Review on i-mate JAMin Smartphone Handheld PC computer
They say the customer is always right – in this case we think the manufacturer is. The technology guys at i-Mate have released a lovely looking piece of kit with the i-Mate JAMin Smartphone. Backed up with a wicked list of features, this handheld PC is beating all the others making it a real winner with us here at Unbeatable. Design |
| The first thing we liked about the JAMin Smartphone was the size, no-one wants to look stupid with a huge handheld PC stuck to their ear and finally someone has understood. The JAMin Smartphone is very functional and convenient due to its perfect size making it pocket friendly and very usable. The only thing we would mention is that the screen is rather small at 71mm diagonal and can get a bit achy on the eyes after a while. Pushing that aside, this design is a third heavier than its predecessor, the JAM smartphone. Just below the screen are the call and end call buttons, a navigation pad and four shortcut buttons. Down at the bottom end there is a USB connector for charging and computer connection, and a headphone jack. On the right edge there is a power button and a slot for the styus (or toothpick imitator we tend to refer to them as). At the top end there is a SDIO compatible card slot and on the left is a wireless access button which doubles up as a voice recorder when held down. The back panel is removable as the battery can be conveniently replaced. Unfortunately the JAMin Smartphone lacks a flash. |
| Setup/Installation |
| Setting the JAMin Smartphone up was painless. It comes with preconfigured settings for mobile phone operators worldwide, so we simply turned it on, chose the right operator and it automatically configured in just a few minutes. We were ready for business. |
| Features |
| We love the long list of features that are JAM-packed (pardon the pun) into this handheld PC. First things first it has Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC and Quad-band GSM phone. A 2-megapixel camera, infrared, Bluetooth, and (take a breath) 802.11b/g Wi-Fi. It doesn’t stop there, it also has a huge 64MB RAM and 128MB ROM memory, and if that isn’t enough you can boost it with an SD card. The JAMin Smartphone runs at 200MHz thanks to the Texas instruments OMAP 850 processor. The screen boasts 320x240-pixels making text appear sharp and clear. The camera can shoot stills and videos on which you can use the 10x digital zoom. The JAMin Smartphone comes with the standard Windows Mobile 5.0 software, but i-Mate have kindly enhanced this by adding ClearVue PDF Reader, a voice control tool for dialling contacts and opening applications. |
| Performance |
| The JAMin Smartphone is responsive and very fast at processing requests and commands. It handles voices very well on calls, everything sounded crisp and perfect. The on-screen performance was second to none as far as handheld PCs go. Taking photos and shooting videos was exciting and produced some excellent results. We enjoyed every minute of the JAMin Smartphone’s performance, if only the screen was bigger, it would have been perfect. |
| What's In The Box? |
| • smartphone • belt-clip style carry case • a stereo headset • USB cable for computer connection • A spare stylus • Mains power adapter • Application CD • Printed quick start guide • More complete printer owner’s manual |
| Overall Opinion |
| We would choose the i-mate JAMin Smartphone over any other handheld PC for this price. We were impressed by the features list and even more impressed by the fact that the performance backed it up. A big thumbs up for iMate! |
|
Pros + Responsive to requests + Speedy processor + Good photo and movie quality |
Cons - Screen too small - No flash |
|
Media Capacity 9/10
|
Appearance 9/10
|
|
Ease Of Use 9/10
|
Build Quality 8/10
|
|
Value For Money 9/10
|
Overall Rating 
|
By Lisa Malyon
20/7/2006 at 5:56:26pm
20/7/2006 at 5:56:26pm
