Moto Q - coming ‘atcha, Treo
So okay you guys - got the skinny yet on Motorola’s wannabe Treo killer, the simply named Q?
The Q will be one of the first (if not the first by time of availability Q4 2005) mobile phone with a built-in keyboard to run Windows Mobile 5.0 for Smartphone edition, thereby earning it the “smartphone” tag - which also means that it will not have a touchscreen display. But a mighty fine-looking display it is, all 320×240 pixels of TFT-LCD tech in landscape orientation. Actual physical dimensions are unknown for now.
Leaky (and dubious) spec sheets say that the Q will have 64MB or RAM and 128MB of ROM, but no mention of processor type nor speed. The usual goodies on Windows Mobile 5.0’s built-in apps mean that the Q will also have “push” email capabilities when Microsoft rolls that function out end of this year. Delivery will be via the quad-band radio in regular GPRS or EDGE flavors - no 3G stuff in there, folks.
Bluetooth is in for local PC connectivity and headsets; no WiFi though. Audio playback would be sweet coming from a stereo speaker configuration and should be loud enough for alarms. Don’t you just hate those tinny-weezy lil ones that go “eeep!”? Just enough to wake ants.
Other cool stuff we heard is that the raised lil nubbins we call keys of the keyboard are backlit with electro-lumiscent (EL) lighting which makes them like, glow in the dark instead of blinding you with tiny specks of light. Not that key backlight intensities are anything to shout about on any phone (if your name’s not Nokia) … but heck, we’d be real interested to find out just how the heck Moto got EL lighting on the nubbins itself, if they are indeed so.
What else … storage. Possible on microSD cards; slot accessible just left of the screen. Speaking of screens, a digital camera with video capture goes with that. No specifics but should be at least a 1.3-megapixel deal. And of course, the really lustful part … an almost full-metal exterior build that’s hardly thicker than a standard pencil; awesome. Peep some physical comparison pics with other smartphones by engadget - click here.
The price? Unknown yet, but expected to be in the $450-$500 region, unsubsidized. Although availablity is expected within the October-December months, there are already grumblings US wireless carriers will take their usual, own sweet time to pick it up. Which means early 2006 if you are not keen on busting your piggybank for $500 to own the Motorola Q.
Thanks to Brighthand and engadget for the tips.