WP8 form factors - are you happy?

[envio]

I love my 8x but for all the benefits that touch has brought to the smartphone space, I still hanker for a little something extra and the thing I want more than anything else is a slider form-factor so that I can have all of the benefits of touch without the on-screen keyboard taking up valuable space or my fingers getting in the way.

I thought Microsoft had taken up the mantle when WP7 was first launched with a selection of OEMs opting to differentiate with various form factors. Since about WP7.5 though, all that momentum has been lost to the generic iPhone slate designs. And although people admire my phone for its sheer beauty and sleek design, they often mistake it for a 920.

So my question is, is everyone happy just to have a slate phone, or are there some of you out there hoping that other form factors will come? If there are, we need to speak up and let the OEMs know! It seems that all the OEMs are too scared to create anything other than slates to be successful.

 

[Keith Wallace]

I like my device, as I wouldn't be too keen on a Lumia 920 PLUS the added size from a physical keyboard. That, and I don't think my typing on such a device would be improved enough to warrant the added space from the keyboard.

 

[Gambit11B]

Well, I've actually owned two WP devices: the LG Quantum (WP7) and Lumia 920 (WP8) so I'll throw my two-cents worth at ya. The LG Quantum had a physical keyboard, and was a great device for being first-gen. I loved having the ability to type without sacrificing real estate on the screen (especially when using Board Express). Unfortunately, it appears as though both the LG Quantum and HTC Surround were both perceived as being too "gimmicky" since every phone since WP7's intial release have all had the exact same general attributes. This is unfortunate, IMO, because it doesn't allow for any real differentiation.

Just look at the 3 main WP8 phones: Lumia 920, HTC 8X, and Ativ S...... all 3 are basically the 'same' phone. The only real differences are the Ativ's Micro SD capability, the 8X's Beats Audio, and Nokia's exclusive apps.

It's really a shame.

 

[Laura Knotek]

If one visits the websites of Best Buy, amazon.com, or other sites that sell smartphones, the top selling devices do not include a single device that is not a touchscreen slate.

The majority of customers want that form factor, and this is evident by the sales numbers.

 

[IceDree]

I love the form factor & the design of my 8X , Its the sweet spot for me coming from a Motorola Atrix (4") , Its compact , close to it in dimensions , yet have a bigger screen , but narrow enough for me to hold it comfortably & use it with one hand , unlike my father's & sister's RAZR or my friend's S3 ... etc

For a slate phone , I think HTC nailed it , a slate , but doesn't look like anything els in the market , Think RAZR or the n9\Lumia 800 when it came out . They are not a generic iPhone looking phone or an egg shaped phone (Samsung's current design language) ...etc

But I would love to see more phones with the same form factor as the Dell Venue Pro , HTC 7 Surround , OG Nokia N-Gage & Xperia Arc ! Especially the Arc ! That phone is a head turner ! Sony followed up with the Arc Series (Xperia T , TX & V) but they killed it too soon