Sprint previewed a new 4G  LTE smartphone from Motorola on Thursday, which sports a five-row QWERTY-style keyboard that emulates a standard PC -like typing experience through the addition of a dedicated number row.
The goal is to attract the attention of BlackBerry business users unimpressed with Research In Motion's latest round of handset offerings.
Sprint CEO Dan Hesse told investors that the carrier will be launching the Android -powered Motorola Photon Q in the near future. "The Motorola Photon Q is a ULE platinum-certified premium QWERTY slider with robust business and consumer features," Hesse said during a conference call.
To enable users to see what they're typing -- even in the dark -- each laser-cut key is outlined in LED lights. The new smartphone also includes a virtual touch-screen keyboard for use in situations where sliding out the physical keyboard is inconvenient.
"When we talk to people who love their QWERTY smartphones, its evident this segment is passionate about their keyboards," said Motorola Mobility Senior Vice President Mark Shockley. "Motorola Photon Q offers a class-leading keyboard and an amazing big screen so you can see and do more with your smartphone."
Photon Q Hardware Features
Among other things, Photon Q has a scratch- and splash-resistant, 4.3-inch touchscreen . And the new device's world roaming and international hotspot capabilities will doubtlessly attract the interest of globetrotting corporate users.
Weighing 6 ounces, the Photon Q integrates 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of onboard memory and an SD card slot offering support for up to 32 GB of user-added memory. The Photon Q uses a 1.5-gigahertz, dual-core Qualcomm MSM8960 processor.
Beyond supporting CDMA, GSM and super-fast 4G LTE network access at locations around the world, the Photon Q smartphone integrates Wi-Fi (801.b/g/n) and Bluetooth (4.0 with EDR) radio chips, together with near field communications and GPS navigation capabilities. Also on tap is 3G/4G LTE mobile hotspot support for up to eight devices within the United States -- or support for a single device when used internationally. (continued...)
|
