Pocketnow Throwback: Motorola Q

North America, Summer 2006: Talladega Nights is at the top of the box office; Nickelback and Hinder battle it out for butt-rock band of the year; and an acting student named Michael Fisher grows a pretty sweet mustache in an otherwise-sedate corner of Southeastern Virginia. But more importantly, a hotly anticipated and long-delayed mobile phone finally lands on Verizon Wireless retail shelves. It's a device poised to challenge RIM's BlackBerry family in the QWERTY keyboard arena. A new Windows Mobile smartphone unlike any other. That device's name: the Motorola Q.
The Q changed the smartphone game in the United States, transforming a market historically known for big, bulky, heavy, nerd-tastic devices into the new mobile hot-zone, the place to be if you wanted to play hard. Motorola borrowed heavily from its still-wildly-successful RAZR line to create a device whose aggressive, brutal aesthetic still finds expression in today's Motorola smartphones. If you've carried a Motorola device in the past few years, odds are it drew a hefty amount of inspiration - or even a part of its name - from the trailblazing Q.
Join us as we embark on a short journey into yesteryear to survey all that the Q brought us. We'll marvel at how far we've come, but also at how much looks familiar, in this seven-year-old artifact from the Days of Smartphone Past.
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Pocketnow has been a key source of mobile technology news and reviews since its establishment in 2000. With offices on three continents, Pocketnow offers round-the-clock coverage of the mobile technology landscape, from smartphones to tablets to wearables. We aim to be your number-one source for mobile tech news, reviews, comparisons, and commentary. If you love mobile as much as we do, be sure to subscribe!
Pocketnow Throwback: Motorola Q
• Pocketnow Throwback: M...
PocketNow
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[@zacksstuff]

I love how I can now have a throwback to a throwback review. 2013 was a long time ago...

[@cocco_cola2989]

hahaahahah

[@ViggoMor10sen]

Even by today's standards, that phone is really good looking.

[@TheChimchariscool]

i watch these because looking at old tech is fun

[@carlospalacios3188]

Brings back good college years. Melancholy

[@virgenfj]

My favorite phone i owned. I miss keyboards on phones

[@waffleofdeath99]

This was my 1st working cell phone back in 09

[@ayzaguir]

Absolutely the best. Thank you again Michael.

[@midnightshad96]

I had the red and black soft touch q. It was a great phone and is one of very few that I didn't destroy

[@john23del]

Anyone here from that Nina Dobrev vid? 😂

[@nazdanao7472]

loool that camera quality got me lookin for this vid

[@jonathanedward3704]

yeah me..omg

[@eval_is_evil]

Fisher,dude,your reviews are always so refreshing...u just ain't boring. Good job man. Hello from Slovenia,Europe :)

[@noirisneo]

i like the way Mr Fisher Review the best on pocketnow

[@glassdoor3075]

Throwbacks makes me feel relaxed 😌

[@mczenk5095]

I loved my Moto Q. I still have it.

[@iLife64]

I'm now 17, but I remember wanting one of these... A lot.

[@slaydanchalmers]

another brilliant video michael, thank you!

[@innercityprepper]

I loved both of my Q's. Still the gold standard for useable keyboard on a mobile device.

[@PiotrMic]

Loved the history part. Concept of series is great as well.

[@tonypulido8127]

Brings back memories, I was a proud owner at the time.

[@MykeBatez]

I love this series!

[@sakifabdallah8765]

Man I love these videos! Keep 'em coming! :D

[@EdwardBliffin]

I had a IR blaster on my nokia 6275i..(sigh)..i loved that phone...its nice to go back and see old phones..i seen somebody talkin on the orig RAZR yesterday

[@RobertSmartJr]

I still have it it's still awesome to me

[@smartphonedude]

Best windows phone I owned back on 06. It's crazy to believe how popular it was for how slim and light weight Motorola made it to be.

[@Aingeluz]

Wow Michael Fisher. Watching Aug. 2021.😊

[@Operator--du4ek]

Having an iPhone XS looking at these phones it’s crazy I used to think those phones looked like gadgets out of sci-fi movies lol just imagine being in 2007 and seeing an iPhone or Samsung of today !

[@xxxSpetnaz]

I like this throwback videos :) it reminds of the good old days

[@QuadiePoo]

Can't believe this is a throwback. I remember when this was new! Lol. I was 15-16

[@Scerttle]

I was only a casual smart phone follower back in the mid-2000s so it's pretty cool to have the history fleshed out :)

[@liskrig]

Oh man, I had the Q9m and I was impossibly fast typing on that thing. What a great video!

[@StardustRains]

I-i'm not too young, I just like learning about phones new and old

[@fifisteiner2812]

Same here. Something about the history of technology, from games to phones, simply fascinates me.

[@Aaronhouston33]

I was born in 1986 so the first phone I played with my dads in 1991 as well as our car phone I got my first phone in 1995 a flip phone then I got another one in 1999, 2001, 2004, and so on

[@JoRosieQueen68]

+Tezza (Official) my first phone was the Motorola RAZR V3!

[@danielm5633]

+Aaron P oooh, car phone. that's a sexy phone

[@thekornreeper]

;)

[@JonathanNelson-nelsonj3]

Hahaha! He is still using Star Trek props in his videos. Love the classic Trek comm panel in the back.

[@mollerbt]

This is why Pocketnow is the undisputed King of tech!

[@eskimochild87]

I loved the Q9 from Att

[@mikedeeze924]

Had this phone back in 9th grade...still the best phone I've used to date.

Wow, this still looks icredibly awesome.

[@kassdog]

First smartphone I had. Plus first phone I bought music on. Was crazy. I remember it was some special edition one on Verizon.

[@serpent86]

im 16 and i remember the Q! Good times Good times

[@starwars551]

As soon as I started this video I grabbed my Moto Q from under my desk. Damn these memories.

[@TheRobuenisimo]

So much memories

[@ThingusRaccomagucus]

still have my moto q

[@aguness1]

OMG DAT MUSTACHE THO

[@magbanuamik_]

woah a throwback of a throwback

[@kidkool27]

This video is as old as the phone was when this was filmed

[@lalthangHungyos]

We miss pocketnow throwback. Do it in 2020 also. If you love throwback in 2020 then hit like

[@jerrybandy3827]

Can't believe this popped up as a recommendation after all this time. But it reminded me of the Samsung Intrepid (SPH-i350) on Sprint which I still have and it still 'works'.

[@drake90ful]

I definitely enjoyed it, awesome video

[@moranmono]

I remember wanted to buy this device, coming from the e61, a camera and a qwerty keyboard was something else

[@devinsymone3612]

Throwback to the infamous Verizon Billboard I remember that advert advertisement so clearly

[@AbsoluteDigitalPictures]

My mom had a Motorola Q when I was born in 2008.

[@Grimlock1973]

I still own the Motorola Q9C and occasionally make calls on it. It is relegated as my 3rd line so no web surfing or texting but I still get a kick when people ask me where they can buy one and with which carrier! The build quality is very solid and it feels good to hold in the hand.

[@icheloveyou]

came here after watching dobrev hahahaha

[@rafisddq]

great review as always.. and nice moustache.

[@timothyln12]

I wanted this phone SOOOO bad back then. It was so pretty and thin.

[@Jay20370214]

I've owned all Moto Q models and the Q9c was the best model... sweet review!!!!

[@MrBeto2020]

Great video

[@ALLinENT931]

Was my first phone I bought with my first army check. 2008

[@pourdevil]

I emulated NES games on this device. What a great phone it was.

[@erkicaplatz7212]

It funny the way you treat it like a museum piece

[@jakotelephone]

omg the mustache is amazing :D :D

[@DhDo74]

Wow, I paused at the mustache part to go get some food, came back and jumped when I saw the mustache on my screen.

[@jpmahyo]

I had that shmexy Q9H revamp with the HSDPA and one of the best non RIM QWERTY's around. First smartphone and it's still hanging out in my desk drawer beside me

[@EvilTwin123]

This phone was so techy, it was named after James Bond's gadget supplier.

[@Pfattss]

How far we've come, crazy

[@KanishQQuotes]

There was a Motorola admiral

[@aboozayd1]

My first ever smartphone. Lol. Great video.

[@simba1986]

I recall, within a day after the main warranty expired, that the D-Pad area buttons peeled, and my first one never work correct again. Thank you Verizon Warranty Exchange.

[@uNkLeRaRa4]

MORE THROWBACKS PLEEEASE!

[@chrisreynolds6391]

I had green tinted glasses in 2005!

[@filipmac5577]

I wish they still made phones like this!

[@mrlambtheavteacher]

This was my FAVORITE phone

[@sdillon4605]

I loved my moto q!

[@EvilTwin123]

Prosumer What a word! Sums itself in smooth verbiage.

[@alfredodanyel3509]

what a handsome man and deep voice

[@GalaxyXComputers]

This was my first smart phone :D

[@japanesemickeymouse6694]

would make for a mean gameboy love vintage videos lol

[@fabioadias]

Interesting video!

[@kylemartin7237]

This was the first device I had when I worked for Sprint Nextel in 2007, as my free employee line of service. I chose this over the Palm Treo 650, Samsung Ace, and Blackberry. I thought it looked super cool because it was so thin. And omg it was terrible LOL, I got a lemon phone...battery would not last more than 12 hours. Tried several different batteries with no luck. The ONE great thing about this phone back then is it had stereo bluetooth meaning you could listen to music through your bluetooth earpiece (other devices honestly could not do it yet, they could only do voicecalls).

[@Kyrop87]

Ah memories. Mine mostly lies with the Samsung Blackjack though. Good phones.

[@cell625]

Memories

[@ApolloTheDerg]

Moro q was my first phone, I loved that thing, had it till it died on me like a. Year later, I did notice it easily got dust under the screen

[@jesse4589]

I loved mine too, thing was pretty durable! It was pretty awesome for it's time.

[@newbutthunt]

I loved the OS on that phone.

[@harshnemesis]

WIndows mobile was a great operating system, but I prefer the touch screen one, you know the one that ran on pocket pcs

[@BitchyonceKnowles]

Throwback videos makes me remember the days that I wanted a phone.. i.e the nokia 3610 and my parents wouldn't buy me one 'cause I'm too young, now I'm 18. I get whichever phone I want(w/ a contract of course) and I feel bad(envy lol) for those toddlers who gets to be spoiled with these gadgets I can't even have when I was a kid -_-

[@slantblant1]

I remember this phone, and the blackjack lol

[@JosephTallent]

He’s so cute! Wonder if he’s single? 🤔😂

[@mtbrosin]

The moto q was an amazing device for what it was.

[@TheMrLoxton]

I had this bad boy. It was absolutely amazing. Music play tone mods videos id like this to be revamped. With the keyboard

[@petluv214]

That's my phone. Yes this was my first smartphone. Loved it.

[@AlphaFlight]

I wanted this to be my first Wm phone. Good days!

[@andromedagodit2492]

Indeed. 😁 And I still think that the Qwerty keypad n the scrolling wheel is still relevant today. It's just that manufacturers n consumers don't really see that... 😁

[@alhlawalnasiha9774]

This is the type of phone i really want

[@Pocketnow]

Used to sell them. Beautiful design indeed. Unfortunately, as it's not a smartphone, we probably won't cover that one. Not yet. ^MF

[@iAmViking94]

PocketNow is the best channel ever 3

[@MattJuechter]

I love these make more

[@ELP1125]

I remember I wanted this phone

[@Megageek-pz5ig]

Ghost of smart phone past I still it somewhere

[@badbeatking80]

This was a solid phone

[@corygaidowski96]

It's weird I miss phones like this and blackberries

[@EldredDValley]

Lol at 0:30 Tony Stark with a awesome mustache XD

[@japanesemickeymouse6694]

im tempted to get one to make a game boy out of lol

[@Kellythelegend]

Oh my God i had this phone it was so thin and perfect no cricket flashes those phones Lol