Hands-on with the Motorola Q

So we managed to befoul the Motorola Q (aka the Franklin aka the RAZRberry aka Ryan's latest lust object) with our hands at last night's Motonow event in Chicago, the black version they were showing off was just a plastic model, but much to our surprise the silver version was fully functional. We won't run down the specs again (except to add that it runs on Windows Mobile Smartphone, not Pocket PC), but from the five minutes we spent with the Q we can tell you that yes, it is incredibly thin, that it has a nice, crisp screen, and that the keyboard was fairly easy to use (though to really judge a smartphone keyboard you have to live with it for a little while). Fun fact: the "Q" stands for "QWERTY", as in "QWERTY keyboard"

[Neg @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

awesome! i would kill for one of these....

heh, i was thinking: will this be the blackberry killer?

but i dont think so...

neg

[Andre @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

nice, though i still would like a phone that actually fits into my pocket, but maybe they come up with a slider version of this one *stupiddreamer* and of course i would want wifi otherwise a useless device for me. and small fingers seem to be a clear advantage ;-)
if only htc would have such materials and design...

[what? @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

if they put wifi in it, i'll buy it, else, i'll stick with my moto v3 and my pocket pc pda that has wifi.

i'm not too worried about buying it. the screen is too small for internet browsing compared to my pda. and pda are small for web browsing.... oh well... i don't think this'll be much other than a looker like the v3.

[Daimaou @ Akihabara News @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

honestly i really think this stuff is ugly, i would rather prefer a pocketpc phone edition than that... htc is by far the best maker for pda phone, just go and check xda-dev you will understant.

[Thought @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

moto really missed the boat with this one.

lacking wifi or 3g means this phone is no groundbreaker.

the fact that it has a camera means that many corporations won't go for it.

and it still won't compete against rim, which has a huge installed base and the value of simplicity on its side. to put it simply, the blackberry system just works, and it works well. it's hard to top that, especially for corporate users.

who cares if its a few millimeters thinner than a blackberry? after a point, that extra thinness means nothing from a practical perspective. plus, if something gets too thin, it seems easier to break.

there's the other dimensions as well. a wider yet thinner phone is not necessarily better. it's like the razr; sure, the thinness is cool, but its larger dimensions in the other planes make it less convenient to carry than some other flip phones.

i still like a candybar style approach better, like the treo, which seems easier overall to fit in your pocket and more substantial.

overall, this seems more like a gimmick from moto rather than any substantial breakthrough.

[Auri Rahimzadeh @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

i wonder if they'll come out with a dvorak version and call it moto-d? :)

[fabulously @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

not bad, but i would rather get a treo with palmos or keep my symbian phone.

[JesseRPI @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

1. are there any photos of the back of the q?
2. are there any side-by-side photos with the treo 650?

[Jurgen @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

... by the way, can anyone explain why all these smartphones appear to have more or less the same hello treo keyboard / function key layout.

[Craig Jones @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

anyone who's used a treo 650 knows that it's absolutely horrible with its constant crashing. besides, this phone is very similar in overall shape to a treo (but thinner) so i doubt the treo fits better in the pocket. more substantial? that's not what i'm looking for.

both the 650 and the p910 have terrible software stability issues. the first phone that gets that right will be a winner.

[Blue Balloon @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

hope it's under cingualr that could offer unlimited data plan via edge, it would be fancy! up to 248 kbps, babe!

[Justin @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

oh no, there's a bug - it runs windows. if this was running symbian i'd soooo rock it.

[Robo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

for something so large, wouldn't it be better if it could fold up?

[NDP @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

craig jones doesn't know what he's talking about. i've had my treo 650 for months and haven't had any stability issues.

[Midmofan @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

no touchscreen...no go

[Dave @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

did you happen to check the information on the device to find out how much ram/rom there is and what processor it is using? that would be great information to know.

[ymlccc @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

man, this definitely makes my treo 650 look bad... it's just too sexy and too expensive.. :)

[Craig @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

to #8: you obviously have no idea what you're talking about. if the treo 650 were so unstable, it wouldn't be selling so damn fast and have so many people raving like lunatics about it. it was certainly usable before the recent firmware update, and now it's rock-solid 100% of the time. i wouldn't trade the treo 650 for anything i've seen, but i'd like to get my hands on the motoq to see what it has to offer (besides thinness).

[Peter Rojas @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

I really like my Treo 650, but i've had some incredibly severe stability problems, even after installing the most recent firmware update.

it'd be nice if everyone didn't extrapolate from their own experience. some people have had zero problems with their Treo, other people have obviously had some serious problems with theirs.

[Cullen @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

dont own the 650, but my treo 600 was the msot stable thing ive ever used, save my nokia 6800 (<3). that is, it was stable, until i poured super glue on it. if this motorola can take some super glue, im all over it. otherwise ill go buy myself a new treo.
the blackberry i found is a 7230, its dead thin - any thinner and i think itd be annoyingly thin. this thing doesnt appeal to me, especially as an ex-ms smartphone user...that was one of the worst phone experiences ive ever had. maybe this is better, but that screen is postage stamp sized, and im not feeling that.
see all that blank space around the screen? they filled it with meaningless text like 'mini-sd slot' so the thing didnt look as ridiculous as it should.
im not impressed :p looks so wide, and i usually carry my shiz in my pocket..
no thanks.

[Adora @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

between the time i read the comments from my rss feed and actually opened a window to reply, peter got it right on the nose. i keep myself up to date by visiting the treocentral forums regularly. that forum may have a bigger list of problems than the 'average' user, but they're also some of the most demanding who want to push the platform and expand its full potential (of which i do the same, a 'plain' treo is of practically no use to me).

the new firmware has helped tremendously, but that hasn't fixed my p key. =]

:: lisa
:: adora [at] techslut [.] net

[Shawn Barnett @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

and did they license the bi-angled keys? that's a rim patent, people. lawyers, start your engines.

[LOL @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

oh no, there's no bug - it runs windows. if this was running windows i'd soooo rock it. symbian sux ass.

[Thom @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

can't wait to switch - the treos my company's standardized on have turned into a nightmare. we now employ one dedicated full-time person just to a couple of hundred treo users.

in the last 8 months, i've gone through six treos; 3 600's and now on my third 650. the 600's all eventually developed the notorious "buzz" when on a call; which is the single biggest reason the company started upgrading people to 650's. now the 650's go into occassional spasms - crashing, random rebooting, inconsistent call quality - even in the same location day-in, day -out, etc., etc. etc.

moto - you've got a whole lot of customers ready here!

[Whtrbt7 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

it runs wm5.x for smarrtphone with 320x240 lcd. unfortunately it's not wm5.x for ppcpe and it's still pretty big compared to some of the new products coming out from htc. i certainly hope this comes with the blackberry connect client that i was told about otherwise this product may get busted out of the market for lack of power and lack of form factor.

[doc @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

I love windows, and run it exclusively, but whoever said that Symbian sux is an absolute idiot.

[iNeo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

its hideous!

[Doug @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

Pros: Windows, a real browser, and a keyboard.

Cons: No 3G/WIFI speed. MIGHT be an issue for me, but plenty fast for email.

[Rolf @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

Yes, bought! I hope it will solve al sync-probs I usually have with symbian- or palm-os. Since proper sync with my desktop is big point for me, I'll love to give it a chance.

Nice device!

[larry @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

A lot of interesting discourse re: moto's yet to be released "q." Separate from the items which hit the fan in these reader comments is my irksome issue of Verizon not having a configured unit (moto q(v) ?). I waited for Verizon to include the razr in their lineup of phones; (yes...,even with it's 3 hour battery life). They still don't carry it 10 months later. Now I'm wondering if the moto q will be added to Verizon's roster, or will they leave the potential prestige and extra revenue to Cingular? We'll see.

[Craig Jones @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

The Treo 650's stability issues are inherent in the design apparently so it's hard to believe there is anyone who doesn't experience them. The firmware update does not fix anything. It simply alters the behavior.

My 650 is currently crashing repeatedly as often as every 2 minutes without any use whatsoever. A hard reset no longer clears the problem. The problems it has are clearly software and it cannot possibly be an issue with my sample. Perhaps different applications effect the behavior.

As for people claiming the 650 is rock solid, I have to question their motivations. The 650 is a nonfixable disaster and Palm knows it.

[Rob @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

Question: Does anyone know when the MotoQ will be released??????????
Will Verizon carry it??????????
Thank you for any information you might have on the Moto Q.

Rob

[Thomas @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

This looks like an interesting device, but I'll probably hang onto my Treo 650. To the person whose 650 crashes every two minutes, why didn't you get it exchanged? Mine never crashes! Or is it more important to you to complain rather than have a good life.

[Rennie @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

MOTO you are nearlly there with a Blackberry / HTC / HP / Treo Killer.....

You MUST Fit Wifi & 3G - gear up production in black...

Otherwise it is doomed like so many of Moto productions that are almost but not quite there....

Don't miss the opportunity to have a great device....and lots of profits....

[K J White @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

1st, I like to say, I like the design,
2nd, I beleive it does require wi-fi
3rd, All smartphones crash, I've had serveral, and my friends, love there tero, but they crash too.

I can't decide, if I want the device w/o seeing it up close, it looks, then, but big, from what I have discovered, it, is wider and longer then a tero, which is not much, but not my much, but is that too much to slide in my pocket.

I readly hate all those PDA device, because, if the battery dies, you loss all you data, these smart device, don't have that problem, so, that would be good.

But, now for all you PALM pushers, you need to go the the palm web site, 1st, PALM has split from PALM SOURCE, and 2nd, the have partnered w/MS, and is producing the PALM TERO 700w, w for Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0; it basicly has the same specs as the Q. I beleive with PALM doing this, they are saying, Oops, we lose... MW wins. Oh, and the 700w looks like a 650, but thinner .

[Kevin @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

#32: The Q will be released Q1 2006, or at least that's the current word.

It will be released for Verizon first (a shock, I know, but they paid Moto out the nose to release it on their network first).

[Bill @ Dec 19th 2005 12:18AM]

I hope the Q comes with GSM, SSL, and no camera.