surely any North American version of the iMate SP3 would have the 850 band. Perhaps someone from sound solutions can clarify this?

[aristoBrat]

Too bad there's no GSM 850 band or they might sell a lot more of these over here.

A BIG concern for me as well. But surely any North American version of the iMate SP3 would have the 850 band. Perhaps someone from sound solutions can clarify this?
This is a recap MSMOBILES.COM did of the PDF Mike mentioned above.

Doesn't look good for the quad-band, but the bluetooth profiles, auto-adjusting keyboard light, and auto-band switching was pretty spiffy!

The phone will be sold in USA, yeah! however it is 3-band only, so if you use T-Mobile USA then it's not a problem but if you use AT&T Wireless it may be problem - it lacks support for GSM850 band - it has these 3 bands: GSM900 / GSM1800 / GSM1900.

the phone supports the following Bluetooth profiles:
Generic Access Profile
Serial Port Profile (useful for Bluetooth GPS receivers)
Dial-up Networking Profile (so you can use this phone as modem over Bluetooth)
Headset Profile (so you can use this phone with Bluetooth headsets)
Generic Object Exchange Profile
Hands-free Profile (NEW!!! so you can use Bluetooth car kits, that have no support for Headset Profile; it is a major breakthrough! nowadays even some cars are being produced with support for Hands-free Bluetooth Profile built-in !)

stand-by time: 140 hours, what amounts to almost 5.8 days! This phone can easily compete with regular, non-smartphone, cell phones!

Auto Band Switching - so that you don't have to switch the bands manually after landing on the other side of the pond

Infrared port - IrDA SIR - meaning: up to 115 kbps - not so fast as 4 mbps in some Pocket PC devices, but enough

processor: TI OMAP 730 - next generation with regard to TI OMAP 710 used on current generation of smartphones made by HTC (like SPV E200 or i-mate Smartphone 2); meaning: at last the processor that can handle all tasks without problems

Voice Command Software included

the phone has ambient light sensor for improved power consumption
http://www.msmobiles.com/news.php/2965.html[/list]

[ben865]

I've never had to switch bands on any of my mobiles from other European countries to India to California.

What phones require manual selection?

[brianchris]

The phone will be sold in USA, yeah! however it is 3-band only, so if you use T-Mobile USA then it's not a problem but if you use AT&T Wireless it may be problem - it lacks support for GSM850 band - it has these 3 bands: GSM900 / GSM1800 / GSM1900.

Well, that does it for me. I'm with AT&T Wireless (and am not likely to switch to TMo, although you never know). I NEED 850, and therefore I can't buy the i-Mate SP3.

Hello....Moto? Hurry up :?

[Mike Temporale]

I've never had to switch bands on any of my mobiles from other European countries to India to California.

What phones require manual selection?

When I reviewed the Mio 8390, I had to manually switch it.

[ben865]

That's rather poor isn't it?

All my phones have had an auto setting which has worked well.

I'm really sad - I love switching my phone on at the airport and seeing what network I'm on!

[Mike Temporale]

That's rather poor isn't it?

I think things will be different on the version sold in North America. Mine was an early version, and they told me that some small changes are expected in the final version.

[dslevaton]

Unfortunately the support for I-mate products is slim. I purchased an SP2 and am on the Cingular network. I could not get any feature, except the phone to operate, so I returned the phone.

I want to order an SP3, but am afraid I will have the same problem.

Is there any resource, or quite frankly anyone I can pay, to assist me in the set up, if it is even possible on the Cingular network.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[aristoBrat]

Unfortunately the support for I-mate products is slim. I purchased an SP2 and am on the Cingular network. I could not get any feature, except the phone to operate, so I returned the phone.

I want to order an SP3, but am afraid I will have the same problem.

Is there any resource, or quite frankly anyone I can pay, to assist me in the set up, if it is even possible on the Cingular network.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
You might want to search the Cingular forum over at HowardForums.com Their T-Mobile forum had everything I needed to get my SPV e100 working on T-Mobile US. (Well, everything except MMS) :)

[Kris Kumar]

Unfortunately the support for I-mate products is slim. I purchased an SP2 and am on the Cingular network. I could not get any feature, except the phone to operate, so I returned the phone.

I want to order an SP3, but am afraid I will have the same problem.

Is there any resource, or quite frankly anyone I can pay, to assist me in the set up, if it is even possible on the Cingular network.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Since I don't have an i-mate, :-( I haven't checked out the member area of Club i-mate, (http://clubimate.com/) but I have heard its good.