i-mate Ultimate 8150

Phone Dimensions

As with the 6150, also in i-mate's “Ultimate” smartphone line up, the Ultimate 8150 measures a reasonably sleek 118.5 x 60.5 x 15.5 mm and weighs 152 grams, making it about average in size when compared with competitor smartphones. The design of the device is very typical of what users can expect from i-mate's “Ultimate” smartphone products, with rounded edges and a prominent display screen.

Screen Size and Features

Like its “Ultimate” smartphone Siblings, the 8150 provides a responsive TFT touchscreen with 65K colors. Size-wise, the device's screen is dwarfed a bit by other phones in the i-mate “Ultimate” line, but the 8150 still provides a generously-sized 2.6 inch touchscreen. Users will appreciate the handwriting recognition feature as well as the 480 x 640 pixel specifications of the display screen.

System Features

Microsoft Windows 6.0 Professional OS is included. The i-mate Ultimate 8150 also features a respectable Intel XScale PXA 270, 520 MHz processor and an nVidia GoForce 5500 graphics accelerator. Users will find the 8150 to be strong in memory, as it provides 128 MB RAM and 256 MB Glossary Link ROM. Expansion is made possible by a microSD (TransFlash) expansion slot.

Keypad Functionality

Users may find themselves both amazed and confused by the keypad configuration on the i-mate Ultimate 8150. Many of the more commonly used buttons on the keypad are duplicated to facilitate ease with right or left hand use. The directional pad is found among the keys, which is a departure from standard keypad form, but serves to make the directional pad easier to reach with the right thumb.

Input/Output Capacities

The i-mate Ultimate 8150 features a standard miniUSB port for use with charging and syncing. Impressively, the device also includes a TV-out connector which enables the user to output device content to standard projectors (XGA Glossary Link resolution). Pixel output is sufficient to project videos and Microsoft Power Point presentations and users have found this feature to be incredibly simple to navigate, eliminating the need to carry a notebook PC around for presentations.

Camera Capabilities

A 2 MP primary camera in the device supplies 1600x1200 pixel images and features auto focus and video capabilities. The i-mate Ultimate 8150 also includes the surprising addition of a secondary camera that functions as a VGA video call camera. This bonus feature is also found in the i-mate Ultimate 8150's Smartphone “cousin”, the 6150, and has been praised by critics for providing fluid, quality video results.

Battery Specifications

The 8150 includes a standard Lithium-Ion 1530 mAh Polymer battery, although the device has been plagued with problems regarding battery life. Some users have found that despite the manufacturer's boast of 4 hours of talk time, the battery power lasts a significantly shorter period (less than 3 hours). The i-mate Ultimate 8150's battery has also been reported to heat up during use (even very short periods of use).

Other Notable Features

Users will be find the device to be loaded with many premium features, including Bluetooth (v2.0 with A2DP), HSDPA connectivity, and Pocket Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF viewer). Voice memo, file manager, and video/audio album are also standard with the 8150.

i-mate Ultimate 8150 users have praised Glossary Link sound quality, and the device accommodates polyphonic and MP3 ringtones. Built-in hands free and a stereo FM Radio serve to round out the diverse set of features offered by the 8150 Smartphone.

Ultimate 8150 Pros

TV-out connector performs well and allows users to export presentations from the 8150 to boardroom projectors with ease
Inclusion of Pocket Office software makes the device highly functional as a PDA
520 MHz processor Intel chip and nVidia GoForce 5500 graphics accelerator provide competitive power and speed

Ultimate 8150 Cons

Overall size is somewhat bulky and heavy when compared to competing smartphone offerings
Display screen size is smaller than that of the 6150, and smaller than what users might expect from a VGA display
Despite the battery specifications, the 8150's battery life falls far short of its advertised capabilities

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