While at the Microsoft Mobius event in Seattle last week, I had the chance to spend some time with Motorola and, more importantly, with some of their new handsets. Motorola's reason for being at the event was obviously the new Q, the subject of this gallery. I have to apologize for the image quality of these photos since they were shot in very poor lighting in my hotel room.
Often referred to as the "RAZRberry", the new Q attempts to merge the thin-is-in design concepts of the RAZR line of phones with the traditional BlackBerry form factor that was made popular by Research In Motion (RIM). The Q runs the latest version of the Smartphone OS from Microsoft, Windows Mobile 5.0, which, in my mind, employs a user interface that is worlds better than that which we've seen from Microsoft in the past.
Navigation through the new and improved menu system can be done rapidly by using the scroll wheel with its push-to-select ability. A quick flick of the thumb sends you gliding across the menu structure. While it seems to be about as fast in doing so as the current BlackBerry devices (like the 8700), the Q doesn't do it as smoothly. The OS still has a few minor speed hiccups in it when compared to RIM's proprietary system.
I found the Q's QWERTY keyboard to be about as good as that in the current Treo line, its extra width and spacing suiting my hands a bit better overall. The Q's size and weight are right on target, and it slips oh so easily into a shirt or jacket pocket. While it does seem quite sturdy, I don't think I'd be inclined to store it in my back pocket, even though it is certainly thin enough.
Motorola
