i-mate JAMin Tested at Mobile Tech Review

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mobiletechreview.com/i-mate-JAMin.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.mobiletechreview.com/i-mate-JAMin.htm</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The i-mate JAM was one of the first very compact Windows Mobile Pocket PC phones and as a result, it was a hit. Though not offered by any carrier in the US, it was readily available unlocked from importers and online retailers. In just a year, the JAM has evolved into the JAMin, which keeps the small form factor and adds Windows Mobile 5, a higher resolution camera, WiFi, a quad band (rather than triband) GSM radio and more memory. That's a healthy dose of upgrades for a device that maintains the same small size and sells for roughly the price of the original JAM when first introduced. The 200MHz Texas Instruments processor is the only downgrade from the 416MHz JAM."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20060513-JAMin.jpg" /><br /><br />Interested in the JAMin? Then head over to Mobile Tech Review for a review of the device. Some great specs in this one, and a worthy step up from the venerable JAM.

[ctmagnus]

I'm still intrigued. Although I must point out a slip in the article:

and you can set the camera to save to a Mini SD card

The JAMin has a full-blown SD slot. ;)

[Silver5]

They seem to do a great deal of cut-and-paste from one review to the next. Parts of this one are lifted from the MDA review (I read it right after this one out of curiosity) and that one has parts of it lifted as well...

It is still interesting to skim through but I cannot say I would rely on them too much.

[Timothy Rapson]

This thing makes the Treo and the 8125 look ancient.
I like the specs.
I only got one price out of the search.....$600+ Hmmmmm..

[Foo Fighter]

The Jamin is really nice, but the Pocket PC Phone that has me drooling right now is HP's iPaq rw6828 (link (http://aving.net/sp_edition/default.asp?mode=read&amp;c_num=12562)). It's even smaller than the Jamin, based on the XDA Atom reference design, and it has....*gasp*...a FLIP COVER!

My Treo 650 is getting long in the tooth, but finding a suitable replacement isn't exactly a simple task with so many choices. One critical make or break feature will be WiFi. Not having that is gutting, especially when it forces me to use the costly carrier network for such basic tasks as checking my email. Another factor weighing heavily on me (pun intended) is form factor. The Treo is too bulky, and that has me chasing after more slimmer and sleeker options like the Motorola Q, Nokia E61, or these HTC Prophet models. I've looked at the Wizard phones like Cingular's 8125 and the K-Jam but they are just too damn thick.

FYI: If anyone here is interested in purchasing the Jamin, I recommend choosing the Qtek S200. It's the same phone (HTP Prophet) but considerably less expensive. For some reason iMate phones are overpriced compared to other identical HTC offerings.

[adamz]

The imate versions of the HTC phones offer decent support to english speaking countries like the U.S.A. That's one difference. Good luck trying to get warranty repair on a Qtek phone... although maybe that's beginning to change.

I'm also a fan of the JAMin/Prophet (http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&amp;t=reviews&amp;id=783), but I had way more luck with the new camera. It's got higher sensitivity and less noise as seen here (http://pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&amp;t=reviews&amp;id=783&amp;p=2), but it does have a lagging shutter which is to be expected. Another thing they didn't mention is the fact that the bluetooth radio in the Prophet is of much higher quality than any other Pocket PC Phone. I get much better range and clarity with all of the bluetooth headsets that would get static behind walls on any other Pocket PC Phone including the latest Wizard models.

[Kadegboye]

I have seen the fairly impressive specsifications of I-Mate JAMin but the most important downside to this device is the 200MHz OMAP 850 processor otherwise I would have jumped at it like a lion pouncing on a prey. I am more impressed by the new HP Ipaq rw6828 with the most popular processor of the ppcp editions thus far - 416 MHz PAX 272. The specs are very imppressive with the addition of FM radio and its even smaller size that the HTC wizard/I-Mate JAM(in). The only little downside to this device is its lack of a QWerty keyboard and quadband GSM radio. I think that I can still live that. Let me dream here for I-Mate and HP to think about: What about I-Mate subtituting 200 MHz OMAP 850 for 416 MHz PAX 272 OR HP introducing Qwerty keybaord and a quadband GSM radio if technically feasible and see what the response of the PPCP consumer for the next 8 months to 1 year would be. The MDA vario II with 300 MHz Samsung Processor just about to be released is very close to this ideal.
Kay

[Darius Wey]

I am more impressed by the new HP Ipaq rw6828 with the most popular processor of the ppcp editions thus far - 416 MHz PAX 272. The specs are very imppressive with the addition of FM radio and its even smaller size that the HTC wizard/I-Mate JAM(in). The only little downside to this device is its lack of a QWerty keyboard and quadband GSM radio.

I think you're getting confused between the HTC Wizard (i-mate K-JAM) and the HTC Prophet (i-mate JAMin) - the latter is the featured device in the linked review and lacks a QWERTY keyboard. However, both still feature the OMAP 200MHz CPU.

[Kadegboye]

No, I am not confusing the devices. KINDLY READ THE FIRST SENTENCE OF MY ARTICLE ABOVE which was the only section where I was discussing the featured device. I know for sure that both I-Mate JAM and the next generation I-Mate JAMin are powered by 200MHz OMAP 850 CPU. All I was trying to do was to bring in two other devices that may be more impressive than the featured device (I-Mate JAMin) into the discussion. This has already been done by Foo Fighter who made reference to I-PAQ rw2868
Kay.

[Darius Wey]

No, I am not confusing the devices. KINDLY READ THE FIRST SENTENCE OF MY ARTICLE ABOVE ...

No need to shout. ;)

The reason for my confusion is that you were quick to highlight that the rw6828 lacked a QWERTY keyboard, yet you didn't seem to think this was an issue with the JAMin. Also confusing was the fact that you seemed to treat the, and I quote, "HTC wizard/I-Mate JAM(in)", as one entity, when in fact, they are two different devices.

I know for sure that both I-Mate JAM and the next generation I-Mate JAMin are powered by 200MHz OMAP 850 CPU.

The JAM has an Intel Bulverde 416MHz CPU, no?

[Janak Parekh]

The only little downside to this device is its lack of a QWerty keyboard and quadband GSM radio. I think that I can still live that.
Well, not having the 850 band is a pretty serious downgrade; while T-Mobile service is still okay for 1900MHz-only devices right now, this will change in the near future, as they (as Cingular has) will be deploying 850MHz coverage to fill in their service gaps. I personally would not get a triband device at this point, but of course if you're in a good enough 1900MHz area your needs may differ.

The JAM has an Intel Bulverde 416MHz CPU, no?
Yep, the JAM (aka the HTC Magician) has a 416MHz PXA272. HTC designed the newer devices with slower processors for better battery life.

--janak