i-mate SP3i Smartphone Will Soon Be Available From PPCW.Net Store

[Kris Kumar]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.ppcw.net/?itemid=2090' target='_blank'>http://www.ppcw.net/?itemid=2090</a><br /><br /></div>"If you are a frequent visitor of PPCW.Net and you've watched the right hardware box, you might have seen that I've added two new i-mate devices: the i-mate SP3i Smartphone 2003 Second Edition and the i-mate JAM Pocket PC Phone Edition 2003 Second Edition. <br /><br />"Both devices are already ordered and I'm awaiting the shipping confirmation and estimated time of arrivals (ETA) now...If you want to become notified about availability, I suggest to subscribe for the newsletters. Click here for the <a href="http://www.ppcw-shop.net/product_info.php?cPath=10&amp;products_id=9&amp;action=notify">SP3i newsletter</a> and here for the <a href="http://www.ppcw-shop.net/product_info.php?cPath=20&amp;products_id=8&amp;action=notify">JAM newsletter.</a>"<br /> <img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/i-mate SP3i small.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br />Arne Hess has now confirmed that PPCW.Net store will be carrying the i-mate <a href="http://www.ppcw-shop.net/product_info.php?cPath=10&amp;products_id=9&amp;osCsid=a562a46297d8c10100d50c999596c1d7">SP3i Smartphone.</a> The SP3i is based on the same hardware platform as the SPV C500, except this model has a joystick instead of the much disliked joypad on the C500. The <a href="http://www.ppcw-shop.net/product_info.php?cPath=10&amp;products_id=9&amp;osCsid=a562a46297d8c10100d50c999596c1d7">SP3i product page</a> on the store puts the estimated availability date as October 29th 2004. Let's hope that this <i>carrier unlocked</i> Smartphone becomes available sooner than that. ;-)

[Mike Temporale]

Wow! The prices on the Tanager and the Voyeger have really dropped. If you don't have much coin to spare, but want a Smartphone, check out the Tanager at just over $120US.

Way to go Arne! looking forward to seeing the availablity of these new devices.

[Kris Kumar]

While posting this news, I was not sure if the SP3i would be available in European (900/1800/1900) and American (850/1800/1900) versions. And so I had posted a question on Arne's site in this thread. (http://www.ppcw.net/?itemid=2090)

Arne has replied saying that initially he would sell only the European version. But if enough people reply to the thread showing interest in the American version, he would order the American version as well. :-)

So in case you are interested in the American (850/1800/1900) version of the phone, you should add your comment here. (http://www.ppcw.net/?itemid=2090) Cingular/AT&T networks have GSM850 towers, so this phone with joystick instead joypad may interest a lot of our readers.

I am not sure if the T-Mobile customers would be allowed to roam on the Cingular/AT&T 850 networks? I know I am able to roam on the 1900 networks. Wish I had a GSM850 capable phone to verify it.

[possmann]

WAY TO GO ARNE!

hmmm - now what to get?