Motorola PHOTON Q 4G LTE from Sprint Available Aug. 19 for $199.99

There was a time I had to have a phone with a hardware keyboard, but times have changed and with larger screens things have gotten better with the tech. Still though there are times I do miss a full qwerty keyboard on my phone. Sprint is not taking pre-order for the Motorola Photon Q which is an Android phone slider with a full qwerty keyboard built right in. The phone is running  Android 4.0 with a 1.5ghz dual core CPU and it features a nice 8mp rear camera. Read more..

Offering a device packed with features to provide the ideal work-life balance, Sprint (NYSE: S), the only national wireless carrier offering truly unlimited data for all phones while on the Sprint network¹, today announced the Sunday, Aug. 19, availability of the first 4G LTE-enabled smartphone from Sprint with a full QWERTY keyboard and international roaming capabilities, Motorola PHOTON™ Q™ 4G LTE. Motorola PHOTON Q will cost $199.99 (excludes taxes) with a new line of service or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement.

“At Sprint, we recognize there is a large group of our customers that love the ease of a physical QWERTY keyboard”

Motorola PHOTON Q will be available for pre-order beginning today at www.sprint.com/photonq. Customers who pre-order Motorola PHOTON Q will begin receiving their smartphone as early as two days before the device goes on sale – while supplies last.

“At Sprint, we recognize there is a large group of our customers that love the ease of a physical QWERTY keyboard,” said David Owens, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “By bringing a device like Motorola PHOTON Q into our portfolio, we are able to give these customers the option of a physical keyboard plus international roaming capabilities to stay connected while traveling abroad.”

Motorola PHOTON Q features a slide out PC-like QWERTY keyboard for double-thumb efficiency. Each laser-cut key is outlined in LED lights so users can see what they’re doing, even in the dark. It also has a dedicated number row for maximum typing efficiency and accuracy.

Combined with a large 4.3-inch ColorBoost™ display, Motorola PHOTON Q offers the largest screen currently available on a 4G LTE smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard. Its 8-megapiexal rear-facing camera with 1080p capture and playback along with an HD front-facing camera produce a high-quality multimedia experience that provides the perfect blend of business and pleasure with blazing speed on the Sprint 4G LTE network².

Additional key features on Motorola PHOTON Q include:

1.5GHz dual-core processor

Android™ 4.0.4, Ice Cream Sandwich

ULE Platinum Certification, the highest level of environmental performance recognized by sustainable requirements established by UL Environment and Sprint

SMARTACTIONS™, the free Motorola app that helps extend battery life and intelligently automates routine, everyday tasks so that smartphones can do more for consumers

Mirror mode when connected with HDMI cable (sold separately) to view images, files and movies on a larger screen, like your TV at home

Sprint ID, offering an innovative way to personalize an Android-powered smartphone with apps, widgets, ringtones and more all, in a single download

NFC support to share links, apps, YouTube™ clips and more with Android Beam™

Sprint Professional Grade designation making it business ready with full corporate security, including remote wipe, pin lock and data encryption

Motorola PHOTON Q customers can enjoy an unlimited data experience with Sprint Everything Data plans. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, Anytime^SM includes unlimited web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $79.99 per month for smartphones – a savings of $20 per month versus Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and 2GB web (excludes taxes and surcharges).

Customers across the country are beginning to benefit from Network Vision – an all-new network from Sprint, which offers enhanced 3G service – with a stronger wireless signal, faster data speeds, expanded coverage and better in-building performance – and 4G LTE, with faster data speeds for data applications.