The Ultimate Phone?

"People will be well surprised." Jim Morrison, i-mate's founder, boldly predicted the reaction to his company's new phone to Arabian Business in April. The buzz has been growing since then, and the industry is looking out for the launch at GITEX this September. The Dubai-based company has gone through a rough patch over the past six months, and the Ultimate is expected to spearhead an ultimate comeback.

While most will have to wait to experience i-mate's latest device, I was invited to a sneak peak earlier today. I am not easily surprised by gadgets, and over the years we all have become immune to the hype. The exterior of the Ultimate resembles previous models - the screen is larger and brighter and there are more ports on the side, but it is basically a standard Windows mobile device. Aesthetics are always subjective, and i-mate's previous success in the region demonstrates that the product has its following.

The ‘wow' factor that Morrison is betting on is the XGA connectivity. The pocket-sized phone has all the features that you would expect from a business convergence device: push email, enhanced contacts software, messenger, and multiple format document viewers (Word, PDF, Excel). The XGA is a unique feature for a phone of its size. Basically, the Ultimate can connect to a projector or a television just like a laptop, and display videos, documents, and most importantly, PowerPoint presentations.

Brendan Press, i-mate's product development director, explained the benefits of having a faster Intel processor and more memory, and showed me the bright touch screen VGA display of the preproduction model he is using, but I was focused on Niveen Samra's , the principle device engineer, PowerPoint presentation.

Business executives who go from one meeting to another, loaded with cables and laptops (so called PowerPoint rangers), can now lighten the load and drive a presentation from their phone. They can also show embedded videos (say a TV commercial) during a pitch. This capability changes the playing field.

The global competition in the mobile market for business users is fierce and a wide array of phones can get email and do Windows. The Ultimate is taking it to the next level, eliminating the need to lug a laptop around. I will not venture into sales predictions, but even if the Ultimate is a one trick pony, it is the first on the track; early adopters always flock to the latest innovation. Jim Morrison may be right, "people will be well surprised".

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