Telstra Launches the i-mate Ultimate 8502 and 9502 in Australia

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/media/announcements_article.cfm?ObjectID=41758' target='_blank'>http://www.telstra.com.au/abouttels...?ObjectID=41758</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Telstra and i-mate have today launched the i-mate™ Ultimate 8502 and i-mate™ Ultimate 9502. Telstra is the first operator to deploy these devices globally and both devices will be exclusive in Australia to Telstra customers. Building on a five-year partnership which has seen the successful launch of 10 i-mate™ devices on the Telstra network, Telstra has teamed up with i-mate™ again to release the Ultimate mobile devices. CEO and Founder of i-mate™ Mr. Jim Morrison said: "We don't believe that one size fits all. We offer a full range of superior Windows Mobile® powered devices. We then customise these devices to suit the unique requirements of individual customers. Add to that our range of innovative and free i-Q solutions, together with our extensive support and you have an exceptional total solution that's hard to beat." Powered by Windows Mobile® software, both the Ultimate 8502 and Ultimate 9502 house a very similar advanced feature set including Direct Video Out so you can connect to a digital projector or TV to run presentations and video calls, Custom i-Q so you can define your personal settings quickly and easily, and Secure i-Q to remotely lock and wipe the Ultimate device if it's ever lost or stolen."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20080214-imateultimate.jpg" /><br /><br />Good news for Telstra customers in Australia: the <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?action=expand,58399&/it's_official:_i-mate_ultimate_8502_&_9502.htm">i-mate Ultimate 8502 and 9502</a> will be available online or in Telstra Shops in just a couple of weeks at an outright AUD$999 and AUD$1099 respectively, or the usual $0 upfront on a 24-month contract. Both are enabled for HSDPA/HSUPA on Telstra's Next G network, so you can expect data to fly! Anyone here planning on picking one (or two) up?

[Paragon]

"Holy golden bricks Batman" One thousand bucks! I hope you don't have to sign a contact to get that incredibly low price!? ;)

Dave

[Duncan]

"Holy golden bricks Batman" One thousand bucks! I hope you don't have to sign a contact to get that incredibly low price!? ;)

That would seem to be the off-contract price - the on contract price should be from free according to Jim Morrison in a video interview on *spit* www.msmobiles.com

[Paragon]

Wow!! 8) Thanks Duncan.

[Darius Wey]

"Holy golden bricks Batman" One thousand bucks! I hope you don't have to sign a contact to get that incredibly low price!? ;)

:lol:

I should edit the original post to clarify this.

Telstra's PDA/Smartphone offerings are typically $0 upfront on a 24 month Personal or Business Plan, or alternatively, on a lighter contract with handset repayments over 12-24 months. And then there's the option to purchase the phone outright.

There's also an opportunity to receive credit if you order from Telstra.com directly as opposed to the brick-and-mortar Telstra Shop.

[JKingGrim]

Any friendly Australians out there looking for a new cell phone wanna start a contract and get a new 9502 free? Then I'll buy a nice flip phone, then we can trade. :D You still get a free new phone. It's a fair deal. :wink:

[UCCOFFEE]

i think they ll be TOOOOOOOOO heavy for normal use ....
They must be aiming for business customers that dunno any other brands of PPC phones ....

[Duncan]

i think they ll be TOOOOOOOOO heavy for normal use ....
They must be aiming for business customers that dunno any other brands of PPC phones ....

Or who do know about other brands, but also know that none of them offer anything as powerful and versatile.

[starstreak]

Does this mean the 9502 will only be in aus? I can't get it in the usa?

[Duncan]

Does this mean the 9502 will only be in aus? I can't get it in the usa?

Australia and the rest of the world in March, the USA in May. Apparently it is due to the legal issues Qualcomm are having with some of their processors - so they are going to put a new Qualcomm chip, that bypasses the patent issue, in the US version. Which is why the release of the new Ultimates has been so delayed, they didn't want to launch in the rest of the world so far in advance of the US release.

(The Qualcomm patent issue seems to be the same one that has just caused the iPAQ 610 release to be cancelled in the US.)

[starstreak]

Hey Duncan, I didn't know you were here too. Remember me from the Loox? :)
Too bad. I want to replace my Tilt so badly.

Does this mean the 9502 will only be in aus? I can't get it in the usa?

Australia and the rest of the world in March, the USA in May. Apparently it is due to the legal issues Qualcomm are having with some of their processors - so they are going to put a new Qualcomm chip, that bypasses the patent issue, in the US version. Which is why the release of the new Ultimates has been so delayed, they didn't want to launch in the rest of the world so far in advance of the US release.

(The Qualcomm patent issue seems to be the same one that has just caused the iPAQ 610 release to be cancelled in the US.)

[Duncan]

Hey Duncan, I didn't know you were here too. Remember me from the Loox? :)

Don't get here as much as I used to.

Too bad. I want to replace my Tilt so badly.

I do believe the 9502 will be my next PPC, and have thought so for a while, so I feel your pain.

[JKingGrim]

So why did this issue not affect the HTC devices using the MSM7200? Did they sneak out before the court ruling?

[netboy]

So why did this issue not affect the HTC devices using the MSM7200? Did they sneak out before the court ruling?

maybe nobody care about QVGA! QVGA is so yesterday! who cares!
i would NOT carry a QVGA even if u give it to me for free!

[efjay]

Hopefully they add support for Tmobile's 1700 3G band by the time they release in the US. The 9502 will be a good replacement for my Artemis.

[deandavis1]

Hmm what a great device... i will be dumping my x800 (full) of problems and trying this out. How will we be able to unlock it so it can be used on another network... It needs a $39 5G+ data cap which we wont be able to get with T.

[Menneisyys]

Guys and gals, I’ve just posted a HUGE roundup &amp; quick review of i-mate’s all four new devices to http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=450156

[Menneisyys]

Australia and the rest of the world in March

See my i-mate article ( http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?action=expand,58501&amp;/menneisyys_mwc_report_on_i-mate.htm ): "Australian Telstra, which will be the first mobile operator to offer the new models (particularly the 9502), has just announced that the earliest date the 9502 becomes available is the 24th of March, but even that isn't confirmed yet (that is, it can slip further). See http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=1971286&amp;postcount=17 for more info"

[Duncan]

Australia and the rest of the world in March

See my i-mate article ( http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?action=expand,58501&amp;/menneisyys_mwc_report_on_i-mate.htm ): "Australian Telstra, which will be the first mobile operator to offer the new models (particularly the 9502), has just announced that the earliest date the 9502 becomes available is the 24th of March, but even that isn't confirmed yet (that is, it can slip further). See http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=1971286&amp;postcount=17 for more info"

Have you seen this - i-mate's US outpost implodes, most laid off (http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/03/01/i-mates-us-outpost-implodes-most-laid-off/)?

[Menneisyys]

Australia and the rest of the world in March

See my i-mate article ( http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?action=expand,58501&amp;/menneisyys_mwc_report_on_i-mate.htm ): "Australian Telstra, which will be the first mobile operator to offer the new models (particularly the 9502), has just announced that the earliest date the 9502 becomes available is the 24th of March, but even that isn't confirmed yet (that is, it can slip further). See http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=1971286&amp;postcount=17 for more info"

Have you seen this - i-mate's US outpost implodes, most laid off (http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/03/01/i-mates-us-outpost-implodes-most-laid-off/)?

Sure, also commented on it.