iMate just announced two hot devices at the Mobile World Congress, the 8502 and 9502 smartphones. One looks like a beefed up Sidekick and the other is the now-standard full QWERTY candybar form factor. Australia-based Telstra has announced an exclusive (for the continent) on both of these bad boys, and will also be the first on the planet to get these added to its lineup.
Not too shabby, Telstra, though the pricing (AUD$999 for the 8502 and AUD$1099 for the 9502) isn’t all that attractive. Hopefully that’s not with a contract or anything. Both handsets are rocking Windows Mobile 6 and tri-band HSDPA.
It’s unlikely Telstra would not expect you to sign up for a contract at those prices and even if they are available off-contract it’s quite likely that they’ll be locked to Telstra.