Sprint (S) has been planning to launch the Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE for a while now, but on Monday the carrier finally announced an official release date of August 19th and a sale price of $199.99 with a two-year service agreement. Sprint says that customers can now preorder the device, which will have a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, a 4.3-inch display screen, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video capture, and both LTE and NFC connectivity. Sprint’s full press release follows below.
Calling All QWERTY Fans! Motorola PHOTON Q 4G LTE from Sprint Available Aug. 19 for $199.99; Pre-Order Begins Today
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. & LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. (BUSINESS WIRE), August 13, 2012 – 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 network, 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.
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 network.
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, AnytimeSM 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.
On July 15, Sprint launched 4G LTE in 15 cities, including Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Atlanta, Kansas City and Waco, Texas. Sprint recently announced that it expects four more cities to soon experience the speed and power of its all-new 4G LTE network. As the first national wireless carrier to introduce 4G service in 2008, Sprint expects to bring 4G LTE to the following cities before Labor Day:
- Baltimore, Md.
- Gainesville, Ga.
- Manhattan/Junction City, Kan.
- Sherman-Denison, Texas
For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE portfolio and rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.