Hands on with the SP3i!

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

Fresh via City-Link from the MoDaCo Shop this morning... an iMate SP3i :)

I'll be posting my full thoughts over the next few days, but in the interim, feel free to ask me any questions you would like to :(

My initial thoughts...

- Nice looking, a little thicker than a C500, but not as wide, joystick feels nice

- Nice rubberised back (a la T68)

- WMP9 (10 to follow soon according to iMate)

- All the best bits of the C500, but with a slick new look if the C500 isn't your bag

- 5 WAY JOYSTICK! (Doh... iMate, this is NOT a games device then!)

:(

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[Guest mavisdavis]

Multipress :?:

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

Well I can move and fire in Eclipse ;-)

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[Guest Dell.se9092]

5 way? Why not just keep the c500 joystick? =] Or even why even product it? Any other difference between them beside design?

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

It's a start so I'll better get saving up (as long as the other half does not find out :-$ )

[Guest Pondrew]

This is the 'phone I've been waiting for (albeit possibly in the SDA guise...). Would be interested to hear more about about multipress working or not?

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

No difference except for design and joystick.

To be honest though, a lot of people don't like the C500 design, this gives them the same awesome phone in a different style.

At under 300 quid SIM free from the shop, it's about the right price for the class of handset.

I can't decide if I prefer it or the C500, as i've never really minded the rocker... it certainly wins in the fact not many others will have one :-)

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Posted from my SmartPhone!

[Guest]

Though I've only ever seen photo's, it's the C500(SP3) that does it for me.

As a non-gamer, those problems don't affect choice for me, and I do understand that they make a difference for many. For me, it's more about the placement of the main buttons, ie the answer/end call buttons, and they just look better placed to me on the SP3.

However, though the SP3's rocker is fine for up/down, it is a pain to press in to action an option. I've lost count many times of how often it's gone up/down/etc, when I've wanted to press it in to action something.

All things said, though, SP3, and not i is fine for me.

[Guest cclboss]

I'm currently using an iMate Sp3 (C500) and quite happy except the "rocker" stick is a little clumsy to use sometimes. However, having used an SPV200 before, I'm a little concerned whether the iMate sp3i's stick will accidentally answer an incoming call if it protrudes out too much (like the SPV200), say, when the phone is in your pants pocket. Have you seen that happen?

[Guest McHale]

is it the same price for the US version of the SP3i?

-Mc

[Guest kevlar]

Well I eventually got a C500 about 1 month ago and can confirm it has the worst joystick ever designed. I used to play a lot of games on my E200 but on C500 gaming is neigh on impossible. It's not even suitable as a non gaming navigation device, as a previous post mentioned the times I've accidentally selected something else while pressing action I've lost count of. Also sometimes moving the scroller thing from one direction to another it can seem to stick or jam physically. Any variation on the c500 but with a real joystick has to be welcomed.

Kevlar

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

I've taken a few calls and not yet answered any accidentally, using both my pocket and the supplied carry pouch.

After a bit more use, i'd say the keypad is a bit better than the Typhoon...

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Posted from my SmartPhone!

[Guest zerod]

I have some problem with my sp3i joystick, moving right sometimes work and sometimes not, do yours always work? i would like to replace it but i hear that many people has this problem or worse and I don't want to wait 10 days to have a new phone with worse joystick.

I think I can live with this problem...

[Guest Confucious]

:)

[Guest Confucious]

I got used to my C500 rocker quite quickly and hope you do to kevlar. Personally I love the look of my C500 (black) but, I gather, other people prefer the SP3i or silver C500/SP3 so I guess that's just personal opinion as is the preference for key layout above and rocker/joystick - although I can understand why more people would prefer the joystick even if it's just because it's what the know.

What isn't subjective though, is price. In the MoDaCo shop the SP3 and SP3i are the same price (£290) which is fair enough as they are, in all but design, the same phone BUT the C500 is £149 - admittidly on PAYG and locked to Orange but for £20 you can get it unlocked giving you the same phone baring aesthetics for £120 less.

All things being equal the above arguments are relevent but, given the price diffrence, do they matter. And why would anyone buy an SP3 rather than a C500 given the price difference?

Just a thought.

[Guest kevlar]

Personally I think the problem with the joypad is it has way too much travel. About the multipress, Has this issue been resolved yet? I'm not talking about the joypad multipress, I mean the keypad multipress introduced with the last update.

Kevlar

[Guest mofo]

What name is gonna be in Qtek?

Qtek 8010i ?

I like this phone because it looks like mobile phone not PDA but can do a lot of other things :)

For me it is still important to be able carry around my phone in e.g. my trousers pocket :(

[Guest smartphone-web.com]

What name is gonna be in Qtek?  

 

Qtek 8010i ?

It will be named Qtek 8020 - but the launch will be in early 2005.

[Guest agent.m]

I owe my loyalty to the sda. im currently saving what money I have for its release 2 years is a long time for me to go without a new phone. was thinking about sp3i :)

[Guest yoos]

I have some problem with my sp3i joystick, moving right sometimes work and sometimes not, do yours always work? i would like to replace it but i hear that many people has this problem or worse and I don't want to wait 10 days to have a new phone with worse joystick.  

I think I can live with this problem...

I have this problem on my Voyager and it is very frustrating. My problem is sometimes it doesn't want to go down and instead moves right when you press down. This really sucks. When I try to set the standard alarm I try to press down and it istead scrolls right in the Time Zone field. This bad joystick is the MAIN reason I personally want to get another phone, and I was really going for the sp3i but all the reports on expansys about the joystick problems on the sp3i are a little scary. If and when I do buy one I will surely send it back if the joystick doesn't work correctly. I can't beleive that a joystick can have these problems. Aren't there tons of phones with joysticks out nowadays? I wonder if they have similar problems....

These are all just my opinions obviously.

[Guest yoos]

As far as curiousity on the sp3i... I'd be very curious on an opinion on how good/bad the battery life is compared to the C500 and/or SDA.

[Guest radiator]

About the multipress, Has this issue been resolved yet? I'm not talking about the joypad multipress, I mean the keypad multipress introduced with the last update.

Kevlar

No - you can't press 2 keypad buttons at the same time.

However, the following buttons will work at the same time as a joystick direction push; left softkey, right softkey, *, #

I have some problem with my sp3i joystick, moving right sometimes work and sometimes not, do yours always work? i would like to replace it but i hear that many people has this problem or worse and I don't want to wait 10 days to have a new phone with worse joystick.

I think I can live with this problem...

How long have you had the phone, and are you sure you're not accidently pressing the joystick in? I found the joystick to be a bit difficult to use to begin with (I was used to a T610), but after a while it becomes second nature. It almost feels like it's loosened up a bit and lost it's 'stiffness'. I was pressing the joystick in about 3 out of 5 times when I first got the phone...!

I'm a little concerned whether the iMate sp3i's stick will accidentally answer an incoming call if it protrudes out too much (like the SPV200), say, when the phone is in your pants pocket. Have you seen that happen?

Been using the phone for a few weeks now, and that hasn't happened yet. If you look at the phone from the bottom, the joystick only stick out by about 1mm - I think the fact that the button's either side are curved helps too.

As far as curiousity on the sp3i... I'd be very curious on an opinion on how good/bad the battery life is compared to the C500 and/or SDA

Well, I've only had to fully charge mine twice over the past 2 weeks - but then I tend to have it connected to the PC for about 15-20 mins every other day...

I tend to make around x4 5-10min calls a day...

[Guest McHale]

um....

well....

IS THERE GOING TO BE A US FRIENDLY SP3I AVAILABLE THROUGH MODACO?

[Guest kunst2]

"]Fresh via City-Link from the MoDaCo Shop this morning... an iMate SP3i :)

You are a lucky guy Paul :wink: .

I am still waiting for mine (ordered one week ago trough from the MoDaCo Shop ) ..... :(

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

I'll chase your order kunst2, i'm sure it's on it's way ;-)

McHale, if you mail or phone the MoDaCo Shop, they'll sort you something out for US shipping :)

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