Troubleshooting Motorola Q9M

Troubleshooting Motorola Q9M

Available through Verizon Wireless in the United States, the Motorola Q9M is the updated version of the Motorola MOTO Q smartphone. This new mobile phone has more of a music phone slant to it, but it is still just as capable in handling business-related activities. It'll do e-mail, picture messaging, schedule management and more.

Troubleshooting Motorola Q9M smartphones is very similar to solving problems on other Windows Mobile 6-powered devices. At the same time, because Verizon has altered the operating system somewhat, there may be some unexpected quirks in the MOTO Q9M. If you're upgrading from a MOTO Q, you should feel relatively comfortable with the Q9M.

Improving Battery Life

Because it is such a slim cell phone, one of the more prominent problems with the Motorola Q9M is that it suffers from relatively poor battery life. The two easiest solutions are to invest in extra cellular phone batteries and to buy a car charger for the phone. This way, you ensure that you always have a topped up battery and you'll never run out of juice. Bear in mind that some third-party extended batteries do not fit properly within the casing, making for an unsightly bulge out the back.

Even so, it's not always possible to charge your phone or to replace the battery, so here are a few battery-extending tips for you to consider:

• Keep the brightness on the screen to a minimum. You can also adjust how long the backlight stays on without input from the user.
• Turn off the Bluetooth when not in use. Bluetooth is a big battery draw.
• Disable incoming beams so that the phone isn't constantly "searching" for infrared partners.
• Completely close non-essential programs. When you run an application, it does not shut down completely when you "close" it. It is simply minimized. Go into the Settings to completely shut down any programs you are no longer using.

Pairing with a Bluetooth Device

In the interest of driving safety and cell phones, it is much better to use a Bluetooth handsfree headset than to actually hold the phone in our hand. However, some people may have some difficulty with the Bluetooth pairing process. There are also laws on talking on cell phones while driving to consider.

To pair a Bluetooth headset with the Motorola Q9M:

1. Launch the Bluetooth application from the Start Menu (left soft key)
2. Go into Settings within the Bluetooth Manager
3. Change the status to ON and activate Discoverable mode
4. Within the Bluetooth Manager, select Hands-free
5. Press Add and then Search (assuming the headset is on and discoverable)
6. Select the correct device to pair them
7. Enter the passkey if needed from the headset, press Accept

This process typically only needs to be done once per headset. After that, they should be able to pair automatically if both are on and discoverable. You will only need to select the correct device; no need to "add" or "rediscover."

Configure Your E-mail

Being a popular messaging phone like the Sidekick, troubleshooting the Motorola Q9M for use with mobile email is paramount. Here are the basic steps needed to initially setup your phone with POP/IMAP-based email.

1. Open the Start Menu (left soft key)
2. Select "Messaging"
3. Choose "New Email Account"
4. Enter the POP3 details as indicated on the screen

Activating your Windows Live Mail (Hotmail) is a different process:

1. Open the Start Menu
2. Select Internet Explorer
3. Choose Favorites (left soft key)
4. Scroll and select Windows Live
5. Navigate to Mail
6. Type in your e-mail name and password
7. Click Log In