Good reviews may help Motorola sell 5 milllion Q phones

The Arizona Republic picks up a Bloomberg article that states the positive reviews Motorola (MOT) is receiving for the new Q handset is "boosting its chance of meeting a sales target of more than 5 million devices by the end of February." According to the article, "reviewers at CNET Networks Inc. and PC Magazine praised the Q's slim design and clear voice quality in reviews ahead of the phone's release today in the U.S."

John Bucher at Harris Nesbitt said, "I expect the Q to do very well. This market is poised for massive growth. It's large enough for lots of different form factors and suppliers."

Motorola last week "set a goal to sell 5.25 million Qs in the first nine months." Motorola already lured customers with its half- inch thick Razr phone, whose unit sales have reached almost 50 million. Superlatives such as "the coolest smartphone in America" from PC Magazine may help Motorola meet its targets.

The article discusses how the Q stacks up against handsets from Research in Motion (RIMM) and the Palm Treo (PALM).

Bucher pointed out that "one of the reasons for the Treo's girth is the battery,. Whether MOT has truly optimized power management in the Q I don't know."