|
Competition in the smart-phone market is expected to increase with the introduction of the Moto Q, the thinnest full-keyboard-enabled phone. Motorola and Verizon have partnered to bring the Moto Q to market in a move experts see as a direct challenge to Research In Motion's BlackBerry, the current leading product. The Moto Q is also designed to compete with the Palm Treo. Motorola's Moto Q device has been eagerly anticipated due to the way it blends form and function. Industry analysts believe this device could result in the smart-phone market doubling in size in 2006. The phone will be available online beginning May 31, 2006, and will be in stores on June 5. The Moto Q represents Motorola's first product in the smart-phone space. Smart phones have small keyboards with operating systems similar to those of computers. The Moto Q's design emphasizes its thinness, and at 11.5 millimeters, it is thinner than the Motorola RAZR. The Moto Q has a fast broadband network service called EV-DO, Windows Mobile 5.0, Microsoft Office, a media player, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and advanced e-mail and messaging. The design and interface is similar to that on BlackBerry devices, which are the best-selling smart phones. These have generally been purchased by corporations for their employees. Motorola predicts that the Moto Q will take some users away from BlackBerry, and may even attract traditional cell phone users.
|