26
Apr

C Spire's Motorola Photon Q Jelly Bean Update Rolling Out (Build 9.8.2Q-122_XT897_FFW-7)

Posted by in C Spire, Device Updates, Jelly Bean 4.1, News, Photon Q

QWERTY phones might be few and far between but they haven't died out completely. If you have a Motorola Photon Q and you're on C Spire, you might want to open your Settings menu and check for updates. The round sugary goodness of Jelly Bean is on its way.

The update brings a bunch of improvements in its wake:

Enhancements:

  • Google Now
    Added feature that generates real-time notifications throughout the day with relevant, contextual information such as weather, traffic, calendar. To access Google Now, press and hold the phone's search key.
  • Voice Search
    Enhanced Voice Search to recognize questions asked in colloquial language, such as "Do I need an umbrella today?" Some questions may receive a spoken answer, while others will trigger a Google Search.

25
Apr
Motorola_Photon_Q_Asanti_PVCF

Sprint's Motorola Photon Q Finally Getting Jelly Bean (Build 9.8.2Q-122_XT897_FFW-5)

Posted by in Device Updates, News, Photon Q, Sprint
Last Updated: April 26th, 2013

I know a few people who just love QWERTY phones, despite the fact that they're a dying breed. For those among you who happen to love QWERTYs and are on Sprint, there's a chance you're holding a Motorola Photon Q in your hand right now. And if that's the case, you should probably head into the Settings menu and check for updates – Jelly Bean is coming your way. Get excited.

The update brings a slew of enhancements along for the ride:

Enhancements/Fixes

  • Google OS upgrade to Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
  • Google Now
  • Voice search enhancements
  • Camera includes improved image quality and more intuitive panorama mode
  • Ability to zoom out to filmstrip mode in the Gallery
  • Keyboard includes improved dictionary and text to speech capabilities
  • Notification enhancements
  • resolved Quick Office closing when reviewing a document
  • Improved GSM roaming connectivity for global use
  • Improved streaming of Sprint TV when location services are turned off
  • Enhanced security and ease of use on the face unlock feature
  • Removed Quick Views, Speed Dial, and MOTOPRINT applications
  • Improved accuracy and response of voice to text for texting, emailing, and web search

So, what are you waiting for?

14
Jan
motorola-photon-q-41

Motorola Photon Q Receiving Minor OTA Update (Software Version ASA-14)

Posted by in Device Updates, Motorola, News, Photon Q, Sprint

If you have a Motorola Photon Q, time to start the ritualistic checking for updates: a new OTA is headed out this morning. Software version 7.7.1Q-6_SPR-125_ASA-14, the first update since the ASA-10 maintenance release in October, will get your Q running the latest and greatest. And no, it's not Jelly Bean (though the Q will be getting Jelly Bean... at some point). The changelog isn't much of a log, either:

- Various fixes to improve overall device stability

But hey, bug fixes are bug fixes, and that's probably going to make someone somewhere happy. You can check out Sprint's blog post on the update (which has basically no additional info) here.

13
Dec
Sprint

[Android Police Holiday Giveaway #2] Win One Of Twenty (Yes, 20) Awesome Android Phones From Sprint

Posted by in Contests / Giveaways, Galaxy Victory (SPH-L300), Mach, Optimus G, Photon Q, Sprint
Last Updated: December 27th, 2012

Winners have been selected. Congrats to:
  • Adam M.
  • Jonathon G.
  • Jesus T.
  • Troy C.
  • Mohd F.
  • Mike S.
  • Dan Z.
  • Anthony F.
  • Travis F.
  • Steven D.
  • Rocco
  • TesterInOaks
  • Melanie T.
  • Geoff J.
  • Russell S.
  • Felipe P.
  • Dough K.
  • Jessica K.
  • Matthew R.
  • Juan C.

We'll be in touch with the winners shortly.

We started off Android Police's holiday giveaway series yesterday with some great phones and other gadgets from RadioShack - today we're upping the ante. Can you say twenty Sprint smartphones? Because that's how many we're giving away, thanks to the awesome people at Sprint.

buyone

As a friendly reminder, Sprint's Buy One Galaxy, Get One Free promotion is going on right now - you can buy one of three Galaxy smartphones (Galaxy S III, Galaxy S II, and Galaxy Victory), and get a second one free.

06
Nov
photonqthumb

Motorola Photon Q Update Rolls Out - No, It's Not Jelly Bean

Posted by in News, Photon Q

Who doesn't love a good software update? Today, Sprint is beginning to rollout a minor upgrade to the Photon Q that brings a few incremental improvements. Sorry, there are no Jelly Beans to be seen, but there are still some things to be excited about. Here are a few of the key features of the newest build:

Enhancements/Fixes

  • Improved text messaging when requesting usage and upgradeability through Sprint Zone
  • Select number of users to access Wi-Fi hotspot
  • Random power cycle when using Wi-Fi Direct
  • Manually send or auto-sync emails from outbox
  • seamless international text messaging
  • Faster launch and playback using the YouTube application
  • Improved browsing with Google Chrome for Android Mobile Browser
  • Improved MMS functionality

All in all, it's not a huge update by any means, but users of the device should still appreciate the tweaks.

16
Oct
root

Motorola's RAZR M, RAZR HD, And Atrix HD All Rooted Courtesy Of Dan Rosenberg

Posted by in Motorola, News, Photon Q, RAZR HD / RAZR MAXX HD, RAZR i, RAZR M

If you were thinking about picking up one of Motorola's newest Android handset, maybe this will push you over the edge. Android tinkerer Dan Rosenberg has published a root exploit that should work on almost all of Motorola's recent devices including the RAZR M, Atrix HD, Photon Q, RAZR i, and the upcoming RAZR HD.

Motorola-Droid-RAZR-Maxx-HD

The exploit is exceptionally easy to run. All you have to do is get your device plugged in with USB debugging on. Download the .ZIP file from the source link below onto your Windows PC, and launch the 'run.bat' file. You will get a series of instructions guiding you through the process, but it should only take a few minutes.

19
Aug
thumb

Motorola Photon Q Available Today From Sprint For $200 With A Two-Year Agreement

Posted by in News, Photon Q, Sprint

We've been talking about Sprint's upcoming LTE QWERTY, the Motorola Photon Q, for a few weeks now, and it's officially here. As of today, you can walk into a Sprint store and buy this "green machine with the power of Android" for the low, low price of $200 with a two-year agreement.

1

Need a refresher on specs? No problem.

  • 4.3" ColorBoost display
  • 1.5GHz dual-core processor (presumably Snapdragon S4)
  • 1GB RAM
  • 8GB storage, microSD card slot
  • 8MP 1080p rear shooter, 720p front-facing camera
  • HDMI out
  • NFC
  • Full QWERTY slider
  • LTE, global ready
  • Android 4.0.4

Sure, it's nothing to get overly-excited about, but if you're a fan of QWERTYs, the Photon Q is probably the best that you can buy right now.

15
Aug
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Wirefly And Let's Talk Launch Motorola Photon Q Pre-Order For $150 ($50 Off)

Posted by in Deals, News, Photon Q, Sprint

So you love QWERTYs. We get that. Apparently, so does Sprint and Motorola, because last month they announced the Photon Q, which is probably the most powerful QWERTY slider on the market right now.

Hopefully you haven't already pre-ordered through Sprint, because Wirefly and Let's Talk just dropped the pre-order price by $50. That means you can get this keyboard-packing LTE slider for $150 instead of $200. That's not a bad savings for a phone that hasn't even been released yet.

Of course, if you're considering jumping to Sprint from another carrier, you may want to take advantage of the current "add a line, get a $100 AMEX giftcard" deal going on exclusively through The Now Network, instead.

13
Aug
thumb

Sprint Photon Q Pre-Orders Begin Today; Will Be Available In Stores On August 19th For $199

Posted by in News, Photon Q, Sprint

Sprint announced the Photon Q, its first LTE device with a full QWERTY keyboard, back in late July with nary a word on pricing or availability. We've heard rumors here and there about a mid-August release, but The Now Network has finally unveiled an official release date of August 19th, as well as a price of $199 with a two-year agreement.

The Photon Q is Motorola's newest offering to the QWERTY world, and is basically an Atrix HD with a keyboard:

1

  • 4.3" ColorBoost display
  • 1.5GHz dual-core processor (presumably Snapdragon S4)
  • 1GB RAM
  • 8GB storage, microSD card slot
  • 8MP 1080p rear shooter, 720p front-facing camera
  • HDMI out
  • NFC
  • Full QWERTY slider
  • LTE, global ready
  • Android 4.0.4

If you want to ensure you'll have the most powerful slider on the market in your hands on 8/19, pre-orders begin today in Sprint stores and on the web.

26
Jul
Motorola_Photon_Q_Asanti_PVCF

Sprint Announces The Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE With A Full QWERTY Slider And Ice Cream Sandwich

Posted by in News, Photon Q, Sprint

During Sprint's earnings call, CEO Dan Hesse outed a the Motorola Photon Q, stating that it's "coming soon." With the cat out of the bag, The Now Network just sent out the press release making the device official, thought it's still missing pricing and release date information.

image

While this may be the first time we've heard the Photon Q name, it's not the first time we've heard of the device itself. In fact, we got a glimpse of this QWERTY slider last month. At that time, however, we didn't have the full specs. Now, of course, we do.

  • 4.3" ColorBoost display
  • 1.5GHz dual-core processor (presumably Snapdragon S4)
  • 1GB RAM
  • 8GB storage, microSD card slot
  • 8MP 1080p rear shooter, 720p front-facing camera
  • HDMI out
  • NFC
  • Full QWERTY slider
  • LTE, global ready
  • Android 4.0.4

image

According to the press release, pricing and availability will be "announced in the next few weeks." In the meantime, you can find out more about the Photon Q right here.