Motorola Q Sneak Peek

I got an early look at the new Motorola Q, affectionately known in some circles as the “RAZRBerry”. Available “any day now”, this fun little device sports a QWERTY keyboard in a light, slim package, advertised as the thinnest QWERTY device in the world.

From the Motorola website, here is a list of the key features:

• One of the first devices to run on Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0; Optimized for Microsoft Exchange 2003 and a variety of third party e-mail solutions that enable a broad set of corporate e-mail capabilities*
• Thinnest QWERTY device in the world - 11.5mm
• Full, ergonomic QWERTY keyboard, 5-way navigation button and thumb wheel
• Video clip capture and playback
• Connectivity via Bluetooth, IrDA and mini-USB; compatible with Motorola’s line of Bluetooth-enabled wireless headsets
• Multi-Media Messaging (MMS)
• Dual, stereo-quality speakers
• Audio formats supported: iMelody, MIDI, MP3, AAC, WAV, WMA, WAX, QCELP
• Image formats supported: GIF87a, GIF89a, JPEG, WBMP, BMP, PNG
• Video formats supported: H.263, MPEG-4, GSM-AMR, AAC, WMV
• Mini-SD removable memory card slot
• Large, high-resolution display (320 x 240 pixels, 65K TFT
• 1.3 mega pixel camera with photo lighting
• PIM functionality with Picture Caller ID
• Advanced speech recognition and speakerphone

I was told that this device will also feature BlackBerry Connect, enabling it to take advantage of the BlackBerry push technology for e-mail. All those BlackBerry users out there clamoring for a camera on their BlackBerry might have a reason to jump over to Motorola.

But with so much time spent thumbing away on a QWERTY device, form factor is pretty important. How does this one feel? As I picked it up, I was reminded of my old Scientific Calculator that I (thankfully) haven’t touched in years. It was solid and thin. And a little blockish. It lacked that sort of smooth rounded back the makes a BlackBerry nestle so snugly into your palm.

It is light. Oh my is it light. I briefly slipped it into my shirt pocket and it was so slender that I barely felt it. Very nice. Current BlackBerry users might miss the familiar rounded edges and comforting heft of their traditional Berries. Or they might not. But with a camera, memory card slot, Bluetooth, and BlackBerry Connect all crammed into the thinnest and lightest QWERTY device on the market, this is a very compelling product for some.

I whipped out my camera to take a few pictures, and the Moto Q was quickly squirreled away. Here’s what I managed to get.

## This Article Was Originally Published on AllBlackBerry.com on May 19, 2006.