There's an update available for the Motorola Q9h on AT&T. But before you get all hot and bothered, here's what we know:

• No, it's not Windows Mobile 6.5.
• No, it doesn't appear to enable some secret WiFi capability.
• No, Windows Marketplace for Mobile is nowhere to be found.

Maybe it finally opens the Q9h to those over-the-air updates we learned about nearly a year ago. (We're not holding our breath, though.)

About the only thing we can tell is that the radio (as in the thing that connects it to cell towers) appears to have been updated. If you go to Settings>About, our radio version has gone from MODEM4_U_40.11.40R_04 to MODEM4_U_40.11.40R_07.

Also, under Settings>Phone information>APFlex, we've gone from NONORMANATTCORE00040 to NONORMANATTCORE00043. And in the same location, AP has gone from 01.09.28R to 01.09.28DR.

So, if you're not having any problems making calls and getting data, you might what to leave well enough alone. This is a ROM update, after all, and that means you'll be wiping your phone clean. (Is it weird that we did so without thinking twice, at 10 p.m. on a Friday night? Nahhhhh.)

If you're the type who lives on the bleeding edge, hit up the Motorola update tool (get it here if you don't currently have it), and flash away. And if anyone knows anything else that's changed, hit us up in the comments.

Via Everything WM. And thanks, Mike, for the e-mail tip!

Behold, Motorola's White Whale, otherwise known as a Q9h with WiFi. We know these things exist, albeit in very rare numbers, and a treat when we see one in the wild. This one comes to us from EverythingQ member racingxtsy, who says the phone was bought on Craigslist.

What we've got here is what for all intents and purposes on the outside appears to be a "stock" unlocked Q9h with AT&T branding running on Canada's Rogers network. GPS apparently wasn't sacrificed for the WiFi capability. One difference between it and the WiFi-less Q9h us mere mortals use (and one we hadn't seen before) is a cosmetic difference on the back, above the battery door. Pictures of that after the break, and more pics from racingxtsy here.

It appears that this is the real deal. How much would you pony up for WiFi on your Q?

Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone's favorite smartphone fiend and CrackBerry.com contributor Bla1ze has found a juicy little nugget that points to BlackBerry getting over-the-air OS upgrades from AT&T. And that makes us wonder:

Where the heck are ours?!?!?

Flash back to last September, when Dieter got his hands on the silver Motorola Q9h. We first thought it was merely a new paint scheme, but it turns out the silver Q would be the first to support Firmware Over the Air updates, with the actual push coming from AT&T. But, as we all know, support is far from actual implementation, and we've never actually seen a FOTA update released. (And we can't write this post without mentioning that the Windows Update feature on WinMo phones still does nothing but take up space and fool the noobs.)

What's good for an operating system ultimately is good for a carrier. You wanna see Windows Mobile get a real leg up on everyone else when Windows Mobile 7 is eventually released? Make this happen. And then use it. (Please!)

AT&T this morning announced the new MOTO Q Global, which looks an awful lot like a silver Q9h.

Here's what you get in this new device:

• A Motorola Q Global.
• A silver Motorola Q Global.
• A silver Motorola Q Global with Windows Mobile 6.1 installed.

Eh hem.

OK, OK. The on-board GPS now has access to AT&T Navigator, and that's a good thing.

There's no denying that the silver is pretty slick. And the Q9h is an old (and new) favorite around here. But is a new paint job on an aging workhorse really the sort of thing the foundering Moto should be turning to?

Still no oft-rumored WiFi? Not even more memory, or an upgraded processor? Never mind that if you're going to tout Windows Mobile 6.1 so hard - remember that it's available as a free download on the Q9h - you should probably show off the sliding panels in the glamour shot, which even a leaked picture managed to do.

Eh hem.

To add insult to injury, we have the following from the announcement, emphasis ours:

With a new pinstripe design accented with tasteful chrome elements and sleek metallic edging, the new Q brings a bit of class and a little something different to its users.

Eh HEM.

Don't know about you, but as much as we love the Q9h, we were feeling classy enough before this silvery little devil came into existence.

Sure enough, as soon as we get around to buying a Motorola Q9h of our very own, the Boy Genius goes and springs this on us. Go figure.

Apparently there's now a silver-and-chrome version of the venerable slab floating around out there, with Windows Mobile 6.1 out of the box. (The rest of us mere peasants can get the lowdown on the manual upgrade here.) No word on any other goodies under the hood.

BGR doesn't (yet) have the deets on pricing or a release date, but we're willing to bet an AT&T employee is gonna squeal anytime now. Stay tuned.

Mike, who'd previously let us know about that leaked out 6.1 update has been watching Motorola's site like a ravenous hawk hovering over a field mouse. That mouse has finally popped out of its hole: head on over to Motorola's site for the official Motorola Q9h 6.1 Update.

You're going to need the standard complement of update tools before you get going: Windows XP or Vista, internet connectivity (the software just might be calling home to check to see if your Q9h is legit), and a full backup before you update. Like all ROM updates, this one will wipe your device, so get prepared.

Welcome to the sliding panel glory of Windows Mobile 6.1 on the Q9h everybody. I've been in here for awhile, and let me tell you: jump on in, the water's fine.

Download the installer directly here. Thanks, Mike!

The Motorola Q9h (see our Video First Look Here) is clearly an improvement over its precedessor, the Motorola Q. It's more than just an “improvement,” though, it's an incredible improvement. Motorola has replaced what I considered to be probably the worst Windows Mobile Smartphone on the market with a model that seriously contends on the other end of that spectrum. Even though Motorola has essentially turned lead to gold, they've managed to hang on to what was actually good about the original Q.

The Q9h isn't all wine and roses, though. There are a few issues that, though not deal-breakers for me, might be deal-breakers for you. Read on for the full review.

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Engadget got their hand on an unbranded Moto Q9h. Basically they're unimpressed with the hardware (Big and clunky, basically), but they're not declaring it DOA yet, as the quote below mentions, it's not in the US yet. Follow the link for their full gallery.

Basically, we're not super stoked for the Q9, but hey, it ain't over until it's out, and this thing hasn't shown any signs of US release in the near future, so maybe they'll have time to work out some kinks.

Read: Hands-on with a Motorola Q9 in the wild - Engadget

Engadget has a pretty pretty picture of the upcoming Motorola Q9 decked out in AT&T livery. They're not sure if it's a fake or not and neither am I, but like Engadget I don't think it matters much - this device is coming and I hope it's coming soon.

Is this depiction of the redundantly-named Moto Q q9 in AT&T livery utterly Photoshoppable? Yes; but is the idea of the q9 coming to AT&T completely believable, too? Yeah, we'd say so.

Read: Motorola Q q9 coming to AT&T? - Engadget