Since the Q was released, some smaller WM handsets like the T-Mobile Dash and the Samsung Blackjack have hit the market. But the Q still looks good nearly a year after its introduction, and, with its slim 0.5-inch design, remains among the thinnest smartphones available. The 4.1-ounce Amp'd Q continues the tradition and also comes with Motorola's new, rubberized housing. It's essentially the same model as the black Verizon Motorola Q, complete with blue backlit keys, but with a charcoal-gray case instead.
Amp'd's new Adobe Flash Lite interface looks nicer than what you get on standard-issue Windows Mobile 5.0 smartphones. The Start menu layout and applications are left untouched, aside from a coat of new background wallpaper. But the home screen, menu backgrounds, and Amp'd section are all glossed over with a colorful sheen and animated buttons. The new interface isn't a revolution either, but it's an improvement just the same.
Since we're talking about an Amp'd Mobile handset here, it's no surprise that the real star of the show is the phone's content. The Amp'd TV channel lineup is pretty impressive, with multiple selections for news, sports, entertainment, and so on. There are four main entertainment packages you can purchase: Amp'd Overload, Amp'd Overdose, Amp'd TV, and Amp'd Radio. Prices range from $10 to $20 per month and can include over 40 live TV channels and 10 streamed radio channels.
Unfortunately, video quality isn't up to snuff. The main window is only about half the width and height of the Q's screen. Left at its default size, it looks like an animated GIF thumbnail rather than real television. There is an option to blow it up to full-screen size, which you have to do in order to watch TV at a comfortable distance from the phone, though you end up with a disappointing amount of pixelation this way.
Still, I watched a number of shows on MTV and the History Channel, and some newscasts. After a few minutes, I forgot about the so-so video resolution and enjoyed all the programming. Even so, once you've seen true broadcast mobile TV, it's hard to go back to handhelds without tuners such as this one. Fortunately, the Q's stereo speakers are loud enough that you can watch TV without having to throw on a pair of earbuds.
Aside from the Amp'd stuff, the Q is still a top-quality smartphone. Motorola packs in a QWERTY keyboard; broadband EV-DO; a sharp, 320- by 240-pixel, 2.4-inch color screen; and a 1.3-megapixel camera that takes decent photos. The camera, though, has the usual Windows Mobile frozen "hiccup" after each picture. Voice quality is quite good, with solid external noise rejection, and the phone is comfortable to hold for long periods of time.
The Q's 312-MHz processor won't win a race with other smartphones, but it will get you where you're going, despite some occasional sluggishness. The handset has 40MB of storage memory available for applications, and Amp'd Mobile also tosses in a 256MB miniSD card to get you started with music and video (hey, 256MB isn't much, but it's better than nothing). The Q scored 5 hours 29 minutes of continuous talk time on our battery rundown test, a reasonable figure for an EV-DO phone with such a slim profile.
The Motorola Q has lost some of the luster it had at its introduction last year, but it's still a good choice for a smartphone. Add in Amp'd Mobile's superior lineup of live television channels, and you'll never be without something to do or watch on the go. As long as you can live with the subpar video quality, this edition of the Q is a winner.
SPEC DATA :
- Service Provider: Amp'd
- Operating System: Windows Mobile Smartphone
- Screen Size: 2.4 inches
- Screen Details: 320x240, 65k-color TFT display
- Camera: Yes
- Megapixels: 1.3 MP
- Flash Memory Type: Mini-Secure Digital
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Web Browser: Yes
- Network: CDMA
- Bands: 800, 1900
- High-Speed Data: 1xRTT, EVDO
- Processor Speed: 312 MHz
- Special Features: Music
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