i-mate refreshes Ultimate phones with HSUPA

Cellphone designer i-mate today included itself in the round of announcements at Mobile World Congress by finally launching its two highest-end Ultimate smartphones. Originally announced for the end of last year, the range-topping Ultimate 9502 is now set to launch with HSUPA Internet access rather than the original HSDPA; on supporting networks, the new technology will allow it to upload videos and other data much faster than possible with the older format. The Windows Mobile 6 phone is dominated by its touchscreen and continues to support GPS navigation, Wi-Fi, and a rare video-out feature for presentations or other large-screen functions.

In a more conventional form, the Ultimate 8502 uses a more traditional layout with a QWERTY keyboard but also supports the same HSUPA Internet access as well as GPS and Wi-Fi. The phone maker has not said when it expects to ship the devices but notes that both devices support quad-band GSM and tri-band 3G; both were originally announced for the US and should be available soon.

Filed under: gadgets
Other story tags: Windows Mobile, i-mate