Motorola Motorola Q Global

On the other hand, I was impressed by the multimedia playback. A video of Enya's "May It Be," which included a fair amount of Lord of the Rings film footage, looked terrific and sounded great when run in full-screen mode on the mobile version of Windows Media Player. The video was stored on a microSD Card that slipped easily into a slot on the Q's left side, a much more convenient location than the slots that sit under the battery (and therefore require opening the case) on some smart phones.

Mostly black with silver accents, the Q Global appears sleeker and more BlackBerry-like than ever. Weighing in at a mere 4.6 ounces and measuring 4.6 inches high, 2.6 inches wide, and just under half an inch thick, it sports a landscape-format 320-by-240-pixel screen that also brings the Samsung BlackJack to mind.

I found thumb-typing on its keyboard--which has undergone a complete overhaul from that of the original Q--quite comfortable and certainly easier than on older versions. The familiar navigation pad and keys (seven in all) between the screen and the keyboard are augmented by BlackBerry-like controls on the side of the device for up and down scrolling, selecting, and going back through menus.

I found the Q 9h fine as a phone. In my informal tests voice calls sounded good, and Web browsing and e-mail access were a pleasure on the speedy 3G network.

Overall, the Motorola Q Global might appeal to travelers seeking a Windows Mobile smart phone with a good keyboard, 3G data (in the United States, at least), and solid multimedia support. Perhaps its major shortcoming is also its selling point: Worldwide data support is horribly pricey, but as GSM options are limited in the United States, AT&T Wireless has something of a captive audience for this service.

--Yardena Arar