Just as was rumored, Motorola and Sprint's new Photon Q 4G LTE is confirmed to arrive this Sunday, Aug. 19. The phone will cost $199.99 with the usual two-year service agreement, and boasts some of the highest-end specs you'll find on a QWERTY slider. In anticipation of the launch, Sprint will start taking pre-orders today, and pre-order customers will begin receiving their handsets as early as this Friday, Aug. 17.
In addition to a full physical keyboard, a dual-core CPU and support for Sprint's shiny new LTE network, the Photon Q offers Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich with on-screen buttons, an 8MP rear camera and a qHD "ColorBoost" display. In addition, there's NFC and Android Beam support and HDMI mirroring capabilities.
If you're a fan of press releases, we've got Sprint's after the break, along with the full spec list. Hit the link below for the official Motorola Photon Q pre-order page.
More: Motorola Photon Q
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 network2.
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
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

What's your favorite cloud storage app in 2021?
Cloud storage apps are everywhere in 2021. Which one are you using and why?

Twitter will soon allow you to charge people to see your tweets
Twitter announced two new features at its Virtual Analyst Day, Super Follows and Communities, in its latest effort to increase its revenue.

5G coverage map: Every US city with AT&T, Verizon & T-Mobile 5G
5G deployment is moving fast and the list of cities with coverage is growing all the time. See if your U.S. city has coverage yet by Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T.

These are the very best Motorola phones you can buy
Motorola won a legion of new fans when it rebooted its phone line up a few years ago. Things haven't slowed down since then, and this little list right here is a round up of the best that Moto currently has to offer.