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i-mate JAQ Smart PhoneA globe-trotting smart phone that gets lost in its design. Price: $499
The i-mate JAQ is meant to be a feature-rich smart phone for globe-trotting execs, and while its specs look okay on paper, the JAQ is less than a pleasure to use. The physical design is the main culprit, turning what could be a Motorola Q or Palm Treo competitor into an ungainly mess.
The JAQ feels far too large in the hand, measuring 4.8 x 2.7 x 0.8 inches and weighing 5.6 ounces. The large touchscreen is nice (2.8 inches, 320 x 240 pixels), and we like the size of the QWERTY keyboard, but the number keys are the same color as the rest, making basic dialing a chore. The battery compartment juts out the back, ruining any chance of sleekness, and the buttons and keyboard feel cheap. The touchscreen requires an extra firm touch, which is tiring, and the stylus inconveniently pulls out from the bottom left corner. Powered by Windows Mobile 5.0, the JAQ supports push e-mail and includes the standard calendar and contact applications. Extras include eTrust Anti-Virus, Blackjack, and a free 30-day subscription to Club i-mate, which includes wireless backup and the ability to wipe the data off your device if it's lost or stolen. After that, the suite costs $100 per year plus a $100 startup fee. The JAQ is a quadband (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) world phone. It supports EDGE data, offers Bluetooth 1.2, and lets you make a list of incoming numbers to block, an unusual feature. Missing are Wi-Fi and a camera. We were annoyed to find that the screen doesn't automatically lock when making calls, which meant we often pressed buttons by accident when talking. No U.S. carrier currently offers the JAQ, so you'll need to buy it at the steep full price of $499. Like other Windows Mobile smart phones, the JAQ can play music with the bundled copy of Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, although it has only 64MB of RAM for storage, so we'd recommend adding a miniSD Card. The package comes with a sturdy belt-clip case, a power cord, a USB cable, and an extra stylus. Our test model didn't come with a U.S. plug, but you can charge the phone through a USB connection. We tested the JAQ with a T-Mobile SIM card. Voice calls were perfectly clear on both ends in the Jersey City, N.J. area. Talk time is a decent four hours. Business users looking to stay connected can do better than the JAQ, which seems to have started with good ideas but lost its way in the design stage. i-mate JAQ Smart Phone Specifications
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