John Chan from CNet gives us some insights into the soon-to-be-released iMate Ultimate 9502. On the upside, the abundant connectivity options, QWERY slide-out keyboard and VGA each get a tick. On the downside the i-Mate Ultimate 9502 weighs 200 grams - that’s 24 more grams than my current iMate Jasjam. Although heavier, it is 6mm thinner so it sort of balances things out. Looking forward to getting double the RAM (128MB) and ROM (256MB) on the 9502 too!

Here’s his summary on the iMate Ultimate 9502:

The i-mate Ultimate 9502 can possibly be the very definition of a top-of-the-line Windows Mobile handheld. One problem we have with it is that none of the devices in the Ultimate series are available. We can’t look at and judge the 9502 because there is no track record. As of now, i-mate cannot confirm the availability of the 9502 in our region yet, though we understand the company should be setting up shop in Asia Pacific very soon. Hopefully, the 9502 will come sooner rather than later so we can finally tell if its title is justified or just a self-proclaimed brag.

I’m sure John’s been informed that the iMate 9502 Ultimate will be in Telstra Shops this week.

We’re busily getting all iMate Ultimate 9502 accessories organised so I can pimp yours and mine!  Watch this space.

i-mate Ultimate 9502 Preview - CNET Asia

Two good sources have confirmed that the iMate Ultimate 8502 & 9502 will be available for purchase this coming Tuesday 25th March!

I tried calling the Bourke Street, Melbourne TShop so that I could reserve one but they’re like us…too busy to answer phones! We both need more staff!

Post a comment when you get yours to give us your first impressions. Don’t be shy.

Gizmodo Aus

UberGizmo have been able to get their hands an iMate Ultimate 9502 for review. The two outstanding attributes of the iMate 9502 for them were:

1. Video Display : 640×480 VGA
2. External Keyboard /Display Abilities : Apparently you can hook up an external USB Keyboard! Love the idea as it saves battery not having to use a bluetooth keyboard.

imate Ultimate 9502 Review on UberGizmo

Considering that I am with currently with Telstra and that I am coming to the end of my contract with my iMate JasJam, the iMate Ultimate 9502 looks to be my next upgrade.

Pocketpcthoughts.com has news that Telstra will launch the iMate Ultimate 9502 & iMate Ultimate 8502 as soon as the next couple of weeks!

Investorschronicle.co.uk reports that i-Mate’s shares rose by up to 25 per cent when it was announced that the phone-maker had signed a distribution deal with Telstra, Australia’s largest telco.

See our current range of i-Mate pocketPCs and accessories here.