Yesterday, when we reported on the Motorola Q11 images, we mentioned that we had some surprising Q9 news. It turns out that our initial dubious reaction to the Dapper Q9h Silver with Pinstripes wasn't really fair -- we got some hints about it during our hands-on at CTIA and arranged to find out what the real deal was with Motorola.

Well, now we know, and what we know is that the Silver Q9h is significantly better than the standard Q9h it's replacing. After the break, find out what's new on the Silver Q9h. Hint: it's there in the title and it's a capital B Big capital D Deal for Windows Mobile.

Also, we explain why on earth Motorola created the EDGE-only Q9e and try our best to lay out all the different versions of the Q9 without the aid of an Excel spreadsheet. Read on!

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It's not enough the that Verizon Motorla Q9c has replaced the Q9m, now it has to parade the fact that it's just gotten the upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1. Go download it.

Now that the Q9c on Verizon has joined the Q9c on Sprint in Windows Mobile 6.1 land, are there any other major stragglers left out there that need updating?

[via Jason Landridge]

We were more than a little dubious about whether or not the Sprint Q9c was really “End of Life'd” when we reported it on the 19th. After all, Sprint and Motorola had very recently released the Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade for the device and the only other device in the same class on Sprint's network is the Samsung Ace. The Ace is a perfectly good device (global roaming is always good), but it lacks the power, fit, and finish of the Q9c.

I heard from a Sprint rep at a store that the device was pulled because “there were too many problems with it,” but I chalked that up to just a rep needing to give somebody an explanation. Looks like I'm not the only one, though, as MoDaCo is getting similar reports from their users:

Thank you for your patience, Sprint is trying to get the Moto Q because of all of the problems with the phone.

Ouch. Yet another black eye for Motorola? We still don't know what's really going on here -- we haven't heard anything especially bad about the Q9c. Maybe Sprint just wants to find a way to put yet more Sprint-banded “buy our stuff” applications on the device and so they've pulled it in the interim. Or maybe, just maybe, they're trying to help out their Instinct sales by pulling the competition off the shelves (Update: looks like cadman had the same idea before I did -- see the comments here). Or maybe it's aliens. Yeah, definitely aliens.

This week Mal and Dieter look over some of the strange rumors that have popped up in the past days, preview some unexpected Windows Mobile smartphones that are coming out, and overview the different options for getting push email. Listen in!

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Alright, Motorola, this just might be the last of many last straws. Or it's the straw that's going to break the camel's back. It's getting so easy to beat up on your lately, it's like you're a straw man. Straw.

The bad news we refer to? EverythingQ is getting reports that not only are you not stocking the Q9c on Sprint's website, but Sprint's reps are saying that it won't be restocked, that it's done. There's nothing coming down the pike that we know of either. Well, there's that “Mystery Q” you let drop in a Promo video, but our shot of it shows that it's clearly a GSM device.

So if the Q9c is really EOL'd for Sprint, is that it? The Q9 series is pretty much the only bright spot you guys have lately and now you're screwing that up, what with the alphabet soup of confusing additions to the Q9 brand and then this? Motorola Q9c, “the c is for C-YA!”

We're hoping not, because finding good news for Motorola lately is like looking for a needle in a haystack (of straw). Here's a hint: that needle would be a re-vamped Q9 with WiFi included, just like that strange Q9h that BGR got ahold of.

EverythingQ points us to this HoFo post claiming that the delayed Verizon Q9c will finally hit on May 15th. This delay isn't the end of the world because, well, Verizon already has the virtually identical Q9 “the m is for music” m. Apparently, though, the slick red casing and the official endorsement by Fergie Ferg haven't been enough to push the Q9m off of store shelves fast enough, as Engadget Mobile is reporting that after the Q9c makes its debut in Verizon's business store, it will wait to hit the consumer stores until after the Q9m stock is depleted.

...Which seems to indicate that the Q9m is not long for this world? Will the Verizon-version of the Q9c still sport the Q9m's fancy-schmancy Today-Screen interface?

Ask and ye shall receive, Sunshine. ...That's a real user name, we're not just being flip. Ok, we're being a little flip. Listen in for a 15 minute discussion comparing the Morotola Q9h (Full Review and First Look) and the Q9c (First look at the Q9m here, it's basically the same thing).

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Shoot us an email at podcast@wmexperts.com with a question for next week's full podcast (which, truth be told, might arrive just a hair late, we're traveling again next week). Better yet, leave us a voicemail: 866-904-5882 x222

Verizon has tossed up 2 more Windows Mobile devices on the eve of the full CTIA: the Motorola Q9c and the XV6900. They'll cost you $249.99 and $349.99 respectively (after contract of course). The differences between the Q9c and the Q9 “the m is for music” don't amount to much - the C lacks the M's jazzy media interface but also blessedly drops integrated Fergie.

The XV6900 is Sprint Touch we all know and love, but in a cuter shade of white. We'd rant about how Verizon needs to offer a more conservative shade for the device to help it appeal to business users, but we already got burned by that particular rant.

via Engadget Mobile*

Sneaking into the show floor before the show starts is a time honored tradition. Popular enough that, thus far anyway, the folks here know enough not to put their secret stuff out yet.

Still, we managed to sneak this pic of the Moto Q9c in green. It actually looks very nice and glossy in person.

Otherwise it's just a ton of set up, a couple of places chatting up their booth employees, and enough forklifts to move a small down in less than an hour.

Update: Yeah, so it's also available in Black, er, Licorice as well. Serves us right trying to post a story during a 20 minute layover. Sorry there. Please disregard the catty comments about color availability below.

Engadget Mobile is reporting the only good Motorola news we've heard in weeks - that the Q9c is going to hit Alltel and US Cellular for just $99.99 after contract. That's the good news. The bad news is this decidedly business-friendly device (We said of Sprint Q9c that “the C is for Corporate”) comes in a decidedly un-business-friendly color: Lime Green.

Now, we always come down on the side of offering devices in several different colors, but there must always be a conservative option on every carrier. The business set needs to have something relatively plain, folks. Not to mention that there may be some folks who look at this green tint and think “The C is for Yeecch!.”