i-mate jam

[Guest chrisbpr]

has anyone any clue if orange uk are going to release this phone...

ta

[Guest Disco Stu]

Moved to Pocket PC Main section :D

[Guest squall]

my feeling is they wont, although i understand they did come pretty close

[Guest amo]

We've no information of this within retail - the C550 has also been withdrawn from our intranet :S

[Guest mavisdavis]

We've no information of this within retail - the C550 has also been withdrawn from our intranet :S

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No C550 noooooooooooooooooooooo :cry:

[Guest Disco Stu]

Orange in Holland are now listing the Jam (aka M500)

http://www.modaco.com/index.php?showtopic=...=0entry571670

[Guest Sherbet66]

Hi,

I left Orange today to T-Mobile to get this phone, the chap I spoke to at Orange disconnections asked why I was leaving, when I explained that I wanted the Jam his reply was "ah, yes we are not getting that until the end of June". This was not a sales pitch as we both agreed that it would be cheaper for me to jump provider that to get an upgrade.

I got this phone for £30 on a £23 a month tariff; pretty darn good for a phone that costs £300+ SIM free. No hidden catches either (not through T-Mobile itself but a re-seller). No one else offers anywhere near as good a deal, this is not a sales pitch for T-Mobile by the way, their GPRS bundles are ludicrously overpriced and their insurance deals are a joke, they also tried to flog me an inappropriate service plan through their retail shop, on the plus side they do not really mess around too much with the OS of the phone unlike Orange who application locked my MPx200 and filled it with Orange stuff I didn’t want or need.

I went with Orange initially because they offered the best ranges of Smartphones, now as I wish to move onto Pocket PC’s I find that other carriers are simply better and cheaper, pure and simply, I could have waited like yourself for the M500 (or whatever they are going to call it but) why should I when I can get it now for peanuts?

[Guest Loukas]

I got this phone for £30 on a £23 a month tariff; pretty darn good for a phone that costs £300+ SIM free. No hidden catches either (not through T-Mobile itself but a re-seller). No one else offers anywhere near as good a deal.

Which re-seller are you using?

Thanks,

L

[Guest Sherbet66]

Which re-seller are you using?

Thanks,

L

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here; http://www.buymobilephones.net/store/merchant-2-34.ihtml

Follow the MDA link through at the bottom, not the Jam link. Thier ordering is quite straightforward but if you try and phone the customer services number it goes to answering machine 90% of the time so keep your fingers crossed that it all goes smoothly. Phone RRP is £380 so getting it for £29.99 on a £23 tarrif is pretty good, if there is a catch i will let you know.

Ps, forgot to add that T-Mobile will charge you £8 a month for insurance as its a "data" device...? but the above reseller is only £5.99. God knows whats going on there.

Edited May 9, 2005 by Sherbet66

[Guest spidermunky]

I ordered from buymobilephones.net last Monday. They do seem to offer very good deals and you can get the imate JAM/Qtek S100 for a very good price.

Having said that, they did not inform me that there would be a delay (like they say they will on the site) and they also have not replied to my email or left messages. In fact, their site says the phones are in stock.

The only reason I managed to get through to them on the phone the other day was because they're voicemail box became too full to take any more messages and I somehow then got through to an operator. I was told that they were expecting stock today, and that my phone should be with me by Tuesday. I'd like to believe them but they haven't emailed me to let me know if it's been sent (again like they say they will).

Hopefully I'll have the phone in the next couple of days. :| The accessories I order off ebay for it have arrived faster, and they are coming from Hong Kong and the USA!

So far I don't rate their customer service.

I'll keep you guys posted.

Greg

[Guest i_oWn_u]

How many types of I-mate-jams are there?

Edited May 9, 2005 by i_oWn_u

[Guest spidermunky]

How many types of I-mate-jams are there?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There seem to be quite a lot. They're all the same inside, they're just branded differently, or come in slightly different cases.

Greg

[Guest Loukas]

Thanks for your replies guys!

[Guest Sherbet66]

Thanks for your replies guys!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

More than you would realise!

I-Mate Jam is the generic handset name that you can currently get in the UK which is available with a Vodafone, O2, or Orange SIM, this handset is exactly the same as the T-Mobile one but...

T-Mobile have branded this exact same phone, subsidised it to a much larger degree and done a spot of T-Mobile branding on it,

End result; T-Mobile is a cheaper handset cause they subsidised it to a greater extent, follow both links on the page above to view the I-Mate Jam on Vodafone, O2 and Orange packages, end result on a £23 package is the phone will cost between £80-£100. Go for the T Mobile £23 package and the phone cost £29.99 although both are exactly the same phone, different names/different subsidy levels.

Hope that makes sense.

D

[Guest Sherbet66]

I ordered from buymobilephones.net last Monday. They do seem to offer very good deals and you can get the imate JAM/Qtek S100 for a very good price.

Having said that, they did not inform me that there would be a delay (like they say they will on the site) and they also have not replied to my email or left messages. In fact, their site says the phones are in stock.

The only reason I managed to get through to them on the phone the other day was because they're voicemail box became too full to take any more messages and I somehow then got through to an operator. I was told that they were expecting stock today, and that my phone should be with me by Tuesday. I'd like to believe them but they haven't emailed me to let me know if it's been sent (again like they say they will).

Hopefully I'll have the phone in the next couple of days. :| The accessories I order off ebay for it have arrived faster, and they are coming from Hong Kong and the USA!

So far I don't rate their customer service.

I'll keep you guys posted.

Greg

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I can totally agree with Greg on this one, i did a full Google search and they were the cheapest by far but their customer services are woeful. They did have the handset in stock when I ordered (08.05.05) so I have not had the issues re that but T-Mobile did a credit check and discovered that someone 2 doors down from my flat had a bad credit history, they got that person mixed up with me and the whole thing went curly-wurly at that point.

It’s at these times you need good customer services and they (buymobiles.net) were simply not contactable. They did try and phone T-Mobile twice (both times they called to keep me updated) but they gave up after that and left me to my own devices. I had to sort it, which I did, but without being able to actually phone buymobiles it makes life “interesting”. I found the redial every 30 seconds approach to buymobiles worked in the end. Anyhoo, got an email saying that the phone has been dispatched and will arrive tomorrow  so it worked out in the end.

Greg, what accessories are you going for? Currently looking at a screen protector, possibly a case and some other bits and bobs on EBay, any suggestions?

Dave

[Guest Loukas]

Sherbet and everyone else, here's a couple further questions for you:

I'm currently on Orange - 25ppm plan with 120 inclusive minutes and 250 messages.

120 minutes are not enough for me, next plan I make will be at least 200 minutes.

After looking at the buymobilephones.net website, the 30ppm plans seem similar, as they offer 200mins approx. on all companies. The benefit for me to remain with Orange is that they also have a special promotion, whereby if you give them a valid NUS (student) card number you get 1000txts per month free, plus other perks.

(Here's the website: Orange Student Specials)

So, if I go for the Orange OVP 02 200 +50 plan, I pay 30ppm, get 200 minutes and also get the phone for free. Is that correct?

The funny thing is, I was actually waiting for Orange to come out with this phone (the long waited M500) so that I can upgrade my phone using this exact same plan: 30 ppm, 200 mins - and I was planning to go through disconnections if they gave me any trouble, so as to get the handset for free. Apparently I can do that now, without the hassle! ;) coool stufff...

A couple of questions:

1) Using this method, can I keep my existing number?

2) Is it better to get the I-mate Jam or the Qtek S100? I know it's the same handset, but something about support / software upgrades / different warranty policies, etc... what do people prefer to get?

3) Most importantly, will this phone be locked to Orange? I am interested in an unlocked handset, as I travel frequently!

4) Finally, will I be able to get Orange care (5ppm) on this plan, as I like to have it for backup in case something goes wrong or the phone gets dropped / stolen ?

Thank you, you've been most helpful! ;)

Loukas

[Guest spidermunky]

Greg, what accessories are you going for? Currently looking at a screen protector, possibly a case and some other bits and bobs on EBay, any suggestions?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Dave,

I received my wifi card in the post this morning, it's the Sandisk one with the built in memory. I've also ordered a silicon case with plastic screen cover. I'm not sure which brand it is to be honest. I'll update when I know. It was only a few quid so I went for it.

I'll need to get a screen protector for it too, but I'll wait for the device to arrive. I wish all the ipaq 4150 accessories I have would work with it, but it looks like they'll all be going on ebay soon. ;)

I'll possibly get a spare battery, but I might just settle for an external 4xAA battery extender. I've got one for my ipaq and it works really well.

When did you order your JAM/s100? As I mentioned above I've had almost no information about it. I'll be pretty miffed if mine doesn't arrive tomorrow. :|

Thanks,

Greg

[Guest spidermunky]

A couple of questions:

1) Using this method, can I keep my existing number?

2) Is it better to get the I-mate Jam or the Qtek S100? I know it's the same handset, but something about support / software upgrades / different warranty policies, etc... what do people prefer to get?

3) Most importantly, will this phone be locked to Orange? I am interested in an unlocked handset, as I travel frequently!

4) Finally, will I be able to get Orange care (5ppm) on this plan, as I like to have it for backup in case something goes wrong or the phone gets dropped / stolen ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Loukas,

I'm afraid oyu won't be able to keep your old number. You can either change your old phone to a tarriff with no monthly charge and divert the old number to your new one. Or you can transfer the number to a PAYG phone on another network, and then transfer that to your new phone. Both are a bit long winded. I'm not sure what I'll do yet.

The only differences between the handsets as far as I know, are the warranty lenght (s100 2 years - imate 1yr) and that imate give you cheaper downloads off their site.

I don't think it'll be locked, but I may be wrong.

I'm afraid I don't know about orange care. I would prefer it, as in my experience they're better than 3rd party insurers, but as they don't officially sell the handset themselves, I wouldn't count on it. Let me know if you find out ;).

Thanks,

Greg

[Guest reo]

HI

i know my post mayb in the wrong section but i need to get some aid from people that are aware of this phone.

can some1 please help me to convert my 850/1800/1900 i-mate jam to the 900/1800/1900.

in my ountry there is no support for the 850MHz only the 900MHz.

PLZ help.

regards

reo

[Guest Sherbet66]

Hi Greg,

Ordered my phone on Sunday, received a mail (auto generated by the looks of it) saying its due today, i.e., Tuesday. Fingers crossed on that but as far as I can see they have it in stock and when they called me (after the minor snafu surrounding the credit check) they indeed confirmed that I should expect it today. I'm not 100% sure how these people work but I suspect that they simply act as a conduit through to T-Mobile and actually do not hold handsets themselves, as this phone is just out I suspect that they may have been taking orders before T-Mobile could deliver on them.

Re the accessories, I had a look at the silicon case on EBay as well, not 100% sure if I want to wrap the phone in anything just yet, not got Wi-Fi so don’t need the card. It’s a pity no-one has made a charging/synch cable for this phone yet as I will miss that for sure. I’ve bought half a dozen batteries off EBay over the years, none of the cheap ones I have had have ever matched the OEM ones, and the actual battery life on the phone seems pretty good for the screen size.

D

[Guest Sherbet66]

Sherbet and everyone else, here's a couple further questions for you:

I'm currently on Orange - 25ppm plan with 120 inclusive minutes and 250 messages.

120 minutes are not enough for me, next plan I make will be at least 200 minutes.

After looking at the buymobilephones.net website, the 30ppm plans seem similar, as they offer 200mins approx. on all companies. The benefit for me to remain with Orange is that they also have a special promotion, whereby if you give them a valid NUS (student) card number you get 1000txts per month free, plus other perks.

(Here's the website: Orange Student Specials)

So, if I go for the Orange OVP 02 200 +50 plan, I pay 30ppm, get 200 minutes and also get the phone for free. Is that correct?

The funny thing is, I was actually waiting for Orange to come out with this phone (the long waited M500) so that I can upgrade my phone using this exact same plan: 30 ppm, 200 mins - and I was planning to go through disconnections if they gave me any trouble, so as to get the handset for free. Apparently I can do that now, without the hassle! ;) coool stufff...

A couple of questions:

1) Using this method, can I keep my existing number?

2) Is it better to get the I-mate Jam or the Qtek S100? I know it's the same handset, but something about support / software upgrades / different warranty policies, etc... what do people prefer to get?

3) Most importantly, will this phone be locked to Orange? I am interested in an unlocked handset, as I travel frequently!

4) Finally, will I be able to get Orange care (5ppm) on this plan, as I like to have it for backup in case something goes wrong or the phone gets dropped / stolen ?

Thank you, you've been most helpful! ;)

Loukas

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Am afraid Greg is correct, going to have to wait for Orange to release the phone and go through an upgrade to keep your package and number. an upgrade will be costly though, Orange would not quote me cause the phone is not out but given past experience an upgrade to a handset that costs £380 is likely to set you back about £80/100 depending on how much you spend with them. this is only a guestimate though. Thats the reason i jumped ship to T-Mobile.

Re the locking, if you wait for Orange to officially release the phone then its likely that they will lock it to prevent you inserting other SIM's (I'm assuming thats what you meant by lock) as Orange routinely lock all of their own handsets. If you get an unbranded handset (i.e i-mate Jam aka Qtek S100) with an Orange SIM in it then there is a possibility that it may accept other SIM's as well, could be best checking with them on that if its important. From what i can gather if the phone is locked you can contact the carrier and they will unlock it for you, may be a fee to go with that though

[Guest spidermunky]

I have an update on my situation. Sent buymobilephones.net an email this morning to see what the hell's been going on with my order. Turns out they're not getting the handsets in until "Tursday". Not too happy.

Guess I'll just have to wait. I've emailed them, asking for them to guarantee it's arrival by the end of the week. I won't hold my breath though.

Greg ;)

[Guest MitchellO]

It’s a pity no-one has made a charging/synch cable for this phone yet as I will miss that for sure.

Why? Any standard mini usb to usb cable will do that. I have a retractable generic one of those.

[Guest Sherbet66]

Why? Any standard mini usb to usb cable will do that. I have a retractable generic one of those.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I realise that any mini USB cable works with it, I just think that cradles are a more aesthetic solution to synching with the pc, I also find it useful in that I like the phone to be sitting up securely facing me (thus allowing me easier access to the screen) when I am accessing it and the PC together, which I am doing a lot of as I’ve just got it, I prefer this to having it lying on my desk.

I hope that someone will release a cradle for PC use, I think there may one out but it seems to be designed for use in a car.

[Guest Sherbet66]

I have an update on my situation. Sent buymobilephones.net an email this morning to see what the hell's been going on with my order. Turns out they're not getting the handsets in until "Tursday". Not too happy.

Guess I'll just have to wait. I've emailed them, asking for them to guarantee it's arrival by the end of the week. I won't hold my breath though.

Greg ;)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mine arrived on Tuesday of this week from them. They sent it on Monday so they did have some in stock, i guess if ordered a differently branded model that may explain why i got mine faster than you. A word of note, the carrier (City something, forget the name) left it with a random neighbour without putting a note through the door, thankfully the neighbour was honest but, given the cost of the handset i would have prefered that they not do this. When all is said and done Greg, I'm sure that they will get there in the end, i know its really crap having to wait but its worth it, trust me this is one smart gadget.

Dave