Call it the Carrier Devices i-mate Smartphone2. Call it the O2 XPhone. Call it the Orange SPV e200. Or the HTC Voyager.

" Why buy your iMate from C1 / Press Digital?

C1 offers a unique ROM update and technical support service unparalleled by any other company in Australia.  With a team of staff working on solutions for mobility based throughout Australia, you can be assured of getting answers to questions most companies simply cannot answer.  For example, C1 is the only Australian company to offer pre-updated iMate PDAs with the latest ROMs and access to patches to fix Bluetooth GPS functionality for navigation systems and Bluetooth Barcode scanners. "

Pricing for the i-mate Smartphone2 is AUD$790 for Press Digital, and AUD$799 for Calculator King. Press Digital also offer free delivery for members of their VIP club. One thing of particular note is that they also stock the Piel Frama leather case suitable for use with this phone, at a price of AUD$99.00. I've previously used a Piel Frama case with my QTek 7070, and it really is a nice case.

Although there have been concerns about issues with the Orange SPV e200 and battery life, amongst other issues, I'm advised that there's likely to be a flurry of new ROM revisions over the coming weeks while the finishing touches are applied to the phone. Carrier Devices seem eager to ensure that any possible issues are resolved in fairly short order - very encouraging news, especially when put in hand with a retailer such as Press Digital who seem intent on ensuring the quality of the product they sell.

The i-mate Smartphone2 is certainly a well appointed device, and while it's disappointing to see that the processor speed has not increased over that of its predecessor, it's reasonable to think that with the improvements delivered by Windows Mobile 2003, as well as the improvements to other hardware (especially RAM) that this will not be as big an issue was one would think.

The soon-to-be-released Motorola MPx200 - currently available in the US, and based on Smartphone 2002 - will, even if upgraded to a Windows Mobile 2003 based ROM, have difficulty competing with the i-mate Smartphone2 on features. However the credibility that Motorola bring to the Windows Mobile platform through their pre-existing mobile phone business could prove to be problematic for HTC, a company still struggling to some extent with their foray into the mobile phone market.

Time will tell who comes out on top.