We finally took delivery of the i-mate Smartphone2 last week, and although I've not had much time to play with it (busy busy busy) I'm very impressed. The Windows Mobile 2003 based Smartphone is destined for my wife, and I think she's going to be very happy.

Following on from the Smartphone 2002 based QTek 7070 (also known as the i-mate Smartphone, Orange SPV / SPV e100, and HTC Tanager), the phone is built to HTC Voyager specifications and distributed by Carrier Devices. Several companies market the phone under their own branding, and thus the phone is variously known as the i-mate Smartphone2, O2 XPhone, QTek 8080, and Orange SPV e200. It's been available in other countries for some time under these brandings, but this is the first we've seen of it in Australia.

Telstra will be selling the device in their own Telstra Shops, and it's rumoured that they have an exclusive deal to be the only reseller until March. However - whether this is the case or not - we were able to purchase it from our friends at Press Digital, an Australian online reseller. I highly recommend this route, as they really take the time to be familiar with the products they sell, and are committed to provision of support for the devices they sell (unlike most Australian resellers). You can visit them at http://estore.pressd.com .

In doing this review, I've tried to judge the phone against my existing QTek 7070, but I have to say at the outset - there is no comparison. This phone wins hands down. However the review does assume that you are familiar with Smartphone - either through my previous QTek 7070 review , or through usage of the device.