Apparently, one of the biggest Nokia E90 competitors, the Windows Mobile-powered i-Mate Ultimate 7150, has now been axed without even making it into production. No idea whether this is due to the perceived market for such a clamshell or simply because i-Mate have other problems...
Read on in the full article.
Read in a number of places that imate had troubles. But no idea if this is based on fact or just one of the media regurgitaing/bandwagoning feeding frenzies that pass for journalism these days.
Zuber
From that link, it sounds like they're having general problems with manufacturing rather than problems with any specific model.
If a smartphone manufacturer was forced to choose just one or two devices to manufacture for some reason, communicator-style gadgets wouldn't be the first choice of anyone. The market for the communicator form factor is relatively small, despite the enthusiasm of the people who do buy them.
I agree with Krisse too. The communcator form "believers" are basically few and far between. And of those real power users are even fewer.
How does the saying go in Nokia, "80% of people will use 20% of the phone�s capabilities"?
I loved my 9300i to death! And personally prefer S80 over S60 3rd gen (in E90), so far. That�s one reason I won�t get an N95 or upgrade from N93. I�m waiting for the ultimate communicator with the best os!
Soo.. I am interested in a communicator like E90 armed with Windows Mobile 6
W.M. has come a long way and is catching up to symbian fast.
Fail to see a reason for "arming" e90 with WM6. S60 works perfect and absolutely flawless on the device.
Even more to that - since I have switched on the new e90 (and it was almost a month ago), my 9500 rests in peace. And I would never return to it (although I admin the PIM application in the e90 is a disaster).
Best regards,
Borys