Hands-On With the iMate Ultimate 8502 and 9502

[Chuong Nguyen]

Gear Diary (http://www.geardiary.com/2008/01/14/ces-2008-meeting-with-i-mate/) got some hands-on time with the iMate Ultimate 8502 (http://pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=news&id=4611) and 9502 (http://pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=news&id=4610) and it looks like they like the devices. I am eagerly awaiting the Sidekick-esque 9502 with a VGA screen and a host of other features, including video-out, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, 256/128 RAM/ROM, VGA camera for video calls, an auto-focus 3 megapixel camera with LED light, micro SD expansion slot, metal body, and a capacious 1530 mAh battery.

You can head over to Gear Diary (http://www.geardiary.com/2008/01/14/ces-2008-meeting-with-i-mate/) for some photos.

[Brandon Miniman]

Is it more, or do these devices seem so .... unrefined? They almost look like prototype devices that were put together quickly.

[cgavula]

Judie and company seemed impressed with build quality.

My disappointment lies with the fact that the 8502 and the 9502 are hobbled with 400MHz processors. Decent RAM and nice VGA display, but disappointing processor speed. The 8150 is a little better, however but I'm not as crazy about the 8150 hardware design or the tiny 2.6" screen. I'd love to have seen the 9502 have the 8150s processor (or better). Then it would be a device I'd find a lot more appealing.

--Chris

[Jaime Rivera]

Definitely a lot of finger prints were involved in this review :D.

I'm looking foward to that 8502 for it's form factor. The 9502 may be revolutionary, but seems to be as thick as can be!