Motorola lists phones that won’t get updates to Jelly Bean

Back when Motorola announced the DROID RAZR HD and the DROID RAZR M, it made a commitment to upgrading the majority of its phones to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. When it made this commitment, the company said that it would give users who didn’t get updated $100. Naturally, no one was expecting Motorola to upgrade all of its handsets to Jelly Bean, and today, the company revealed a list of phones that will qualify for the $100 rebate.


However, there’s a bit of a catch. Motorola isn’t just going to give you $100 because your phone isn’t receiving Jelly Bean, after all. In order to get that money, you’ll need to trade up to one of six recently-release Motorola phones. The handsets you’ll need to trade up to include the Atrix HD, DROID RAZR MAXX HD, DROID RAZR M, DROID RAZR HD, Electrify 2, or PHOTON Q. As you can see from the list posted below, quite a few Motorola phones qualify for the promotion.

Those devices that qualify include the original Electrify, the Atrix and the Atrix 4G, the DROID 3, and the DROID X2. If you don’t see your device on the left side of the list, it seems that you can expect an update to Jelly Bean at some point in the future. Motorola has set up a page on its site for interested users looking to take advantage of its trade up program.

Of course, it’s important to remember that if you’re currently on contract, early termination fees will still apply if you decide to get a new phone through Motorola’s trade up promotion. Essentially, you can look at this as a $100 rebate on an upgrade to a phone that will have or will be getting Jelly Bean, rather than getting $100 in cash as an apology for not getting an upgrade to Android 4.1. Will you be taking Motorola up on its $100 rebate offer, or will you be sticking with your current phone now that we know all of the details?

[via Android Community]


Motorola lists phones that won’t get updates to Jelly Bean is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE review: the best full QWERTY phone on Sprint’s network

Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE review

The future of Motorola post-acquisition may still be a mystery, but the manufacturer has managed to stay quite active over the last few weeks: it unveiled the Atrix HD, its first smartphone with an HD display and native ICS build, and there’s already much anticipation around Verizon’s Droid RAZR HD ahead of the holiday season. For the here and now, however, it’s Sprint’s turn to soak in the Moto love with the Photon Q 4G LTE. (Say it five times fast.)

Naturally, the name of the phone doesn’t leave a whole lot to the imagination. As you’d expect, it’s a follow-up to last year’s Photon 4G that trades WiMAX for LTE and adds a full-sized QWERTY keyboard. What the name doesn’t tell you, though, is that this phone costs a lofty $200 on contract, and features a qHD ColorBoost display (not to be confused with the Atrix’s 720p screen, which uses the same branding). In other words, it’s gotta be pretty good to have any success at that price point. How does the latest Googorola device hold up against the rest of Sprint’s LTE lineup? Is it worth the premium? Follow us southward to find out.

Continue reading Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE review: the best full QWERTY phone on Sprint’s network

Filed under: ,

Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE review: the best full QWERTY phone on Sprint’s network originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: August 17, 2012

Friday has come and gone, which means that the weekend is here once again. The latest iPhone 5 rumors have propelled Apple’s stock to its highest point ever, and it turns out the company’s funds will go toward helping tap a recently-discovered underground river in Crook County, Oregon. Earlier today we saw a picture of what was reported to be the Samsung Galaxy Note II, but later on in the day Daniel YU informed everyone that it was just his mock-up used without his permission. That’s disappointing, but his mock-up looks great, so be sure to check that out.


According to Lenovo, Windows RT tablets could cost $300 less than Windows 8 tablets, and it appears that Yahoo is on the lookout for a new COO. After discovering a glitch with digital signatures earlier in the week, Microsoft is once again publishing Windows Phone apps, and Twitter’s new API update restricts some third-party apps, so watch out for that. UK retailer Clove is reporting that the black Samsung Galaxy S III will be out in October, and a new Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 bundle comes packed with bonuses that students are going to find hard to resist.

There’s a particularly nasty Trojan dubbed “Shamoon” that’s making the rounds, and in some rather surprising news from the day, it seems that OnLive is shutting down today. OnLive executives said throughout the day that everything with the company is fine, but later, more evidence that supports such a shutdown surfaced. Not good. Both models of the Nexus 7 are now in stock again on the Google Play store, and third parties were right there to begin pushing all sorts of accessories for it, while we’re hearing rumors that claim Apple’s set-top box will come with cloud DVR and a simple UI.

The beta for Steam’s upcoming Big Picture Mode will be kicking off at the beginning of next month, and HP is getting serious about tackling the consumer tablet division (or at least trying to again). The iPad Mini – and future iPad iterations for that matter – will apparently be getting a special ITO film, and Warren Spector is really pushing for Epic Mickey on the Xbox 360 and PS3, but he needs your help in convincing Disney.

Finally tonight, we have a number of original articles for you to peruse. Don Reisinger asks if there will one day be a universal gaming console, Ben Kersey has SlashGear’s review of The Expendables 2, and Chris Burns has a hands-on with the Motorola PHOTON Q. Enjoy your weekend, folks!


SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: August 17, 2012 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Motorola PHOTON Q 4G LTE: August 19th for $199.99

Motorola announced that the PHOTON Q 4G LTE would be coming sooner rather than later, and now the company has confirmed that the handset will be available to pre-order starting from today, with the phone expected to hit retail shelves this Sunday on August 19th. The phone commands the typical $200 price tag on a new two-year contract, and packs a five row horizontal QWERTY keyboard in conjunction with the latest internals.

The PHOTON Q comes with a dual-core processor clocked at 1.5Ghz, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, a microSD card slot for an additional 32GB of storage, and an eight megapixel camera with 1080p video recording. All of it is packed into a 4.3-inch qHD display along with LTE and NFC connectivity.

The smartphone also has world roaming capabilities, allowing you to take advantage of HSPA networks across the globe. Careful, though, as your carrier will more than likely charge ridiculous fees for any data used while roaming. It might be wise to see if the SIM card slot is unlocked, in which case you can pick up a local SIM and save some cash in the process.

All the usual radios are onboard as well, such as Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi b/g/n, with the battery carrying a capacity of 1,785mAh. As is increasingly the case with smartphones these days, it’s a sealed in battery. Software out of the box is Ice Cream Sandwich, but you’ll have to make do with the minor modifications that Motorola has added to the OS. The handset has been certified for environmentally rough situations too, so it should survive a few knocks and tumbles.


Motorola PHOTON Q 4G LTE: August 19th for $199.99 is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE up for pre-order, hitting Sprint August 19th for $200

Sprint subscribers aching to get their thumbs on some QWERTY keyboarding, LTE action won’t have to wait much longer. The carrier announced today that Motorola’s verbose Photon Q 4G LTE will be hitting the network on Sunday, August 19th, carrying a $200 price tag. The handset’s packing a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, Ice Cream Sandwich and an eight megapixel rear-facing camera. Interested parties can pre-order the Photon Q, et al. today. More information can be found in the press release after the break.

Continue reading Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE up for pre-order, hitting Sprint August 19th for $200

Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE up for pre-order, hitting Sprint August 19th for $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Aug 2012 10:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Sprint announces Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE

Sprint has just announced a spanking new smartphone for the masses which will take advantage of Sprint’s LTE network – and we are talking about the Sprint Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE here. The Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE will continue where last summer’s popular Motorola Photon 4G left off, and this new device will boast of a new five-row, PC-like QWERTY keyboard for easy typing. Not only that, it comes with international capabilities as well as a rather generous 4.3-inch ColorBoost display for your eyes to enjoy. Of course, we are not complaining that it is able to operate on Sprint’s new lightning-fast 4G LTE network, too.

There is no specific word on pricing and availability for the Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE as at press time, but we do know that it will be announced within the coming few weeks.

What are some of the hardware specifications in the Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE? For starters, it does not matter if you are a fan of the touchscreen virtual keyboard or a physical one, the Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE will deliver the best of both worlds with its virtual keyboard enabling you to send quick texts in a jiffy, while those who prefer a more physical approach will be able to rely on a slide out PC-like QWERTY keyboard that paves the way for double-thumb efficiency. Each individual laser-cut key will be outlined in LED lights, enabling users to view what they are doing, even in the dark.

It boasts of a dedicated number row that paves the way for maximum typing efficiency and accuracy. As mentioned earlier, thanks to an impressive 4.3″ ColorBoost display, the Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE is one that delivers the largest screen which is currently available on a 4G LTE QWERTY smartphone market. Apart from that, all that visual space makes it a snap for you to browse the Internet thanks to Google Chrome without the need to enlarge text, and you can also check out detail-rich images without the need to zoom in, in addition to watching a show without having to strain your eyes. The display itself is made out of scratch-resistant glass and splash-guard coating, enabling the Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE to be able to resist everyday scratches and spills.

It will run on the Android 4.0.4, Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, in addition to a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, an 8-megapixel camera located right at the back which does Full HD video recording as well, and a front-facing HD camera to boot for easy Google+ Hangout video chats or conference calls. It does sound like one of the more notable smartphones to look out for in the coming weeks.

Press Release

[ Sprint announces Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


Motorola to allow bootloader unlocking from Photon Q 4G LTE onwards

Motorola to allow bootloader unlocking from Photon Q onwards

Motorola’s initial promise to allow unlocked bootloaders came across to many enthusiasts as somewhat hollow: as long as there was an escape clause, carriers like AT&T and Verizon could clamp down and maintain the tough-to-modify status quo. RAZR-philes will be happy to know that there’s a plan to cut their own chains loose, after all. Starting with the Photon Q 4G LTE’s August launch, owners will have the option to unlock the bootloader of at least some devices in an official way that reportedly keeps carriers satisfied. Details of how the process works will come later; we don’t know if Motorola will take a cue from HTC’s identifier tokens or try something more exotic, even if it’s likely in either case to offer a big, fat disclaimer regarding the warranty. The option won’t be the same as buying a phone that’s unlocked from the start, but we don’t think too many custom ROM lovers will mind after knowing that one more Android manufacturer is on their side.

[Thanks, RTbar]

Filed under:

Motorola to allow bootloader unlocking from Photon Q 4G LTE onwards originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 19:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMotorola  | Email this | Comments

Motorola Photon Q officially announced by Sprint

It looks like we can now finally confirm the existence of the Motorola Photon Q. After being touted by Sprint CEO Dan Hesse at the company’s Q2 earnings call this morning , Sprint is finally making it official. Sprint said that the Motorola Photon Q, a spin-off of the Motorola Photon 4G, will boast a five-row, PC-like QWERTY keyboard and a 4.3-inch ColorBoost display, as well as the ability to operate on Sprint’s 4G LTE network. Additional key features will include a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera, an HD front-facing camera, and NFC support. The Motorola Photon Q will arrive running Android 4.0 a.k.a. Ice Cream Sandwich.

“Motorola Photon Q will be the first 4G LTE device with a QWERTY keyboard and world phone capabilities to join the Sprint line-up,” said David Owens, Vice President of Product Development at Sprint. “We want to make sure our 4G LTE handset portfolio has the full complement of choices for our customers. Adding a product with both a physical keyboard and world mode makes this a great addition to the Sprint family of devices.” The pricing and availability of the Motorola Photon Q will be announced within the next few weeks.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Motorola Photon Q arriving this fall?, Sprint rumored to launch Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE, successor to last year’s Photon 4G,

Motorola Photon Q confirmed for 2012 LTE launch

Motorola‘s Photon Q Android smartphone will go on sale later in 2012, it’s been prematurely confirmed, an LTE smartphone for the US market. The QWERTY slider format is an underplayed one in the smartphone segment, with touchscreen-centric candybars most common, and so fans of the form-factor generally get more excited than most to see a new option on the horizon.

News of the Photon Q’s incoming arrival was broken not by Motorola itself but by Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. Specifications for the phone have not been confirmed, though based on previous leaks and rumors it’s believed to have a roughly 4.3-inch button and, in an unusual move for Motorola, feature on-screen navigation buttons rather than physical buttons.

OS is expected to be Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, though we can all hold out hope that Motorola manages to squeeze Jelly Bean in there instead between now and launch. After all, it has all that help from its new Google overlords now.

Processor, camera resolution, and whether Motorola will muddy the waters with its own customized MOTOBLUR interface are still up in the air, but the Photon Q looks like it will be a sizable device given the five-row keyboard it manages to accommodate. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled.


Motorola Photon Q confirmed for 2012 LTE launch is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Sprint’s Motorola Photon Q LTE is coming ‘very soon’ (update)

Sprint's Motorola Photon Q LTE is coming 'very soon' update

During Sprint’s earnings call, CEO Dan Hesse revealed that Motorola’s Photon Q, the company’s latest LTE “world phone” is coming “very soon.” The Photon Q is believed to be the Android 4.0-running QWERTY-slider you can see in the image above, but now that the company’s head has let the cat out of the bag, we expect more details to roll around very shortly.

Update: Sprint’s PR engine has kicked into gear, offering the deep dish on the new handset. It’s a super-specced edition of last year’s Photon 4G and will indeed offer a QWERTY-sliding experience on Ice Cream Sandwich. Beneath the 4.3-inch ColorBoost display you’ll find a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, an 8-megapixel camera and NFC as well as Motorola’s Smartactions application to help users extend battery life and anticipate your daily routines. Pricing and availability will be announced within the “next few weeks,” but given how excited Dan Hesse sounded, we can’t imagine we’ll be waiting too long.

Continue reading Sprint’s Motorola Photon Q LTE is coming ‘very soon’ (update)

Filed under:

Sprint’s Motorola Photon Q LTE is coming ‘very soon’ (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 08:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSprint Community  | Email this | Comments