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(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

Attention all Motorola Q9h owners: Motorola has released an official Windows Mobile 6.1 update that you can download for free from the company's Web site.

The upgrade obviously brings the latest version of the mobile operating system to the AT&T smartphone, as well as promise of improved performance and speed. As with all updates, be sure to back up all your data since the process will wipe your device.

(Source: WMExperts via Boy Genius Report)

AT&T Navigator

(Credit: AT&T)

Today, AT&T announced that it's expanding its AT&T Navigator location-based service overseas, making it the first U.S. carrier to offer international navigation capabilities. Dubbed AT&T Navigator Global Edition, the service is available now and works in 20 countries, including North America, the U.S. Caribbean, and most countries in Western Europe. It will also work in six cities in China--Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Shenyang, Tianjin, and Qinhuangdao--all of which will host Beijing Summer Olympics events. (AT&T is an official sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team.)

Like the domestic version, AT&T Navigator Global Edition provides color maps, local search, and text- and voice-guided turn-by-turn driving directions. In addition, the audible prompts are available in English, Spanish, German, or Italian. AT&T Navigator Global Edition costs $19.98 per month, which includes domestic service, and works on a number of devices, including the AT&T Tilt, RIM BlackBerry 8800, RIM BlackBerry Curve 8310, RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8110, Samsung BlackJack II, and the Motorola Q9h. You can check out AT&T's Web site for more information.

One final note: Does anyone think this is another sign that GPS-equipped cell phones and smartphones will take over dedicated portable navigation devices?

Motorola Q9c for Verizon

(Credit: Motorola)

Verizon Wireless opened the floodgates today, introducing a number of additions to its cell phone and smartphone lineup, including the Motorola Q9c shown here.

Unlike the multimedia-centric Motorola Q9m, the Q9c goes after the road warriors with its integrated GPS and VZ Navigator support. In addition, it offers Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition with the Documents to Go suite, Bluetooth 2.0, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and 128MB Flash memory.

Being a more business-centric device, Verizon will not offer the more flashy lime-green version, which was announced for U.S. Cellular and Alltel. The Motorola Q9c for Verizon will be available in April for $249.99 with a two-year contract and after rebates.

Motorola Q9c--lime green

(Credit: Motorola)

CTIA 2008 is still one day away from its official start, but the news is already starting to trickle in. Motorola got a jump-start as it, as well as Alltel and U.S. Cellular, announced the addition of the Motorola Q9c to the carriers' line-ups, including a new lime-green version. Both providers will also offer a more traditional black version if you don't feel like getting too wild and crazy with your phone colors. (And how in the world did Moto settle on lime green?)

Looks aside, the Q9c for Alltel and U.S. Cellular is much like the Moto Q9c for Sprint, which we reviewed late last year. The Windows Mobile 6 smartphone features EV-DO, Bluetooth with A2DP support, a 1.3-megapixel camera, DataViz's Documents to Go suite, and 128MB Flash memory.

Alltel plans to have the Motorola Q9c in stores and online this summer for a lovely $99.99 (after a $100 mail-in rebate). U.S. Cellular's official pricing and release date were not available at press time, but we'll update you as soon as we get the information.

Motorola Q9c

(Credit: Sprint)

Hold the gravy! Check it out--it looks like you can add the Sprint store to your list of places to shop on Black Friday, as the carrier announced today that the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130, Motorola Q9c, and Motorola i335 will all be available starting November 23, though you'll only be able to purchase the Moto Q9c online for the time-being.

The RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 will run $199.99 with a two-year contract and has built-in GPS and EV-DO with support for the Sprint Power Vision services, including Sprint Music Store, Sprint TV, and Sprint Navigation--a pretty robust offering for a BlackBerry. Remember, this is also the first device from RIM to offer video-recording capabilities with its 2-megapixel camera. Additional goodies include Bluetooth 2.0 (yes on A2DP and dial-up networking), a microSD expansion slot, and support for up to 10 e-mail accounts with push technology.

Meanwhile, the Motorola Q9c offers a refresh to Sprint's aging Motorola Q by bringing Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition, a revamped design with a better keyboard, and GPS. Like the Motorola Q9h for AT&T, this model features Documents to Go for creating, viewing, and editing Office documents and features popular instant-messaging clients as well as various push e-mail solutions, including Microsoft Direct Push and Good Mobile Messaging. The Moto Q9c is $149.99 with a two-year service agreement and after rebates.

Motorola i335 for Nextel

(Credit: Sprint)

Finally, for Nextel customers, we have the Motorola i335. Though it's not a smartphone, the i335 works with the Nextel Direct Connect service to give you instant access to other Nextel users. The slim but rugged candy-bar-style handset meets military standards for standing up to dust, shock, and exposure to vibration. It also offers Bluetooth 1.2, integrated GPS, a speakerphone, VibraCall alert, and text and multimedia messaging. The i335 will cost $50 with a two-year contract and after rebates.

Motorola Q9h Global

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

OK, it only took a year and a half, but I suppose it's better late than never. Tonight, AT&T and Motorola finally took the wraps off the Motorola Q9h Global, a long overdue GSM version of the Motorola Q. The quad-band Windows Mobile 6 smartphone isn't the same sleek device we saw in May 2006.

Like the Motorola Q9m for Verizon Wireless, it's bulked up a bit, but this allowed for a more spacious keyboard and added features. Like what? Well, how about built-in GPS, HSDPA, Bluetooth, and a 2-megapixel camera? Messaging is a top feature with support for Microsoft Direct Push technology, Good Mobile Messaging, POP3 and IMAP accounts, and instant messaging. Motorola also made the conscious decision to include Dataviz's Documents to Go suite and the Opera Web browser to give mobile professionals the best user experience. The Motorola Q9h will be available starting November 2 for a fairly reasonable $199.99 with a two-year contract. Is it worth it? Well, we've got a full review just waiting for you, so check it out and decide for yourself.

Click on the image to start the Motorola Q9m slide show

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

Well, I'll be darned. Wouldn't you know it? Verizon Wireless finally landed itself a new smart phone and a pretty exciting one to boot. Today, Verizon and Motorola announced the long-awaited successor to the Motorola Q and thy name is the Motorola Q9m.

The Q9m has added some notable improvements, including an excellent full QWERTY keyboard, a sexy red trim, and Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition. Motorola also decided to give the Q9m a heavy multimedia focus, given the Q's popularity with the younger crowd and consumers in general. (Did you know that 90 percent of the people who bought the original Q were first-time smart-phone buyers?).

The smart phone supports Verizon's V Cast Music Store for over-the-air song downloads and even has a dedicated multimedia home screen. Digging the sound of the Q9m? Well, wait just a minute. You might want to read our full review to see why we have some issues with the smart phone. And don't forget to check out our photo gallery.

The Motorola Q9m is available for purchase online starting today and will be in stores on Wednesday, August 29 for $249.99 with a two-year contract and after rebates and discounts.

Motorola Q 9

(Credit: Motorola)

Today, Motorola showed off a portfolio of new and some not-so-new cell phones and smart phones at a press event in New York. Along with the unveiling of the Razr 2, the company announced that the Motorola Q 9 (nee Motorola Q q9) would be available starting this week...in Italy. What the?! Motorola said it expected the Q 9 to ship in other parts of the world this summer, and let's hope this includes the United States. The Moto Q 9 will run Windows Mobile 6 and support HSDPA/UMTS networks for data speeds of up to 3.6Mbps. In fact, Motorola reps went so far as to say that the Q 9 was the fastest smart phone in the world to date and made it a point to call out the Apple iPhone. Ooo, them be fighting words.

Motorola Q 8

(Credit: Motorola)

Other highlights of the smart phone include:

• Support for up to eight corporate and/or personal e-mail accounts, including AOL, Yahoo, Gmail, and Hotmail
• Integrated Bluetooth with support for the A2DP profile for stereo Bluetooth headsets
• A 2-megapixel camera with 8X zoom and video-recording capabilities at 15 frames per second
• Texas Instrument OMAP 2420 processor and 96MB of RAM; 256MB flash memory and a microSD expansion slot (accepts up to 2GB cards)
• Revamped design (a bulkier one at that, we have to say) with new QWERTY keyboard and seven dedicated one-touch keys to access the Web, e-mail, camera, and so forth.

Motorola also made mention of the GSM Motorola Q, which has been renamed the Motorola Q 8, but did not say whether it would launch this product in the United States. As you may recall, the company said back at CTIA 2007 that it had no plans to bring the Q 8 stateside because there was no interest. For more on today's announcements, check out fellow Craver Kent German's post.

Motorola Q, Amp'd style

(Credit: Amp'd Mobile)

Make no mistake, this ain't your dad's Motorola Q. Today, Amp'd Mobile introduced its own, semirevamped version of the sleek Moto Q for all its young, future corporate-climbing subscribers. The Moto Q, Amp'd Edition keeps many of the features found on the Sprint and Verizon models, but it also has an enhanced Flash interface to give it a more hip, less business-y feel, and you get access to Amp'd's entertainment content. The smart phone also sports the newer black casing, supports Bluetooth stereo headsets, and comes with a 256MB mini SD card in the box. The Moto Q, Amp'd Edition is available now for $199.