Motorola Q
Phone Scoop Review
Jun 5, 2006 by Eric Lin
In Depth review of the highly-anticipated Motorola Q, the first EVDO Windows Mobile Smartphone and slimmest smartphone to date. read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
Good Phone
At first glance and while putting in the battery and holding the battery cover I was dissapointed. The cover seems like a matchbox box and something you could snap with two fingers. Then I powered on and this felt like an eternity as you do not know what is going on because there is no progress meter like in the Treo.
Finally the phone is up and running not before I read a post on this forum about the very poor talk quality and how flimsy the keyboard is. I press my keyboard hard and only the phone key works. I immediately make a phone call and it sounded clear and loud. I did not have to make any adjustments to the surround sound (weird for a cell).
Next, I go to activesync and try wirelessly update the Q from my Exchange server. NOTHING, does not work and of course I am not surprised. I next select wireless sync and within 5 mins, I have my entire calendar, all of contacts, emails, and tasks on the Q. AMAZING. Out of principal I wanted to see activesync work since they enabled push and not that AUTD crap where everything was being picked up in intervals or through invisible SMS. SO, I called tech support from Verizon, only to be bounced around 5 times and finally was given the pat on the back as they gave me Motorola's tech support department. Long story short, they have to call me back.
In my opinion, the Q is a keeper. It is a cheap feeling phone from the body to the keyboard. IT IS CHEAP. WM5 seems to run faster on the Q than it did on the Treo 700w. It has not crashed at all. Phone quality is excellent. The scroll wheel sucks because it has a cheap feel and is not accurate. It is hard to pin point an item that is close to another. I find myself using the direction pad more. The speaker quality is excellent. You can actually view .pdf, word, and excel right out of the box. The size is good, it weighs a lot less than the Treo but I find it to be a bit too wide.
Day two with my Q
I just got the new Moto Q, so far it has addressed every weakness of all of the prior Moto phones I've used, E815, V710, T730, TimePort, etc., and offers wothwhile functionality.
It is taking some getting used to because I have to remember I no longer have to hit the 4 key 4 times to get the number "4" in a text message, or 3 times for the letter "i".
It appears to sync with my PC, however, I can't direct it to the contacts folder I want downloaded into the phone.
It does send/receive email easily, allows
you to click links and be taken to the intended website, etc..
Being severly hearing impaired, this is the first cellphone I have ever used where I can actually use the handset, as opposed to a headset with an amplifier. It also works great with my B/T hearing system (Phonak SmartLink SX)
Moving files is now easy, once I figured out how to do it.
Battery life is significantly shortened if you leave the B/T on, however, I'm finding
I don't need to use my B/T hearing system, as stated above.
The display is fantastic and useable in sunlight.
Definitely worth $199.
BTW, I intend to use the INTERNET access for my laptop, get rid of the $60 monthly fee for unlimited INTERNET access, and go
with unlimited INTERNET access for the Q for $44 monthly. I hope it will work with the B/T or infared to my laptop, or, if necessary, the USB cable.
More to follow after day 2 or 3
If you Smartphone functionality, this is it.
I have the black Q, this is probably the best phone I have had. I am coming from an VX-8000. There is no comparison as far as reception and voice quality, the Q is far superior. I have used the LG VX-8300, VX8100, VX6100 and VX6000 and they all suck with respect to RF and sound (with the expection of the VX8300 which is ok but still inferior). For my needs, checking e-mail, using Google maps, listening to music and occasionally surfing the web this phone is perfect.
My experiences with battery life is not as bad as other reviewers would have you believe, I can check e-mail every 15 minutes all day, make my calls and surf the web for an hour and easily make it through the day. If I just use it as a phone, the battery life is similar to most any other phone. I have friends with Blackjacks and Treos and under the same use conditions I get better battery life. But you do have to understand how to configure and use the phone.
The phone feels solid and build quality is good.
I have had this phone for three months and have never had it crash or hangup and I have never done a reset. But I have had Windows based PDAs before and know how to use these devices. Many people who buy a smartphone or PDA don't really need the functionality and are probably just to stupid to use them. As a result you get a lot of reviewers complaining about issues that are cockpit problems.
PROS
- Solid feeling phone
- Battery life is reasonable considering what it is used for and is certainly as good as any other smartphone or PDA.
- nice bright, clear screen
- no problems with the keyboard other the known Window OS issues
- Loud speaker phone
- Good voice recognition software
- Nice form factor, easy to carry around in your pocket
- It can stream audio through the a bluetooth headset, don't need to lug around a stereo bluetooth headset.
CONS
- White the camera resolution is fine, but it would be nice to have QVGA video resolution
- if you are stupid you will have problems with this phone
Great, and getting better!!!
When I first got the Q I was a little imitated, it had a lot of features that my old phone didnât have. Coming from a V710 I was used to a more simply life, but my business started to increase and a need for a smarter phone arise. At first using the phone was a task I wasnât willing to endure. But few hours into it and I started to love this phone more then the car I drive and I love my AMG.
Pros:
-Windows OS
-Love that itâs thin and flat
-Have had my dog on the phone no damage nice built to it
-Camera is great by far better then my other phones
-Just the look it self says executive
Cons:
-Price went down after I got it
sensory "Q"uenching!
I have had the phone for over a week now, after returning the LG Chocolate and RAZR V3M for this super-slim smartphone during Verizon's 15-day exchange policy. I was never really in the market for a PDA phone, but I was disappointed with the MP3 capabilities of the Chocolate and was sick of being a ubiquitous RAZR-user.
The "Q" is definitely a jam-packed phone and has all the features I need. It lets me view and edit Microsoft Office files without my laptop while listening to my customized MP3 playlists.
PROS:
*GORGEOUS looks
*Windows Media Player
*one-handed operating by using the side keys
*Great value!
*displays recently used applications on home screen.
*best speakerphone quality.
CONS:
*1.3 MP camera only
*SD slot is a little hard to open
*USB/AC slot could use a protective rubber door.
All the Glitches have been fixed!!
Awesome and I mean Awesome phone! No freezing and shutting off or any other stuff that were on reviews when the Q first came out. From Verizon, they got all new batches of Q's with new software and works awesome. I was scared to get this device, but now I am glad I did. Fun to use, great reception, great display, bluetooth works flawlessly. I put my documents on here and works great, along with picture's, music, and personal data. I personally didn't go with the Treo 700w because it has to many things you dont need, on the Q I can just get apps I want from Handango or elsewhere. Also you can listen to music through bluetooth, Treo you cant. And comes loaded with voicedial and the Treo doesn't. I really like it, hope this helps for some.
Steven in SoCal
Sprint Motorola Q
This is my first PDA phone and was quite pleased with it.
The size and weight is great.
Very nicely built.
Nice screen, easy menu's.
Nice pictures.
Easy to Text message.
Reception has been good.
Fast Internet Connection.
However, I am having difficulty getting used to the size of the keys. I am used to my Samsung A900. This is the only device th at I have found that I would be willing to give up my A 900 for.
I had no problem with lag in functions of the phone as there was with the Krazr.
I have only had it @ 10 days and have not begun to get into everything this phone can possiblly do.
Great Phone and PDA!
Even with all the Blackberry hype, i decided to buy this phone since i really liked the form factors and loved the familiar Windows interface. I have to say that this phone has surpassed my expectations in every way. BTW, i must add that my first Q powered off every 30 minutes. I had it replaced at the VZ store and the ND one has been flawless
Pros:
Great Phone - Remember, its primary task is voice calling. Good sound quality, reception, and speaker
Great navigation capability
Feels like your PC
Syncs great with Outlook (my company uses Goodlink)
Great Camera phone
Great speaker phone
Bluetooth is good
QWERTY keyboard feel is good
Seems very durable and keys feel good
Does NOT Freeze or slow down (and this is a Windows OS)
Cons:
Battery life stinks - Will need extended battery
great
This phone is GREAT!
its so sleek and looks so nice! the key's are so simple to use and the screen is amazingly bright!
the phone also has amazing speekers that are loud enough to be heard in a croud of people. For a phone that is so slim it packs alot of features! I have never loved a phone as much as i do this one! The camera (1.3 MegaPixels)is also not bad. The onyl thing i have a complaint about is the low battery life, but thankfully it comes with 2 batterys, also the phone does not have a lot of memory, becuase I am not a "buisness" men i dont use the phone for email (i dont have a data plan) i just use as phone so i havent used my memory anywhere else and i downloaded some music on the phone(which is easy and sounds amazing)i could only download 8 songs untill it said it was full..so i have to buy a memory card but thats no biggie.
Although it has those 2 flaws, I am still in LOVE with this phone!
I RECOMEND IT!
LOVIN' IT SO FAR
I've had my Q for a few weeks so far. And so far... so good! This is the 2nd windows mobile phone I've have had. While this phone might not do quite as much as my old Audiovox PPC 6600 (wich ended up being practially unuseable b/c of lock-ups/freezing), what it does do, it does VERY well. Because of it's size, functionality, and reliability it's def. a keeper for me.
PROS:
-Size/Design(feels good in hand, in pocket, and against your ear)
-Great speaker phone
-Screen resolution/brightness
-Windows Mobile 5.0
-Stable
-Sych with outlook(contacts, email,appointments,tasks)
-Good camera (1.3 megapixel)
-Automatically check all your email accounts (w/ attachments)
-Good/Usefull 3rd party software
-Bluetooth 2.0 (supports stereo bluethooth)
-Can watch movies
-Good earpiece (calls are loud & clear)
CONS:
-Battery Life(helps to turn off BT & IR beams)
-Faster processor would have been nice (very slight lag)
-Swithing time zones changes times of all appointments & tasks (make sure all times you put into phone are time zone specific)
-Not quite as much 3rd party software as pocket pc's have
-No touch screen (but honestly I don't really miss it... Control on the Q is very well desinged & executed)
To me the PROS out way the CONS... BIG TIME. I've added Facade(enhanced home screen utility), Papyrus(enhanced tasks utility), and PTab(edit Excel files) so the Q does everything I need it to do and more. Lovin' it so far! Hope this helps.
