Motorola Q’s Lousy Keyboard
One of the benefits with my job (apart from having a great boss and free espresso) is that I have access to a seemingly endless supply of smartphones and other wireless gadgets. My recent favourite is the Nokia E61 but a few weeks ago I tried out the Motorola Q.
I was excited and had almost decided ahead of time that I would really like this device. Little did I know that I was in for a great disappointment!
I will go in to details in a later posting but instead focus on my major complain - the keyboard. I do an insane amount of typing (email) on smartphones with thumb-keyboards. For me the keyboard is one of the most important aspects of the hardware of any smartphone. Naturally, not including the operating system, UI and other applications.
I tried many different types of keyboard so I am used to good keyboards, so-so keyboards and right out lousy keyboards. Unfortunately the Motorola Q's keyboard fall into that latter category - The Motorola Q has a lousy keyboard.
I found the keys to be hard ansd "slippery". My fingers slid off the keys or mistakenly typed another key. It was just very hard to correctly type using the hard slippery keys. After using the device for some time I also noticed that my fingertips started hurting by constantly pressing the sharp keys. I was truly disappointed. This device to me had a lot of potential but Motorola missed on the most critical feature - a gread keyboard. I really feel sorry for Motorola. I think it was a case where design was prioritized over usability. Funky design is nice but you have to remember usability. Motorola… you let me down.
I read a review of the Motorola Q on Phonescoop which sums up the issue with the keyboard.
"No matter how much we used the Q, we never were able to type accurately with the keyboard for more than a few words at a time. The keys are smooth, have rounded tops, and are made of a very hard plastic. Unfortunately this is a recipe for fingers slipping and pressing a jumble of keys when you only intended to press one."
Since many potential buyers are attracted to the device because of the QWERTY keyobaord I think there will be many disappointed Motorola Q users. I feel for them.
However, on the other hand the Nokia E61 has broader keys so the fingers don't slip or mistype. So far of all the QWERTY smartphones I have used the Nokia E61 has the best keyboard. Picture of the Nokia E61 keyboard below:
June 22nd, 2006 at 7:10 pm
I agree on the weird keyboard design. As well as round keys, where is the backspace? Oh, it is not on the keyboard but next to the End call button! WTF? Still, I think I may be getting one from work to use for about 3 weeks, not going to complain…
June 23rd, 2006 at 2:13 pm
I bought this Motorola Q and then returned it because the keyboard was so unreliable. In addition to the bad typing experience I kept sending emails before I had intended to. Type on a full sized blackberry keyboard after typing on the Q and you’ll want to stab yourself in the leg.
June 26th, 2006 at 4:33 pm
I returned my Q. Where I work, everyone is clamorning for the E61. it’s the “it” phone now. The Q battery life left my peers dead in the water after a half day of heavy email and call use. If you have less than a 45 minute commute to work you won’t have enough charge time to keep your phone alive. And who wants to leave the phone tethered to your desk power cord. That’s called a laptop. Get the E61!