Honestly, in the beginning it was okay, but as I started using it more I found more and more issues, overheating and lagging being the major. Another major issue, if the screen cracks in anyway, no matter how small, it will not work. If you have a pattern password, you can't unlock it and have to get a new phone.
I bought this phone when I switched from Verizon's Droid 3.Big mistake. I've had two of these phones and the screen glitched up and broke each time after several months of usage. I was forced to keep keyboard slid out at all times, so that the screen wouldn't glitch up.
I had mine fail after having it for over 16 months two days ago. The battery failed, swelled up and apparently took out the microSD card slot. Non-removable batteries are a MAJOR ENGINEERING fault. That's the most likely component to fail. If the battery fails and swells on a phone with a removable battery the battery cover is most likely to pop off.
Fortunately the Sprint store was able to remove my micro SD card which is still usable in my old Samsung Transform with a full backup of my apps, photos and SMS messages. The moment you notice charging issues it should be backed up and taken to a Sprint store for service. This the first and will be the last phone I own with a non-removable battery. Keep in mind that this phone is also International (Worldmode) which I require as I travel internationally. The closest comparison is available only through another carrier. If you want international coverage outside of North America, you have to have a GSM radio. I have not reviewed or owned the alternative I am looking at. However it is the one I am looking to purchase in the near future which will require a carrier change.
Only thing holding this qwerty phone back from being in the S3 or Evo Lte league is the camera! I had the first Photon and loved it, but the camera sucked! A little disappointed still with the Q camera! If the Q would have had the Evo Lte quality type camera then this would have been a keeper phone for a long, long time for me! Battery could have been larger also. Call quality at times had some echo issues. Other then that the phone is really, really nice! Keypad is WOW. Speaker is super loud for music lovers out there like myself. Very nice to look at, great design.
The Photon Q probably isnt the best phone in Sprint's lineup, but it is the best QWERTY phone. It also had solid build quality, if you have butterfingers you'll feel a lot better about dropping this phone than a Galaxy S3 or Evo 4g LTE. There are some minor issues with this phone, and lack of a removable battery is a bummer, but if you can get this phone at a good price I recommend it. at the $200 the carrier is asking for it, its too much, but at $100 or less its great.
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