Motorola Q Review: Memory and Battery

Memory

The Moto Q ships with 64mb of memory. With a few applications installed and photos taken, I still had roughly 33MB of user memory - memory I could use to save pictures, add applications and so on. My thought is 64MB will be more than suitable for the average Q user. In the event you need additional memory the Q allows you to add extra storage using miniSD (secure digital). If you plan on using the Q as an MP3 player, then it's recommended you add a 1 or 2GB storage card. The miniSD slot is protected by a rubber cover that keeps the miniSD secure. This is a big plus, as I've lost SD cards on my Treo. The Treo positions the SD card on the top of the phone, making it easy to pop out (and lose). Perhaps this would be useful if you swapped multiple cards. However, if you're like me, you'll insert a high capacity miniSD storage card and forget about it. The protective cover of the Q is a much better option.

Battery Life and Talk Time on Q

Much has been written here in the Everything Q forums about the Q battery. Motorola lists talk time at 4 hours and standby time at 212 hours. Claims of 212 hours of standby time seem unrealistic. For the typical user, you'll need to charge the battery nightly and a car charger might be necessary. Other options include the Motorola Q Extended Battery. Soon after the launch of the Q, Verizon Wireless online was offering this battery at $19.95 - a discount of over $40. At the time of this review, the price has since gone back to $59.99. Some have reported battery issues in our forums, but I found battery life to be acceptible for a smartphone. If you are a heavy user, then expect to add the extended battery when purchasing the phone.

Motorola Q review continued: Email and Messaging.