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i-mate JAQ3 Windows Mobile Phone[Ed. note: If you haven't already, then take a look at
the first part of this review,
Unboxing the i-mate JAQ3,
in which Judie opens the JAQ3's box and takes a quick look at this PDA phone and
its other box contents.] One afternoon about a month ago, I received an email from an i-mate executive assistant saying "Jim Morrison wants to send you an i-mate JAQ3 Windows Mobile phone - can you please send me your detailed shipping address and contact telephone numbers?" Jim Morrison is of course, the CEO of this Dubai based company. It's not every day that I get offered a free PDA to try, so I quickly sent in my information, and it wasn't long before I received the JAQ3. I was equally surprised when I received one of these units! The good thing I have discovered though about i-mate is they are responsive despite, literally, being on the other side of the planet. I heard and read a lot of horror stories about their responsiveness but I have found them to be great. Yeah, but I am still waiting on a reply about whether they can help me get my hands on an i-mate Ultimate 7150. ;-) Oh the glory that is the Ultimate 7150! Perhaps the most intriguing thing concerning the JAQ3 which I knew coming into this review, was that even though it had a similar style to the Samsung BlackJack WM5 Smartphone, the JAQ3 utilizes the full WM5 Pocket PC operating system. This in itself brings the JAQ3 into the attractive realm occupied by another QWERTY WM5 PPC Phone Edition device which I adore, the Palm Treo 700wx. Absolutely it does! This, in my view, is one of the stronger arguments for the JAQ3 over the BlackJack. Both are similar in size but with the extensive amount of Pocket PC... erm, Windows Mobile Professional software out there to do just about anything, it pushes this device ahead.  From left to right: the Treo 700wx and the JAQ3
The JAQ3 is both longer and wider than the Treo 700wx, but it is also significantly thinner Hardware:The JAQ3 measures exactly 5" tall x 2.7" wide x 0.57" thick, and it weighs 5.1 ounces. Its body is composed mostly of black plastic which has been treated with a textured, almost rubberized non-slip coating. There is a glossy black section of casing which frames the 2.4" 320 x 240 landscape oriented screen, and the buttons and keys on the front of the device are all done in either a matte black or a muted gray. The matte silver four-way directional pad with matte black center-select button adds a subtle dash of shine. This is a thinner Pocket PC Phone Edition than I am used to, but there is no compromise in the overall feel of the device. The JAQ3 is pleasingly heavy and I don't think that it feels cheap or "plasticy" in any way. Torquing the case does not produce even one creak, and everything about this PDA feels...solid. It is this thinness that has drawn me to really liking the JAQ3. While I have cases for most of the devices I use - and i-mate even ships one with the JAQ3 - I like just putting them into a pocket. With this device you can do that easily and can fish it out equally as easy. As Judie mentioned, the rubber-like coating on the device really helps keep it in your hand and it does a great job of hiding fingerprints as well. I like how the JAQ3 fits in my hand. Although its edges aren't as rounded as those of the Treo, they are all beveled - and there are no sharp edges as seen on the Motorola Q. I honestly didn't know how I would feel about trying an i-mate device that wasn't made by HTC, and since this is my first time to encounter one, I'll say that I have been pleasantly surprised. This new generation of i-mate devices is manufactured by TechFaith Wireless, a Chinese company. Let's jump right in and take a look... Specifications As you look at the specifications you'll see they are somewhat "run-of-the-mill". There isn't much that is spectacular but it works and it works well. I-mate did well in sticking with what they know will work and will meet the needs of most users out there. In my mind it is clear this device is squarely aimed at the RIM Blackberry user and should appeal to that strata of users. True! The specs are pretty average, but there is one thing that stands out - WiFi! The JAQ3 has it, whereas the Treo doesn't. That to me was a pretty compelling feature addition. Yes and the WiFi works great. I had no problem getting connected to public networks or my private network at home and throughput was great. So let's take a look at the front of the device. On the top right edge is a three-color LED indicator that flashes red, green or yellow depending upon the circumstance. Next up is the landscape oriented rectangular screen, which is a bit of a change if you are used to the Treo's square screen. The buttons and keys on the front all have nicely domed tops, and they provide a satisfying click when pressed. The four-way D-pad has a solid feel, and while it easily rocks in the intended direction, it doesn't have any squirrelly play. The center select button is large enough that the D-pad won't be unintentionally activated when clicking.
The back of the JAQ3 has two rubber skid pads at the top right and left, and the 2.0 megapixel camera's lens. The battery compartment door is held in place with a bit of friction, and it slides off when coaxed. At the bottom left the telescoping stylus peeks from its silo.
Inside the battery compartment, the SIM card slides into a special tray and the battery is in a tight spot. The battery basically has to be pried out with the tip of the stylus in order to be removed. While this method works, it just seems...inelegant, at best. ;-)
If there is one thing that I do not understand about the JAQ3 it is the location of the soft reset button. In order to access it you have to remove the stylus - because you need it to do the physical push of the reset button - and remove the battery cover. This is really cumbersome and more steps than I think should be involved in resetting a device. I agree that it's annoying, but you know what? Those are the same exact steps that must be taken in order to rest a Treo. I guess you just get used to having to do it every so often...not that it makes it better. No, it doesn't make it better but I did find a work around: Spb Pocket Plus. If your device isn't completely locked up and you can get to the Today screen, you can create a shortcut to soft reset your device. Now if you have totally locked up your JAQ3... time to crack open the battery compartment. The left side of the JAQ 3 has, from left to right, a very convenient scroll wheel with action function, an OK button, and a camera button. The scroll wheel is a great addition - one that I wish every PDA had!
The right side has, from left to right, the power button, the miniUSB port, and the 2.5mm headphone jack. When the power button is pressed and held, it will turn the device on and off. When it is quickly pressed, it will turn the screen on and off.
The bottom of the device is slightly rounded and beveled, which makes it seem smaller when held than it really is.
The top of the JAQ3 has a spring-loaded MicroSD slot behind an attached door which clicks into space behind the card, protecting the bay from debris.
I like the protection door on the MicroSD slot. Not only does it protect from debris as Judie suggested, but it cut down on loosing these impressively small cards!
The stylus is one of those cramped telescoping jobs that are becoming more and more popular. It measures just a smidge over 2.75" long when compressed and 3.75" long when extended. It is not something you will want to enter an opus with, but then...there is a keyboard for that. ;-) |
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