Could there ever be a physical keyboard WP phone?

[HerronScott]

Just swapped out my old LG Quantum for a Nokia 920 and I definitely miss the physical keyboard. One big issue I have is that in landscape mode, the virtual keyboard leaves little screen space left to see what you are typing or replying to.

Scott

 

[AKINETON]

Agree in that touchscreen doesn't hold a candle to a physical keyboard.
Those who say that touchscreen typing is faster, do not really know what intensity of typing we are talking about: full, long, formal letters while you are riding the subway, bus, etc. --not the occasional typing to your lollipop GF or ADD-driven buddy. Real productivity, no consumer non-sense.
Granted; competition coming from consumer products are making Microsoft bleed, but then again --Microsoft is screwing up in everything. Just take a look at what Thurrott or Jo Foley are writing lately. That Microsoft is not giving a **** about its core faithful niche (enterprise-centered, productivity-based individuals, as well as developers) does not come as a surprise to anyone. I tried the Android garbage and the iCrap, as well as WP8 Nokias. Bull****. I can live without apps. I CANNOT live without heavy typing in 3 languages, seamlessly switching between them (those touchscreen typers not only probably are typing not as much, but they are parochially monolingual as well). I went back to a WP7.8 DVP and have 3 more stashed just in case it breaks. I am not getting into the W8 ecosystem until a WP with physical keyboard is released. Until then, W7 does the work more than capably.
If Microsoft does not release an enterprise friendly physical keyboard phone soon-ish, I believe many of us still faithful to Redmond will eventually jump ship. Eventually we will need an updated phone with a physical keyboard. Those who don't need it, good for them. We live in different worlds. In mine, we need it.

Advice to Joe Belfiore:

Do you want to still appease those who with almost metrosexual passion make an argument for an always slimmer device --thus further hampering the hope for a truly productivity oriented phone with a physical keyboard?

That's fine. Push for a third party design of a BT case with a physical keyboard. It's been done for iOS and Android. Do it for WP. Figure it out.
Some of us don't give a **** about how bulky the device is.
Some of us care about work. First and foremost. Period.
Do not betray us.

 

[DavidinCT]

I also would love to see a slider/qwerty keyboard. My old Touch pro 2, I could type an entire email with being about 98% accurate while talking to someone with out looking at the phone once. Try to do that with a touch screen, No feel back or reset points (little nubs on the keys so you could find center points) on a touch screen you could not even be close in being that accurate.

I can not do that on a touch screen, I will always have to watch where I type.

Would just like to have a option for one....

 

[Jack Janik]

Do you want to still appease those who with almost metrosexual passion make an argument for an always slimmer device

I agree with everything you said except this. Saying it's an almost metrosexual attraction is silly. Ask almost anyone and they will tell you that they prefer a thinner phone without a physical keyboard. (Ala iPhone vs DROID RAZR)

 

[bionicgt]

Or just release swype (swiftkey) for WP

Sent from my Nokia Lumia 625 using Tapatalk

 

[snowmutt]

Anyone who has been on this forum knows I miss my keyboard to this very day. But there are 3 very solid reasons why physical keyboards are all but extinct:

1) Multi-meda: This is honestly the main driving force. Games, streaming media, downloadable content, and video services are what drives the sales of the premium smartphones. This services need a larger screen. You are just not going to see the larger screen devices- say 4.5" and bigger- with a keyboard. It just is impractical. Why, you ask? Well because.....

2) Cost: The production of a physical keyboard requires hardware that drives up the cost of production. If the desire of most of the buying public was that they wanted one, of course manufacturers would eat that cost due to sales being driven by that need. Since most users do not look at keyboards as a deal breaker, they can increase assembling time, cut costs, and eliminate some R&D concerns by leaving them off. It is just good business decisions.

2) The consumers have accepted it, and business is not far behind: As BlackBerry has lost mind share, the iPhone has benefited the most from that. Businesses have adopted Apple's offering more then Android or WP. No keyboard. The 30-somethings that are the next wave of CEO-types and decision makers have almost exclusively used touch screens all their lives. They just accept a smartphone is a touchscreen. So even the last holdout for physical keyboards is about 10 years away from there being an entire generation that has not used a physical qwerty and do not know the advantages of one.

I would buy one. Throw a Dell Venue Pro/BlackBerry Torch/Palm Pre style slider out there, and I am making my dogs go hungry so I can have the money to snag it. But, I am in my mid-40's and I know how much I miss it. Of my son and daughters group, they see keyboards as a low level device or a feature phone. They do not even consider that a feature. My daughter was the only one of her circle of friends with a physical keyboard (Samsung Captivate Glide) until she got her L1020 in December.

These days are just gone. Our loss. BlackBerry will hold onto this shrinking market until it is completely gone.

 

[skstrials]

Haha I find it funny that I'm supposed to be the new generation 21 year old and I prefer the physical keyboard.

I think there is just way too much focus put on the multimedia and entertainment side of smartphones these days.
I would take a smaller screen size and the keyboard because

1) A phone is a communication device first and entertainment device second.
So when designing a phone, productivity has to be the priority.

2) The battery technology on phones do not allow for continuous media consumption and gaming.

I had a Galaxy S3 before, it would last for 10 hours with very little usage. The big screen was nice, but I could not actually use it for any video watching since that would mean risking running out of the battery midday. So I would basically end up with a big phone that is hard to use one handed and I cannot actually use the big screen for its true potential for the battery limitations.

And this is the case with a lot of phones these days, you can use your phone for media consumption but you will need to bring out your charger out as well. But if you are going to stay stationary to charge your phone anyways, why not just use your computer to watch videos?

3) Many people are on limited data plans, most on 1gb or 2gb per month. That does not leave a whole lot for video watching on the data. Ideally, you would want to be in a stationary wifi network to conserve data. Again diminishing the whole point of having a "mobile" phone.

To summarize, yes many super phones nowadays have gorgeous screens with powerful internals, but the current battery technology and the limited data plan inhibit these phones from being used as a truly portable entertainment device on the go.


All in all, I'm happy with my BlackBerry Q10 for now, and I will just use Windows for my laptop and tablet.

Good to know that there are others who prefer the physical keyboard as well.

 

[juanitoriv]

Hmm, that would be a great "enterprise" model. Thinking 4" screen, no ffc, slider keys, would be fine with 512RAM & 16gb no SD. If the L521 can be had off contract for under $100, This could go for $200-$250 same deal.

 

[Jan Tomsic]

It would be nice to see a case that has a BT keyboard on it.

So yet another thing to charge and connect. I have bluetooth headphones, I'd have to constantly switch between the two. I think a slide keyboard is better for those who want it, or at least a case that connects trough pins. But if they release an add-on keyboard case, it's going to cost 40~50? and no one is going to buy it. I (still) don't use wireless charging because I'd need to buy a addon shell and a charger and wireless charging is not worth 50? plus not being able to use any other cases.

 

[juanitoriv]

I guess the big question is... What would you pay for a WP with a slider? Maybe considering specs that I outlined. It shouldn't be too difficult for, say HTC to re-enable the tooling for their Arrive, or Dell with theirs and just insert new guts for WP8.1 compliance.

 

[Kevin Rush]

I miss the great physical landscape sliding tilting keyboard on the HTC TouchPro2 I typed so many documents that I wore the letters off a few of the backlit keys. I would absolutely buy a phone with a physical keyboard.

 

[DavidinCT]

At one point Microsoft put in a patent for a a design for a keyboard/game controler based phone(WP7 days) where you could swap out the keyboard for a controler. Wish that actually came to light in the public.'

Freaking cool, I would almost forsure go for something like this if it was offered.

Microsoft Patents Slide Phone With Game Controller Attachment

I guess the big question is... What would you pay for a WP with a slider? Maybe considering specs that I outlined. It shouldn't be too difficult for, say HTC to re-enable the tooling for their Arrive, or Dell with theirs and just insert new guts for WP8.1 compliance.

I guess it comes down to feature set. it seems that most people these days WANT a 4.5-5" display and with the feature set of WP 8.1 phones, it could be done with out a lot of bulk on a current design phone with minor thickness. If the phone got a hair thicker I dont think it would bother many people. It would come down to the feature set.

I would pay the price I would normally pay for a mid to high end phone for it....If it had the features I want, why not ?

 

[juanitoriv]

I remember that. Thought it was cool. Just remember everyone here in this thread, R&D costs a lot of $$. If there appears to be a demand great enough, supply will follow. With WP8.1's new hardware limits, or lack of, I am thinking it will be easier for OEMs to use existing hardware designs, with a smidgeon of the new, to load up WP8.1 on devices such as you guys are wanting.

 

[Jack Janik]

To answer this threads question.. Yes! But most likely not until WP gets more marketshare, so, *maybe* at the end of 2014..? But that's pushing it.. Honestly a lot of people wouldn't prioritize it over build quality, cost or design, and that's why it's a niche product, and WP already has such a small audience.. Why expend resources on something with little gain? (As seen by the 1520, everyone saying, "Oh, it's too big")

My two cents on the topic.

 

[DavidinCT]

I miss the great physical landscape sliding tilting keyboard on the HTC TouchPro2 I typed so many documents that I wore the letters off a few of the backlit keys. I would absolutely buy a phone with a physical keyboard.

Funny thing as you talk about this phone. My 928 needed to go back to Nokia, they are swapping out for another model. So I would of been 3-10 days with out a Phone. All I had was a HTC Touch Pro 2, with a broken touch screen with the parts. I pulled the phone completely apart yesterday (100% in pieces), replaced the touch part (that does not even fit right but, works), and I am on WIndows Mobile 6.5 on a XV6875/Touch Pro 2 for the next week or so.

This was a cool phone for it's day but, man it's so slow compared to WIndows Phone 8... but, Keyboard, dual volume controls are all there...

As I get used to having a keyboard again, it's nice but, The TP2 only has a 3.6" display, it's really hard with big fingers to use the touch screen for typing, so I can see the need for a keyboard in this case...

 

[cbreze]

I liked physical kb's on my past phones. However I doubt there'd be enough demand for them to be made. Two things that would be sacrificed probably with a physical kb is sliders would add thickness and all would add extra weight with the BB candy bar style having to use a smaller screen. People love their bigger screens. I never thought it possible that I could type faster on a virtual over a hardware kb, but that time came and went. I wouldn't be interested in using one again. I had an HP windows pro years ago, candybar style 3" screen with a real kb. Loved that phone running windows mobile 5. Slower than crap by today's standards no 3g just edge speed. Was state of the art tho

 

[unstoppablekem]

Support for an external keyboard would also be nice for the 1520 or 1320

From what has been leaked, there is Bluetooth keyboard support.


Sent from my Xbox One using WPCentral Forums

 

[normbeers]

My partner and I have been holding onto our fantastic, but aging, HTC Touch Pro 2s (with Windows Phone 7.5), desperately hoping that someone would release a new phone with a pull-out keyboard and WP 8. It's discouraging to read everyone's perspectives (above) even though they're probably realistic. I agree that productivity calls for a 'real' keyboard, and the pull-out is ideal for that--with both a great screen-view and a great keyboard. Blackberry's format doesn't give you that. The complaint about the bulkiness of a pullout isn't huge compared to the productivity benefits. Look at how the market has adopted 2-dimensional bulkiness the last couple of years! I just really wish someone could convince more consumers--and one good manufacturer--about the value of the pull-out keyboard!

 

[awilliams1701]

I had an HTC Arrive. Great device. In spite of it being 3.5" to my current 5" Nokia Icon, it was a hell of a lot easier to type on. Apps were almost impossible to use because of the tiny screen though. I want a 1520 + landscape QWERTY slider. I don't care if it costs $1000 or not.

 

[DavidinCT]

Bluetooth keyboards are worthless in my eyes, unless you have a tablet.... why ?

It's another thing to carry....and when you need it...You don't have it because you got sick of carrying it around..

This thread is a old one now....but, dam, still would like to see a really nice built phone with a keyboard on it...