Smartphone Insider provides the inside scoop on today's hottest Smartphones, including strengths, weaknesses, problems and solutions, user feedback, news, and tips. We will focus on a different device each issue.
The Motorola Q (available from Verizon Wireless) has enjoyed success in today's mobile market, due in part to its ultra-thin design, versatile multimedia capability, and a sharp display. The Q also experienced a number of returns early on due to consumer confusion over what features and capabilities the device possessed. Here is a brief overview of some of the Q's strengths along with its limitations and possible solutions to them.
Strengths:
- Ultra thin—measuring 0.45 inches, half the thickness of the Palm Treo 700 series.
- Lightweight—tipping the scales at only 4.1 oz.
- Excellent speaker quality.
- Integrated, high-quality Bluetooth connection.
- Supports broadband EV-DO data networks for e-mail, text messaging, and Internet browsing.
- Incorporates a 1.3 mega pixel camera with video recording capability.
- Sharp, readable QVGA display.
- MiniSD card slot for expanding file storage memory up to 2 gigabytes.
- QWERTY keyboard with scroll wheel.
Limitations and solutions:
- Limited battery life: The standard 1,130 mAh provides noticeably less talk and standby time than comparable Smartphones. Solution: Purchase an extended battery.A 1,400 mAh capacity for $19.99 is available from http://www.Bargaincell.com.
- Screen smudges easily: The glossy screen tends to pick up smudges easily. Solution: Use screen protectors, which can be purchased at http://www.Gowner.com/screen_Protectors.htm and other Smartphone accessory vendors.
- Can't edit Microsoft Office documents:The built in Picsel File Viewer allows you to view, but not edit, a variety of document formats, but does not include Mobile versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This means that you cannot edit these documents if you receive them as e-mail attachments. Solution: There are no third-party solutions that edit Word and PowerPoint documents, but there is an Excel alternative. PTab Spreadsheet is a feature-rich program available for both the Smartphone and Pocket PC. can be purchased at EverythingQ (http://www.software.everythingq.com).
- No built-in Wi-Fi: It has an EV-DO wireless broadband connection that has a somewhat limited coverage area outside of major U.S. metropolitan areas, and some users have complained of sporadically slow speeds during Internet use. Solution: As of now, there are no miniSD Wi-Fi cards that are compatible. According to unconfirmed reports, Motorola may be planning to release a GSM version of the Q with integrated Wi-Fi capability.
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