Motorola Q Phone

[Verran]

So my Nextel is up in December (thank god!), and I'm planning to go with Verizon. I'm looking at the Motorola Q for my phone choice. I'm wondering if anyone has any input on the phone itself.

 

I'm in a kind of weird shopping demographic because I want a nice PocketPC style phone, but I'll be getting the bargain basement plan. Literally, I'll be getting the cheapest plan they have with no mobilePC/internet features at all. I won't even be getting text/picture messaging (I use these VERY rarely, and I'd rather pay when I use them rather than $10 a month because it'll still cost way less.)

 

So why do I want such a fancy phone if I'm getting the crappiest service? I want to use it like I use a PDA. Things I see myself using are the datebook, enhanced phone number/address/email records, the camera, picture storage/viewing, and mp3/video playback. Basically all the features of a current PDA that don't involve wireless connectivity.

 

Basically, all the downsides I see about it relate to it being more phone than PDA, but that seems rather perfect for what I want. I'm wondering if anyone has any other "beefs" with it, or if they're quite happy with it. Really, any feedback on it at all

[GuJuMaN89]

get the MDA, the Q has problems. when i was working at CompUSA, a few employees had it, none of em worked, they were on ther 5th one cuz it kept f'in up. even the moto rep said its got problems lol

[ccokeman]

It does have its own issues but... I have one and the few issues i had were software related with the exception of my current one. I got it as a replacement for one that had a short battery life on the extended battery. The battery contacts dont hit really well so somtimes if i drop the phone or twist it it turns off. Right now i get about 3 days worth of use ( Mostly phone and mp3 playing) on 1 charge and other than the one glitch i'm happy with mine. Down side is no touch screen but i use it mostly to transport files rather than view them on the screen. GET the the Extended life battery !!!!!

[Kash]

Two problems with the Motorola Q, especially in regard to how you plan on using it.

 

1. Poor battery life

2. It's a Smartphone

 

If you want to use your phone like a PDA, stay clear of the Q as it does not have a touch-screen. This limits your ability to use a good portion of PocketPC software available, not to mention just using the thing becomes cumbersome. Also, the poor battery life keeps you from using for an extended period of time, so you can say bye to multimedia playback, at least for long enough for it to be entertaining.

 

I agree with Gujuman on getting a HTC based PocketPC phone. The Q is a phone with attached PDA functions. HTC devices, on the other hand, are PDAs with a phone attached, which I believe is what you are looking for.

 

I personally have the HTC Wizard (known as the 8125 by Cingular and the MDA by Tmobile; Sprint and Verizon also offer this phone). This thing is a total dream. I'm sure you can get all the specs online, but to summarize, it functions in every way like a PDA, has a slide-out keyboard, and what I think is its best feature: WiFi (really important for you since you're getting a bare-bones plan).

 

The Wizard is a really nice phone, but if you wait probably a couple of weeks, you can get its successor: the HTC Hermes. This will be known for Cingular as the 8525 (not sure what other carriers are going to call it, though I'm sure it will be carried by them since it was rather popular).

 

If you ever have any issues with the device, there is a really good support forum for HTC phones: www.xda-developers.com

[Verran]

Thanks for the feedback guys, that was exactly the type of stuff I wanted to know.

 

I have looked at the Wizard, and I've even used one a bit (my old roommate had one). The main deterrant for the Wizard, at least for me, is the size. It's quite bulky at an inch thick. I can see that being a real annoyance to carry in a pocket. My fear is that it will become a hinderance to the point that I don't want to carry it. I agree that the WiFi would be very nice for what I'm doing though. I am also not excited about the directional nub that that the Wizard uses. It's got nothing on the Q's five-way.

 

The Hermes looks nice, but unless it hits Verizon's menu in the next 4 weeks, I won't be getting it. I've seen price tags as high as $800, but I'm assuming those are imported. I was hoping the Hermes would be thinner, but it doesn't appear to be, so my concerns would still be the same there.

 

Thanks for the the feedback on the Q coke. A lot of what you said is what I had heard, but it's good to hear it from a reliable source. I figured if I really got to using the Q I'd need the bigger battery. My main concern is the playback for mp3/video. Is it easy enough to sort and select files for playback without the touch screen? My plan would be to get a 2gb mini-SD and carry 10 albums or so at a time, plus a few music videos, and a few half-hour stand up comedy videos. I'm wondering if it would be simple enough to sort them and select them for playback. What's your experience been?

 

It's a bit of a toss up for me right now. I like the extra features of the Wizard, but I worry about the bulkiness for something I'll be carrying at all times. Oh well, at least I have a month or so to decide. I'll sleep easy at night knowing that anything will beat the functionality of my i730

[asus]

get a regular phone like an lg8300 .. they are nice.. i got the 8100 ..very happy.. dont waste time or money on stupid features

 

 

now heres a Ron Popeal line.. "you'll really be glad you did"

[Verran]

Screw that, I'll go one step futher. I'm buying a backpack and putting my grandma's old rotary phone in it. "I'll really be glad I did."

 

Thanks for the "suggestion", but it really doesn't help the conversation at all.

[sdy284]

get a regular phone like an lg8300 .. they are nice.. i got the 8100 ..very happy.. dont waste time or money on stupid features

I won't even be getting text/picture messaging (I use these VERY rarely, and I'd rather pay when I use them rather than $10 a month because it'll still cost way less.)

 

So why do I want such a fancy phone if I'm getting the crappiest service? I want to use it like I use a PDA. Things I see myself using are the datebook, enhanced phone number/address/email records, the camera, picture storage/viewing, and mp3/video playback. Basically all the features of a current PDA that don't involve wireless connectivity.

 

well it looks like he's not wasting money & that he actually NEEDS those features. but good job for reading the first post

 

and I agree about the battery life thing as well. One of my friends had one and he always complained about the battery life on those things. And the lack of a touch screen on a PDA-type devices seem like it would be a royal PITA to me

[Kash]

It's a bit of a toss up for me right now. I like the extra features of the Wizard, but I worry about the bulkiness for something I'll be carrying at all times. Oh well, at least I have a month or so to decide. I'll sleep easy at night knowing that anything will beat the functionality of my i730

 

It's really not THAT big, and unless you wear super-tight pants, it fits perfectly fine in a pocket. Plus, the Hermes will be thinner (granted, not as thin as a Motorola Q).

 

It pretty much comes down to size vs. features. If you want a full blown PDA, then you're going to have to settle for a larger device (also keep in mind that the HTC keyboard far surpasses the one on the Q). If you need a smaller device, then you have no choice but to go with the Q.

 

I've personally used both devices. Every Motorola phone I have owned has given me the same exact problem: poor battery life. You make a couple of calls and use some of the features on the thing, and the next thing you know, it's beeping at you incessantly to charge it.

 

My cousin had the Motorola Q for a while. He's the type of guy who needs good looking phones and huge data plans. However, he still liked my phone better because it had more features and a better battery life. He got rid of the thing within a matter of weeks.

 

Also, the Hermes will have a jog dial on the side, much like the Q. And the Wizard's toggle is actually quite easy to use. Believe me when I tell you that pictures do not do this thing justice. You have to actually hold it in your hand and try it out.

[ccokeman]

The scroll wheel really makes searching through the menus and folders quite easy. You scroll and select with the scroll wheel. Easy one handed operation.

 

Every motorola phone i have had has had excellent battery life. My last phone was the 710 and with the standard battery i got 2 days of use ,with the extended battery i got 4 days.

[Fire-Medic]

get the MDA, the Q has problems. when i was working at CompUSA, a few employees had it, none of em worked, they were on ther 5th one cuz it kept f'in up. even the moto rep said its got problems lol

 

I've used the "Q" Extensively. If they are on their fifth one, I'd be a little suspect to see how it's treated. My phones get left in my turn out gear when I go in structure fires. I've killed in upwards of 25 phones within two or three years. The V360 and V361 (both were based on iDen looks and ruggedness) have gone through the most abuse. The Q has seen two or three fires and I've repaired the issues that have popped up with that myself.

 

Yes, the "Q" has many issues. I've got a "Q2" sitting at the radio shop that is so much better. It's doubtful that it'll ever hit the shelves. Too much invested in the "Q" to abandon it and roll out the "Q2"... The end users would never go for it. Although you can expect to see a RAZR series phone with a touch screen and added PDA functions. You didn't hear that from me.

 

As for the batteries... Yeah, some of the batteries are a flop. Ever since Motorola started using Chinese cells the battery quality has degraded in all of their products. Luckily, it hasn't been the portable radio side of things that took the biggest hit... But... the majority of issues come from the users charging their batteries too often and then they develop a memory within the cells. It's better to let the batteries drain down low (like the red bar..) and then to recharge it fully. Avoid plugging it in to the charger or USB cables for prolonged times when the battery has greater then one bar of charge remaining. Occasionally, it's fine. But don't do it every day of very often.

 

And as for LG... To the consumer and the product reviewers... They may look nice. But they've been the least durable phone for someone who can kill a "ruggedized" phone in just days. The hardware components they use in many of their phones are cheap clones of Motorola or Nokia products. A local public safety agency demo'd LG phones mounted in cradles with the external amplifiers for sound and antennas. They were ditched within one week. I installed the M900 with higher quality antenna cabling and a better quality antenna and there have been no issues.

 

Do I sound like a Motorola fan boy? Sure. But I'll put every phone through it's paces.... And in terms of PDA phones... I happen to like the Palm Treo 650. Yeah, I've killed four of them but that's because of my own fault. Most phones cannot take the abuse that I and my colleagues put them through.

[Verran]

Thanks for the info Xinul! I doubt my phone will be seeing anywhere near the abuse yours do, but it's good to hear the "stress test" results none-the-less

 

Kash, no wonder you and I aren't seeing eye to eye on the Wizard... we're talking about totally different phones! If what I'm reading is right, then Cingular ported the Wizard to the 8125, and Verizon ported it to the XV6700. To me, these phones are like night and day:

The first major difference is that the Cingular one looks cool, while the Verizon looks old and clunky. The flat black finish on the XV6700 looks like crap IMO, while the 8125 looks very classy. Also missing from the 8125 is the antenna, which reduces size and the feeling of bulkiness. Plus the Cingular one has a very nice five-way directional pad like the Q, while the XV6700 has the little nub that functions like those crappy old laptop mice.

 

So it's no wonder that I wasn't understanding you. The two versions of the same Wizard are quite different. If I could use the Cingular 8125, I'd take it over the Q, but alas I'm dead set on Verizon for call quality in my area and that fact that everyone I call is Verizon, so I'd always be in network. If the Hermes comes out for Verizon in the next month, it'll be an option, but the price tag is looking like at least $200 more than the Q, and I'm seeing no indications that it'll be here in time.

 

EDIT###

Wow, I missed an 'n' in the word functions, and it came out as craptions. I think someone turbocharged the forum filter.