I-Mate have sent me the brand new JAMin for review here on MTekk..

The I-Mate JAMin is slightly larger in size than the XDA Atom, and sports a very clear 2.8" LCD touch screen.  It comes with a stylish matt black finish and a nicely rounded plastic case.

Lets start with the specifications:

Specifications

System Information

• Processor - Texas Instruments OMAP850, 195 MHz
• Memory - 128MB ROM, 64MB RAM
• Operating System - Windows Mobile ^TM Version 5.0

Display

• LCD Type - 2.8" Transflective TFT-LCD with backlight LED's, touch sensitive screen
• Resolution - 240 x 320 with 65,536 colors
• Alignment Support - Portrait and Landscape

GSM / EDGE Module

• Functionality - GSM / EDGE (850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz)
• Mode - Dual (GSM)
• Internal Antenna - Yes

Camera Module

• Type - CMOS 2 Mega pixel with adjustable lens for wide angle and macro shooting
• Resolution - 1600x1200, 1280x1024 (SXGA), 640x480 (VGA), 320x240 (QVGA), 160x120 (QQVGA), 176x144 (QCIF) and 128x96

Physical

• Dimensions - 108mm (L) x 58 mm (W) x 18.2 mm (T)
• Weight - 150g (with battery)

Controls and Lights

• Navigation Buttons
  • 5-way Navigation Control
  • Two program buttons: Camera and Comm. Manager / Record
  • Two phone functions: Talk and End
  • Start Menu button
  • OK Button
  • Two soft keys
  • Volume Controller
  • Power button
  • Reset Button
• LED's
  • Green and Amber LED for GSM standby, SMS message, GSM network status, notification and battery charging status
  • Blinking blue LED for Bluetooth system notification and blinking Green LED for WiFi status

Audio

• Audio Connector - AGC
• Microphone / Speaker - Built-in / Dual, Hands Free
• Supported Formats - AMR / AAC / WAV / WMA / MP3 codec

Connections

• Infrared - IrDA SIR
• I/O Port - Mini-USB (for USB, serial and power connections)
• Antenna - External connector for GSM and EDGE
• Audio - Stereo earphone jack, 2.5mm diameter

Expansion Slots

• Card Slot - MMC / SD or SDIO

Standard Software

• Calculator
• Mobile Office - Excel, Word, Outlook and Power Point Mobile
• Microsoft ActiveSync, Pocket MSN and Windows Media Player 10
• Picture and Video Manager
• Phone Dialler
• Camera

Additional Software

• ClearView PDF Viewer
• Clubimate Email
• Comm. Manager
• eTrust Antivirus
• I-Mate Backgammon
• MIDlet Manager
• Skype for Pocket PC

What's In The Box

The I-Mate JAMin comes packages with the following:

• I-Mate JAMin
• Protective Pouch with Belt Clip

• Companion CD
• USB Sync Cable
• Mains Charger
• Spare Stylus
• Quick Start Guide
• User Manual
• 24 Month Global Warranty
• 24/7 Technical Support
• 12 Months Subscription to eTrust Antivirus
• Free Microsoft Hosted Exchange e-mail

Case

The I-Mate JAMin is housed in a matt black plastic case, with nicely curved edges that just sits in the hand comfortably.  All the buttons and controls located down the sides are positioned where the thumb and index fingers normally sit for easy access.  The buttons are flush with the outside of the case, minimising accidental pressing while still making them easy to find.

JAMin Front

The front of the JAMin has the 5-way navigation pad, Start Menu button, OK button, Phone Talk and End buttons and two buttons to access the two soft buttons along the bottom of the screen.  The first speaker resides behind the LED status indicators in the middle above the screen.  The display is a very crisp and clear 2.8" TFT-LCD with 64k colors.  Compared to the XDA Atom, this display has its contrast set perfectly, and all lighter colors are visible as they should be.

JAMin Rear

The rear of the JAMin houses the camera lens with two focal settings, one for close photo's and the other for distant photo's.  The battery cover clips off revealing the 1200 mAh Li-Ion battery and SIM Card holder.  An external GSM antenna connection is located above the camera protected by a small removable rubber plug.  The second speaker is located underneath the self portrait mirror.

JAMin Left Side

Buttons that are located along the left hand side include Camera, Volume slider and Comm. Manager / Voice Recorder button.

JAMin Right Side

Along the right hand side, you will find the IrDA port, Power button, Stylus and Stylus slot.

JAMin Top Side

The top edge of the JAMin is set aside for the standard sized SD Card and slot.

JAMin Bottom

Along the bottom edge the Reset hole and button, Mini USB connector and Headphone socket are located.

Performance

When I first read the specs on I-Mate's latest addition, I was disappointed when I spotted the Texas Instruments OMAP850 processor, running at a mere 195 MHz.  All my previous Pocket PCs and review devices have been built around a proven Intel X-Scale processor running between 400 and 520 MHz.  So how could this low MHz processor provide enough computing power to handle the applications and demands placed on these devices today?  To find out, I decided to research everything I could on the OMAP850 processor.  After many hours and a few nights a bit light regarding sleep, I have found the processor block diagram, programming software, places to purchase development boards, full data and programming references and a complete instruction set explanation.  So, to see how it performs, I decided to just dive in with the processor hungry applications I use from day to day, and see how it copes.

Firstly, I loaded on some of the radio service manuals in PDF, loaded up Adobe Reader for Pocket PC 2 and opened them. The pages that were opened were PCB overlays and full A3 sized schematics.  While slow  to load (slow on my Atom and previous XDA II), the JAMin handled the large processor demand with ease.  Next was OziExplorer CE - after pairing it with my new BT-338 (courtesy of GPSOZ), I started OziExplorer and was amazed at how quickly it loaded compared to my XDA Atom.  Moving through various maps was between 30 and 50% quicker.  Finally, I chose to listen to music while playing some games (with their sound disabled) and there were no glitches.

Pressing the start menu generates the menu in a snap (no delay except for the first time after a soft reset).  Accessing the three settings pages is also performed in a snap.  No delays, no partial generation of menus or icons until the next screen refresh.

All up, this OMAP850 Processor handled any of the demands I placed on it, much better than I anticipated.  Games like Solitaire are smooth (unlike my Atom), and everything just runs nicely.

I was unable to find any explanation on how this terrific Texas Instruments processor can have more grunt than the Intel PXA272, so I welcome anyone in the know to send me a PM explaining it all.

Software

While my previous reviews have highlighted most of the included software, this review will omit the standard software inclusions as these have been well covered in those reviews.

Backgammon

One nice addition is a fresh new game - Backgammon.  While I am not a Backgammon fan, it certainly has impressed my Wife.

Camera

SOTI Pocket Controller Professional was able to capture the JAMin's Camera in action.  I am sitting in a dark lounge room watching movies, so this is why the camera is dark.  I am very impressed with the camera - the software loads relatively quickly, and the image displayed on the screen is very smooth while walking around.  The pictures are crystal clear, and exceed my expectations with the tiny plastic lens that is in use.  Capturing video footage is equally as smooth, and very easy to use.  The photo's from this camera are nearly as good in quality as my Cannon 3 Mega pixel camera.  The photo shown below has been re-sized to save bandwidth, but is still very clear.

Comm. Manager

The Comm. Manager makes it easy to control your Bluetooth, Wireless, Phone and Active connections with ease.  There is a neat shortcut icon in the lower right of the Today screen that grants access to the Comm. Manager.  All of the connections settings can also be accessed from this page.

eTrust Antivirus

eTrust Antivirus is included, along with a 12 Month free subscription for virus updates.  I ran the virus scan on the device, and it completed in a matter of moments - and no, there were no viruses!  I did try running the application with the "Monitor file updates" check box ticked - with no noticeable reduction in overall speed.  If the Antivirus software works (I have a big beef with most AV applications as I have proven they don't work except one - Nod32 - but that's my opinion), then this would be a great way to ensure future viruses targeting Pocket PCs don't hammer yours.

Phone

The Phone Dialler is standard to other WM5.0 devices, with crisp and clear audio.  I do feel inclined to mention that the review unit came with a fault - the top stereo speaker doesn't work, and as a result, phone audio is badly muffled while in speakerphone.  I have passed this information back to I-Mate, who have never heard of such a fault before, and are keen to get this unit back to see what is going on.  I have been assured the speakerphone is very crisp and clear, so this fault won't influence my review score.

Everything on the phone works as expected, including Voice Dial, which works well via the Bluetooth headset.

Skype

After discovering Skype crashes my XDA Atom, as well as the XDA Exec and I-Mate JASJAR (not including the latest ROM build, which may have fixed many issues I found), I was pleasantly surprised that Skype works on the JAMin.  It was quite slow to load and navigate through once loaded, but it worked.  I simply switched on WiFi and connected to my home wireless network (currently using dial-up internet access) and proceeded to make a few voice calls to some friends.  The audio was fine, although my speech was dodgy at the other end courtesy of our bad internet connection.

With Skype and a WiFi hotspot, cheap calls can be made from this device which is very attractive indeed.

Conclusions

Spending a week with this Pocket PC has been nothing short of a joy.  While my Wife has been using it for the majority of this period, she hasn't encountered any problems.  After loading on all the software I use on a daily basis and making it perform demanding tasks, the I-Mate JAMin has climbed its way to the top of my Pocket PC list.

My only negative comments refer to the location of the stereo speakers and the Power button.  The speakers would be better located on the front of the device, as one speaker is covered when the JAMin is lying on a flat surface while I was listening to music.   The Power button would be better located on the top of the unit, but still has easy access where it is.  It's just a bit close to the Stylus for my liking.

Other than the above, everything on the Pocket PC works, and works reliably.  The camera is great, performance unparalleled to the other devices I have reviewed, comes with a belt pouch, 24 Months warranty and 24/7 technical support.  The phone works as expected, and works well in poor signal areas.  It has a standard sized SD card slot - making it cheaper to purchase larger memory.  The Voice dial works through the BT headset, and can be activated by the headset.  I am unable to comment on A2DP, as I don't have a set of BT Stereo headphones to perform tests with.  Skype works, albeit slow, but it works!  I haven't seen a Wm5.0 device run Skype properly, so this is a very good surprise for me.

The display is bright, crisp and sharp, with all colors easily seen.   This is important for those who like alternate PIM applications, and use OziExplorer CE frequently.  The JAMin's overall size is slightly larger than the XDA Atom, but has no noticeable difference in weight.

If you are looking for a Phone Edition Pocket PC, running WM5.0, that won't weigh you down and works better than most, then you can't go past the I-Mate JAMin.  If you feel the 195 MHz processor is just too slow, take it for a test drive and see for yourself how snappy it actually is.