Motorola Q q9 is a Slightly Smarter Smartphone

Just as the MOTORAZR and SLVR gave way to several iterations, each offering a slightly different feature set in a mildly altered casing, the Motorola Q has also received an update in the form of the Motorola Q q9. In addition to a somewhat rounder appearance and a svelte black paintjob, the Motorola Q q9 also comes with super fast HSDPA technology "for high-speed internet, and downloading/uploading of files." They say that HSDPA is capable of shooting those 1s and 0s around at a pace as high as 3.6 megabytes per second.

Naturally, the MOTO Q q9 is equipped with "advanced entertainment features", including video streaming, internet browsing, and a 2MP camera. The business side of things is covered with Personal and Corporate Microsoft Exchange, instant messaging, and Bluetooth.

Motorola Q q9 has better keyboard than old Q; my thumbs sigh in relief

Arne Hess has taken his hands to 3GSM and let's all be thankful for that - if he hadn't, we wouldn't have this hands-on report of the Motorola Q q9.  Thankfully he did more than merely palpate it like a blind man touching up a nun; no, he answered my first question: is the keyboard any good?

Turns out, he reckons it's easier than the original Q to type on.  Now I loved the look of the Q's tic-tac keys and clean layout, but after a while they got a bit tiring on the fingertips; this new keyboard doesn't look so cute, but if you can peck out emails without having domed impressions bruised into your digits then it's an improvement in my book.

As Arne spots, however, where's the front-mounted camera for video calls?  Not that many people actually make video calls, but it'd be nice to see all the same.

Motorola Q q9 image gallery

With HSDPA for high-speed networking and a 2-megapixel camera, the new Motorola Q q9 offers Windows Mobile in a more-rounded package.

Editor's note: We've confirmed that the Q q9 will definitely be a Windows Mobile 6 device.

Motorola today announced the Motorola Q q9, an update to its class-defining Motorola Q, the EV-DO smartphone that was beginning to lag behind competitors such as the Samsung BlackJack and T-Mobile Dash. The most significant update is the HSDPA radio, which will provide up to 3.6Mbps downloads (though your speed may vary), which probably gives us a good idea as to which carrier will release this phone, since AT&T is the only U.S. carrier with HSDPA. AT&T recently released their first 3.6Mbps HSDPA handset, the Motorola RAZR V3xx.

With a more rounded shell and a new set of keys, the Motorola Q q9 provides more than a new face and a more confusing name.

Motorola unveils the Q q9 and Q gsm

When Motorola announced the Q back in 2005, Crave got really excited. The Q was going to beat BlackBerry devices to a pulp and put Motorola firmly on the smart phone map. Unfortunately, it never made it to the UK, but now Motorola has done the right thing and announced two Q devices set to be available in the UK this year.

The Motorola Q q9 (pictured left) runs on Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard and features a full Qwerty keypad, a large colour display that adjusts its brightness depending on ambient light, a 2-megapixel camera and 256MB of onboard memory, with the option to expand via a microSD slot.

The Q q9 also features HSDPA connectivity, so you can download data at speeds of up to 3.6Mbps. We had a quick go with the Q q9 out at 3GSM in Barcelona and we really liked the keypad: the keys are really well designed and easy to press.