The market for devices running on the Windows Mobile platform is heating up with new handhelds being launched every fortnight or so. This time, last year, there were hardly half-a-dozen devices while today we have over 15 models sporting the Operating System that many people love to hate. With new entrants like Spice coming into the arena, which has been dominated by HP and i-mate so far, consumers are bound to be spoilt with more choices. One such offering from i-mate is the Jasjam which will set the tempo for the New Year, much like the Jas Jar did last year.

Features of i-mate Jasjam mobile

With number of handsets flooding the market, literally, their nomenclature has assumed almost a cult status with mobile companies going all out on their creative, ultra-chic jugglery. For instance, the likes of Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson use a combination of numbers and alphabets, while LG has now started using terms like Chocolate, Pulse and Dynamite to distinguish one series from the other. I-mate, on the other hand, has a number of handsets that sport the phrase 'JAM'. It started with the device Jam, then the K-Jam, only to be followed by a Jamin and now the Jasjam. While the Motorolas, Nokias, Samsungs and Sony Ericssons might not have a logical reasoning behind their names, it seems i-mate does. Could it be due to the fact that i-mate's founder and CEO sports the initials JAM (for the uninitiated, he's Jim Alexander Morrison)? Well, if that's the reason, don't be surprised if you are served with some more toys that have the JAM-factor in them.

The name - Jasjam

Getting over the name, the Jasjam has a sliding QWERTY keypad for 'thumbing' e-mails and text messages, just like the K-Jam. In fact, we won't be technically incorrect to say that the Jasjam is an advanced version of the K-Jam, with the former being a 3G device. The success of the K-Jam has led the manufacturer to work on a 3G version and the Jasjam is a fine result of all the research and development that has gone into it. Though one doesn't necessary need a physical keypad in a touch screen device, but we always prefer to have one for the convenience it offers, especially if one has to type something while on the move. And rather than providing tiny keys on the face of the device itself, providing them underneath (a sliding mechanism) is always a better option. Being an upgrade, there are plenty of hardware changes in thejasjam as opposed to the K-Jam. The most defining one of them is the inclusion of a jog-dial with a back key, a la BlackBerry. Placed on the left edge, the arrangement aids in single-handed operation of the device, which is the first time that we are experiencing on a Windows mobile device. The back key activates the start menu in the home screen and then one can navigate through the different menu options. The jog dial itself is a three-way dial, which means that one can not only traverse through the options but also select the desired one by pressing the dial. As the jog dial has been placed on the left edge, the Jasjam has been designed to be held in the left hand, which might take some time getting used to (lefties may rejoice though). After using the device for a while, I hardly used the touch screen for normal operation and the need arised only when I had to play games or change settings while taking pictures.

Another welcome addition has been an improved keypad that offers more comfortable typing. And then, the biggest upgrade of all, the jasjam is 3G enabled though it's a different story that we are yet to experience 3G networks in India. A few stakes have been upped like the two megapixel primary camera with a macro-mode option as well as a CMOS secondary camera for video calling. Now, that's one heck of a loaded handset.

For a 3G device with such capabilities, it was essential to have a more powerful processor than the Tl OMAP 850 running at 200 Mhz that featured in the K-Jam .Acting wisely, the brand has opted for a Samsung processor clocking 400 Mhz, which ensures that the device doesn't hang up while multitasking.

So the new i-mate Jasjam is a definte good buy mobile phone priced at the right .