Hands-On with Motorola's Unannounced Q9m for Verizon

Motorola Q9m for Verizon

Motorola Q9m for Verizon

Motorola Q9m for Verizon

For the past two days I've had the luxury of playing around with a pre-production Motorola Q9m, a Windows Mobile 6 smartphone destined for Verizon Wireless. After messing around with it and comparing it with the original Q, it seems quite obvious to me that the Q9m is a re-skinned Q with a new OS and a number of software enhancements. This is both good and bad.

Physically, the Q9m is a near masterpiece. It is a simple but good looking device. It is very solidly built, and the metal frame around its edges make it look quite rugged. The soft-touch paint on the back cover has a nice feel to it, and the grippy matte surface on the keyboard is something I haven't seen on a phone before. In fact, the QWERTY keyboard on the Q9m is probably the best I have ever used on a Windows Mobile device when it comes to typing. It shares its layout with the original Q, which is its only problem. I would have greatly preferred if the Q9m had a shift key on both sides of the keyboard instead of just the right. I also would rather have seen a back key in the keyboard layout. As is, users have to rely on the back key that is located next to the d-pad or the one that is located beneath the scroll-wheel on the right hand edge of the phone.

Everything on the Q9m is in nearly the exact same position as on the original Q. For those that count millimeters and grams, its dimensions are 117.5mm x 65mm x 15mm (4.6" x 2.6" x .6"), and it weighs 134g (4.7oz). The only real differences, apart from the keyboard and the choice of materials, are the lack of an IR port on the Q9m and the fact that the d-pad and the plastic keys that surround it have changed slightly in size and position. The new d-pad looks better than the Q's, but I think I prefer the old one for actual use. In any event, it works fine.

Motorola Q9m and Q

Motorola Q9m and Q

Motorola Q9m and Q