Motorola announced it was working on a 3G UMTS version of its Q Windows Mobile-based smart phone way back in February this year. It promised to ship the product in Q4. So why are smart-phone watchers getting into such a fuss about the Motorola Q Pro?

Motorola mentioned the name 'Q Pro' at market-watcher Gartner's Symposium ITxpo last week, earmarked for a release in Q1 2007 and planned to ship in a black case, according to Windows Mobile device retailer BuyWindowsMobile.com.

The site's brief blog entry also points to the release of an enterprise-oriented software suite designed to make it easier to manage a fleet of Q Pros: provision them with software, disable the on-board camera, set up the security policy, that kind of thing.

In February, it emerged Motorola had canned a proposed GSM/GPRS Q, presumably targeting European as well as US buyers. Ron Garriques, head of Motorola's phone division, said the UMTS version will "expand the capabilities and geographic reach" of the handset, suggesting GSM connectivity will only come as a back-up for the 3G Q. ®