This past weekend, I switched from the original Motorola Photon, to the new Photon Q. I haven't seen many reviews here on it so I wanted to chime in.
The reason for the switch, for me, was the physical keyboard. Prior to the Photon, I had the Palm Pre and two different Treos before that, so I was used to a keyboard and prefer it. I tried to like the touch-screen keyboard on the original Photon but typing on it was a hassle and the word correction was horrible. Yes, I tried downloading other keyboards but none worked well for me. I suspect it was my typing as much as anything, but it made it unpleasant to work with. So with the Photon Q, it is a difference like night and day. The keyboard is very nice and my typing mistakes are very few. So if you are experiencing the same thing, you may like the Q.
Another issue for me with the original Photon was the older Android version. It didn?t multi-task very well and I had to add 3rd party apps to do things like blink the LED for notification or give me a better unlock screen. Having Ice Cream Sandwich on the Q solves all of these concerns for me. It has rapidly become my favorite phone to use. Note that I also carry an iPhone, provided to me for work, so my Q is my personal phone. Before, I would use the iPhone for most things, but now I prefer the Q in every way over the iPhone. Multitasking is similar to the way it operated on the Pre, and I like that.
So far, I have found nothing of consequence to complain about on the Q. Battery life is good (no worse than the original Photon anyway), the screen is bright and clear. Bluetooth works well. Also, it is quite a bit snappier when changing from one app to another and even when browsing the Net. I know it has limited internal memory but I?m not one who downloads a lot of apps or plays games on my phone so I can?t comment on that. It isn?t a problem for me though. At least you can add a micro-SD card, which I have done. Again, this is the way it is for me, so make your own evaluation based on your phone usage.
I bought the Q at Best Buy this time because it was on sale at the time for $149, whereas the Sprint store had it for $199. I also had saved up some Best Buy bonus cash so I ended up paying only about $90 for it. Then on Tuesday, I noticed the price had dropped to $99 so I went back a promptly received a refund for the difference. I also sent in my original Photon to Best Buy?s trade-in program and I expect to get $80 back (vs. $63 from Sprint for their program). All in all, it was like getting paid to switch phones. I?m pretty happy with Best Buy regarding this purchase. Previously I bought all phones (we have a family plan) directly from the Sprint store, and I have never had trouble with them. It?s just the financial upside this time made it worthwhile to buy from Best Buy.
As for Sprint's wireless service, I've been with Sprint since 1999 and haven't had much reason to complain. I travel a lot (within the US) and rarely have had any lack of service. Sure, 3G could be better and it is nice when I get into an area with 4G, but I don't move a lot of data on a regular basis, so it works for me. I do hope they expand on the 4G LTE service. They sure dropped the ball when they said they were going 4G the last time. C'mon Sprint, step up.
So I have to say, this is the best phone I?ve bought in recent memory, and the best Smartphone I?ve used and that includes the iPhone. I would have to say if a non-technical person (like my parents) asked my advice for a Smartphone, I?d probably direct them to Apple because is it bone-headedly simple to use and it works, but I personally like more flexibility in configuration so I am quite happy with the Q. Just remember, this is my opinion and others are welcome to disagree. I?m sure if you don?t prefer a physical keyboard, there are fancier options available, but this is, in my opinion, the best keyboard phone that Sprint has to offer right now, and the price is right.
-Jeff
The reason for the switch, for me, was the physical keyboard. Prior to the Photon, I had the Palm Pre and two different Treos before that, so I was used to a keyboard and prefer it. I tried to like the touch-screen keyboard on the original Photon but typing on it was a hassle and the word correction was horrible. Yes, I tried downloading other keyboards but none worked well for me. I suspect it was my typing as much as anything, but it made it unpleasant to work with. So with the Photon Q, it is a difference like night and day. The keyboard is very nice and my typing mistakes are very few. So if you are experiencing the same thing, you may like the Q.
Another issue for me with the original Photon was the older Android version. It didn?t multi-task very well and I had to add 3rd party apps to do things like blink the LED for notification or give me a better unlock screen. Having Ice Cream Sandwich on the Q solves all of these concerns for me. It has rapidly become my favorite phone to use. Note that I also carry an iPhone, provided to me for work, so my Q is my personal phone. Before, I would use the iPhone for most things, but now I prefer the Q in every way over the iPhone. Multitasking is similar to the way it operated on the Pre, and I like that.
So far, I have found nothing of consequence to complain about on the Q. Battery life is good (no worse than the original Photon anyway), the screen is bright and clear. Bluetooth works well. Also, it is quite a bit snappier when changing from one app to another and even when browsing the Net. I know it has limited internal memory but I?m not one who downloads a lot of apps or plays games on my phone so I can?t comment on that. It isn?t a problem for me though. At least you can add a micro-SD card, which I have done. Again, this is the way it is for me, so make your own evaluation based on your phone usage.
I bought the Q at Best Buy this time because it was on sale at the time for $149, whereas the Sprint store had it for $199. I also had saved up some Best Buy bonus cash so I ended up paying only about $90 for it. Then on Tuesday, I noticed the price had dropped to $99 so I went back a promptly received a refund for the difference. I also sent in my original Photon to Best Buy?s trade-in program and I expect to get $80 back (vs. $63 from Sprint for their program). All in all, it was like getting paid to switch phones. I?m pretty happy with Best Buy regarding this purchase. Previously I bought all phones (we have a family plan) directly from the Sprint store, and I have never had trouble with them. It?s just the financial upside this time made it worthwhile to buy from Best Buy.
As for Sprint's wireless service, I've been with Sprint since 1999 and haven't had much reason to complain. I travel a lot (within the US) and rarely have had any lack of service. Sure, 3G could be better and it is nice when I get into an area with 4G, but I don't move a lot of data on a regular basis, so it works for me. I do hope they expand on the 4G LTE service. They sure dropped the ball when they said they were going 4G the last time. C'mon Sprint, step up.
So I have to say, this is the best phone I?ve bought in recent memory, and the best Smartphone I?ve used and that includes the iPhone. I would have to say if a non-technical person (like my parents) asked my advice for a Smartphone, I?d probably direct them to Apple because is it bone-headedly simple to use and it works, but I personally like more flexibility in configuration so I am quite happy with the Q. Just remember, this is my opinion and others are welcome to disagree. I?m sure if you don?t prefer a physical keyboard, there are fancier options available, but this is, in my opinion, the best keyboard phone that Sprint has to offer right now, and the price is right.
-Jeff
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