The name might sound like that of a fusion band but don’t let it put you off. Motorola has finally decided to leave the Razr behind and understand the need of the times-texting. Motorola’s attempt at the PDA is nothing short of excellent. Combining the usefulness of a full QWERTY keypad and the compactness of a slider, the Karma QA1 definitely manages to impress. A full 3G device, the phone comes with a fast browser and easy access to social networking which is bound to get it placed in the super league. Being and avid texter and not having this phone is just bad karma.

Full QWERTY sliders have traditionally been horizontally placed. You slide the phone horizontally to reveal the slider. But that does not mean that vertical sliders do not exist. Samsung had a vertical slider in Propel and the latest from Palm, the Pre is another. But when Motorola decides to have a vertical slider QWERTY phone, heads turn. Motorola has always been a design pioneer. Built into a sleek black body with a matt finish, the phone is quite a weight at 141 Gms.

The 2.5 inch TFT screen with support for 262K colors shines not only in the dark but is equally luminous in direct sunlight. Below the screen are the standard buttons: send and end, directional pad, left and right soft keys, back/clear, and a dedicated one for messaging. The right side holds the volume rocker while the left holds the camera key.
The UI is another specialty in this phone. The grid based interface with large icons allows easy access to messaging, social networking sites, phone book and the menu. Though not flashy and offering minimal customizations, the interface impresses due to its sheer usefulness.

The 2 MP camera can hardly be called efficient even with the built in LED flash and a variety of features like color effects, an exposure setting and six white balance/lighting modes. The images look barely satisfactory lacking in detail and color. But then his is a budget phone and the camera should not be a complaint. The camera can record video at 15 fps again with the same quality.

The music player is basic but comes with all features expected of a standard quality phone. There is the play list, the equalizer and the ability to shuffle songs. If you are on AT&T, you get a host of other features like the XM Radio and an online MP3 store.

The video playback though is a surprise and performs far beyond expectations. The external 3.5 mm headphone jack is a boon for all the music and movie buffs.

The Karma Q1 is a texter’s phone. You have all the facilities to load up your favorite chat client (AIM, Yahoo Messenger, Windows live messenger) and get online with your friends. And the full QWERTY keypad is only a pleasure to use with these applications.

The phone supports email from a variety of providers like Yahoo Mail, AOL Mail, AIM Mail, Windows Live Hotmail and Comcast. Unfortunately POP3 and IMAP are not provided which is simply not done these days.

A-GPS support is provided along with AT&T’s Navigator software.

The built in browser is an unexpected surprise from Motorola. Faster than most of the other mobile web browsers, the browser is able to load complex sites in no time. And this is true not only for mobile sites but also for regular internet sites.

Display: 2.5 inch TFT screen with support for 256K colors.
Dimensions: 88 x 64 x 17.9 mm.
Weight: 141 Gms.
Camera: Main camera – 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, LED flash and video recording.
Secondary camera – No.
Audio: Music player with support for MP3/eAAC+/RealAudio/XMF player.
Video: Video player with support for MP4/H.263.
Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging.
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, micro USB, Wi-Fi.
Internet: EDGE, GPRS, 3G HSDPA, built in browser with flash support.
Games: Built-in and downloadable.
Memory: 100 MB internal with support for microSD up to 16 GB.
Battery: Standard battery, Li-Ion 1170 mAh with stand-by time up to 312 hours and talk time up to 3.5 hours.
Extras:
* Organizer.
* Wide screen.
* Social Networking shortcut.
* Fast web browser.
* Full QWERTY keypad.
* Intuitive UI.