Review: All Business with the i-mate JAQ

i-mate JAQ

i-mate JAQ

i-mate JAQ

[Note: While we have yet to test it hands-on, i-mate assure us that a ROM update to be released soon for the JAQ has fixed the problems witnessed with notifications and the quirky behavior of the Fn and Shift keys. We will update this review once we can be sure the problems are rectified. -Editor]

Introduction

The i-mate JAQ is the first device from i-mate that is not a rebranded OEM product from HTC. Moving away from the successful partnership that has worked so well in the past was a bold move. The i-mate JAQ was designed and is built by Inventec, and it is obvious upon first inspection that it was not made with beauty in mind. Great looks is not what the JAQ is all about though. CEO of i-mate Jim Morrison even tells a story of the birth of the JAQ that involved an exec from a large company asking for an "ugly" QWERTY device that his employees wouldn't be likely to take with them outside of business hours, and as such would be less likely to lose the device. With that story in mind, you can see that i-mate targeting the device at business users exclusively, and it is with that in mind that we undertake this review.

The i-mate JAQ is a PDA phone, not a smartphone, and as such runs Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Edition (with AKU 2.5) and has a touchscreen. Do not expect to use the touchscreen as an input method though, as the focus is clearly on the QWERTY keypad. Thankfully, most of the device is usable without reaching for the stylus.

Physical Aspects

Once you get over the, let's be nice about it, "questionable" looks of the i-mate JAQ, you are left with a device that has a very mixed personality. While the JAQ does feel quite solid in the hand, which can probably be attributed to its size more than anything, the plastics used in its manufacture feel quite cheap, matching i-mate's targeted price point. The JAQ is very durable, and will withstand its share of knocks and bumps, and everything fits together quite well, though throughout the experience with the JAQ it is obvious that it is on the cheap end of the PDA phone scale.

The keypad featured on the i-mate JAQ is probably the device's most redeeming quality. This is truly one of the best QWERTY keypads I have ever used on a handheld device. They keys appear quite small when compared to those on similar devices like the Palm Treo or Nokia E60, but the excellent spacing and tactile feedback offered makes up for this - and then some. The keys are backlit with an orange light, which is an unfortunate choice, as it makes seeing the keypad in well-lit areas rather difficult. This is accentuated by the fact that no light sensor is present on the JAQ, meaning that the backlight is on regardless of the ambient lighting conditions. While the physical aspects of the keypad are outstanding, the software side of things, such as the behavior of the function and caps lock keys, are a big letdown. We will cover this later in the review. I do have to mention that there is no visual distinction between normal alphabetic keys and those that double as the numeric keypad, something found in other QWERTY handsets like Treos and BlackBerrys.

Along the top of the JAQ's QWERTY keypad is a row of function keys and the navigational joystick. I am happy to report that the joystick, like the keypad, is one of the best I have used. It is firm, easy to work with, and unlike many joysticks on devices, feels like it will be durable and last the distance with the rest of the device. Flanking the joystick are two softkeys, sided by the Start and OK buttons, with the call and end keys furthest from the center. Volume keys and a voice recorder key line the left side of the JAQ, with a 2.5mm headphone jack, miniSD card slot, and the power button on the right. A miniUSB port is located on the bottom of the handset, which can be used for both synchronization with a desktop PC and for charging the device. The silo for the stylus is to the left of this, along the bottom of the device.

It would be a lie to say that the i-mate JAQ is a small device, or even that it is easy to manage in a pocket, which is obvious with dimensions like 122mm x 71mm x 22mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 0.9"). On the up side, the JAQ is surprisingly lightweight, and picking it up for the first time will yield quite a shock when you realize that despite its other dimensions, it seems lighter than a lot of standard handsets, though actual measurements say otherwise at 160g (5.6oz).

i-mate JAQ

i-mate JAQ

i-mate JAQ

 

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