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Motorola Q9C Review October 02, 2008 [MS Smartphone] | By Mickey Papillon. After being inspired enough to switch carriers from Cingular to Verizon when the first Motorola Q came out, I wondered if this one would be worthy of the upgrade. Since it’s release, the Q9 has come out on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. The Q9C that I am testing is on the Sprint network, which can be purchased for $99 with a 2 year agreement. In the Box
The Q9C comes loaded with Windows Mobile 6.1, which is a great improvement in stability and speed. GPS is enabled on the phone, something the original Q lacked. Overall, the phone is on par with the small field of other Windows Mobile Standard devices out there. The thumb wheel on the right side of the device has been recessed a bit, and I found it challenging to use. The scrolling action was jerky, and my thumb would fatigue much quicker than on the Q or other Blackberries with similar functionality. Technology: CDMA/EVDO Frequencies: 800/1900 Weight: 4.76 oz Dimensions: 4.61″ x 2.56″ x 0.47″ The battery that comes with the Q9 is a very large 1860mah hour lithium ion one that really turned my head. I was able to get through 4 days of constant email and phone call use with no problems. Yes, 4 days. I found this to be an extraordinary feat that I have yet to see on any recent smartphone, much less Windows mobile device these days. I did find the battery a bit tough to get in and out of the phone, as it seems to be made to just barely fit inside the casing. Phone As a phone, it works just fine. I found the quality of the conversations to be good, and the front facing microphone definitely helped to keep extraneous noises out of the calls. Data/Internet/Software As with most Sprint phones, Sprint TV has been enabled as well as Pocket Express. EV-DO speeds keep you connected whether you are surfing the internet or syncing email. Windows Mobile 6.1 is a definite improvement over WM5, but I still found myself wishing for more speed. I think it may be a function of the standard edition of WM, but I don’t feel that the device is truly up to the speed that it should be. That being said, most users will be satisfied by the overall experience that has been tailored to productivity. Hardware On the front, the phone’s full qwerty keyboard is one of the best around. At first I found it to be a bit on the large size! However, over the course of a few days, I started to enjoy the size and my speed was getting up to those when using a Blackberry. The soft paint on the keys really makes them a pleasure to type on, adding to the overall positive experience. Above the keyboard is the 5 way directional pad, 2 soft buttons, a home key, a back/backspace key and send/end keys. Speaking for a moment about the backspace key, this is something that a new user will have to learn. All other qwerty phones have the backspace key just above the return key like a computer keyboard. Both the original Q and this one have moved that up to a location that I find awkward and annoying. More than once did I find myself hitting the return key when really wanting to backspace. The 320 by 240 screen is above the keyboard, with the speaker and light sensor at the top. 
On the left side are the ports for the MiniSD card slot, and MiniUSB connection port. 
On the right side is a scroll wheel and back button. 
On the top is the 2.5mm headset jack. 
On the back are the unimpressive 1.3MP camera with flash and the speaker grill. 
Compared to the Treo 750, the phone is wider and taller, but definitely skinnier. It’s comfortable in the hand, but feels just too large and heavy to slide in a shirt pocket. I found most of the time, the phone would hang out in a pants pocket. 
Overall Keeping some of it’s cues from the original Q, the Q9 has added a much improved keyboard, Windows Mobile 6.1 for a more stable experience and an extended battery that hangs on longer then most phones on the market today. This is a great device for those looking for a Blackberry alternative or simply a solid smartphone on multiple networks. * * * * * Mickey Papillon is the creator and host of The Cell Phone Junkie website and podcast. Please visit: TheCellphoneJunkie.com for more information.  Post your comment (free registration is required to post, but if you register you can edit your posts later)
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