Technology What if the iPhone had a slide-out keyboard?

[DrJosephKim]

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If the next version of the Apple iPhone had a slide-out keyboard, would this make you more/less likely to get one?

 

[confuse]

It would make me more likely to purchase one if the dimension doesn't become too thick. I think another nice addition would be to add an expandable memory slot to the phone. It's ridiculous to have to pay $100 more to upgrade from a 8gb to 16gb Iphone when you could purchase a 8gb microSD card for $20.

 

[mkerr]

normally i would have said yes.
but after using 3 WM devices with keyboards in the past, they're usually rubbish.
now that i'm getting used to the iphone's on-screen keyboard and predictive text, i can type faster than i've ever been able to on a mobile keyboard.

 

[engineeredout]

I can type pretty fast on the keyboard on my HTC Tilt. If that keyboard was on the iphone, maybe.

 

[StatCoder]

The problem with slide-out keyboards is that they usually only slide out one way. Sometimes you flip the device into landscape mode to make a form or web page or document easier to read and to make the on-screen keyboard easier to use. The new iPhone OS 3.0 will display a keyboard on any landscape screen too.

The minimum size hardware keyboard that I would want to use is a Treo. I don't think I could use a keyboard on a Centro which is the size that the Pre will have. So, try them to make sure they will work for you.

 

[espaceLumiere]

Another issue with slide out keyboards is it increases the complexity of the phone. The slide out mechanism can loosen over time, break, whatever. With a soft keyboard, updates, fixes can be done cheaply via a software update. If your physical keyboard dies, well you need to buy a new phone or pay to get it fixed.

 

[DrJosephKim]

Phones don't last forever, but I agree that the less moving parts you have, the better. I'm still amazed that the iPhone does so well even though it doesn't have a user-removable battery.

 

[StatCoder]

Regarding batteries. I'm trying to think about how often I removed the battery on my Treo. Actually, only to reset the device. And I never bought another battery. I never had a replacement battery available when I needed one. I think being able to charge via USB or 12v auto receptacle is convenient to the extreme.

I don't travel by plane much but when I do, I carry a separate larger battery pack for my iPhone to use if necessary. Whether we like it or not, the technological life expectancy of our smartphones is maxed out at about 2-3 years.

The improved efficiency and structural integrity of not having a separate battery compartment is the way to go. I say this having had to put hundreds of AA and AAA batteries in PDAs over the years.

 

[DrJosephKim]

I travel, so there are times when I do need to change my battery (esp if I'm using my phone as a GPS or if I do a lot of mobile browsing).

 

[nlax30]

I agree with the battery thing.... would really like to see a removable battery and removable storage (SD card or something). With those two additions it would really be an ideal unit for myself.

I've had a windows PDA for years so I'm used to having an extra battery or two laying around, and the ability to throw some files on a memory card.

I'm totally fine with it not having a slide out keyboard. I think the recent software update that adds a landscape on-screen keyboard will help a lot. I'm much more interested in maximizing screen size in a device that size instead of trying to squeeze in a keyboard.

 

[Slevin]

IMHO a slide out keyboard would be horrible. With the iPhone 3.0 you'll have the ability to connect external devices to it so expect to see a separate keyboard but no slide out... too many moving parts. I mean think of it, Apple is the company waging the war on simplicity. If it could have gotten away with an iPhone with no buttons they would have, the added keyboard would add cost, thickness and be a bad idea. It would be like going from a calculator to an abacus

 

[DrJosephKim]

Here's my follow-up question:

If the next iPhone had a slide-out keyboard, would you prefer that it slides out like the HTC Titan/Tilt/etc. (landscape screen while typing), or would you prefer that it slides out like the Palm Pre (portrait screen while typing)?

The landscape screen = wider keys, easier to type. However, you MUST use both hands to type (unless you can really stretch your fingers while holding the phone with one hand). Great for people who have large hands.

The portrait screen = smaller keys, but you can type using one hand. It will feel more like the keyboards found on the Treo, BlackBerry, etc.

Votes?

 

[Slevin]

Here's my follow-up question:

If the next iPhone had a slide-out keyboard, would you prefer that it slides out like the HTC Titan/Tilt/etc. (landscape screen while typing), or would you prefer that it slides out like the Palm Pre (portrait screen while typing)?

The landscape screen = wider keys, easier to type. However, you MUST use both hands to type (unless you can really stretch your fingers while holding the phone with one hand). Great for people who have large hands.

The portrait screen = smaller keys, but you can type using one hand. It will feel more like the keyboards found on the Treo, BlackBerry, etc.

Votes?

It's nice to speculate but the reality is that the iPhone will never get a slideout keyboard, the most you can hope for is a 3rd party keyboard that attaches to the dock connector like palm pilots had back in the day. To think otherwise is folly, and your question about which direction to have it slide out shows that. With the on screen keyboard it can be positioned anyway you want it making everyone happy but you throw in some limiting hardware and you'll piss off about half of the customer base that wants it the way you didn't choose to put it.