I-Mate JAQ3 Hits Middle East

I know it's not a huge deal that somewhere in the world we have YATQKMS (Yet Another Qwerty Keyboard Windows Mobile Smartphone), but the i-mate JAQ3 is notable because of its combination of touchscreen, qwerty, and wifi. It's like a Treo without the square screen. Maybe I'm just easily impressed as I'm still stuck in a wifi-less world.

Also notable, as Brighthand points out, the JAQ3 is a reminder that there are manufacturers other than HTC out there. :)

By current standards this device is a bit weak in cellular-wireless capabilities; it has GSM and GPRS but nothing faster. However, it sports both 802.11b and g.

This model, which includes a 2.0 megapixel camera, was designed and manufactured by TechFaith Wireless, the company i-mate turned to for smartphone development after HTC decided to no longer let i-mate sell its products.

i-mate is now offering the JAQ3 in the Middle East. It will likely expand the availability of this device at some point in the future.

Read: New Pocket PC Phone with Wi-Fi Now Available from i-mate