Why no Blackberry form factor Android phones?

[Throckmorton]

Not enough people want to be able to type one handed on a physical keyboard? There are a few candy bar phones but the keyboard is so narrow that they're almost unusable. Surely this is an untapped market... Of course the new Blackberries are coming but I doubt they'll be available for prepaid plans like Virgin Mobile's, so they're only for people who no financial sense.

 

[Red Storm]

Swipe style typing is faster than typing one handed on physical keys.

Why gimp all other aspects of the phone just for physical typing?

 

[Throckmorton]

Swipe style typing is faster than typing one handed on physical keys.

Why gimp all other aspects of the phone just for physical typing?

I have Swype on my Kyocera Rise and I don't like it. It's not anything close to physical typing.

 

[notposting]

Motorola made one

 

[Red Storm]

I have Swype on my Kyocera Rise and I don't like it. It's not anything close to physical typing.

I know, it's faster.

My point is that to me it just doesn't make sense to gimp the entire experience (screen, resolution, consuming media, web browsing, playing games, etc.) just for a physical keyboard.

 

[Eug]

I find swype typing slower, and kind of annoying too. So, I never use swype.

 

[Deeko]

Motorola made one

Two years ago, and it was meh.

I agree that it would be great to see high end phones from other platforms with keyboards. The problem is, in recent years, all of the phones with keyboards have been mid range - it's the same thing afflicting those asking for smaller screens. People shout "the market has spoken! people want big, thin, touch screen phones!" but the market hasn't really given viable, high end alternatives (with the same marketing support).

The last time an Android or Windows phone with a keyboard got the high end + marketing treatment was the original Droid, and I think we all know how that went.

edit: As far as which is better, I mean, I technically CAN type as fast with various touch screen keyboards, but I don't want to. I find typing on screens irritating, even if I can do it. I just find the experience of a good physical keyboard much more enjoyable to use, which is why my SIM card often finds its way back into my Bold 9900, despite how outdated it is in other ways.

 

[Red Storm]

I find swype typing slower, and kind of annoying too. So, I never use swype.

It's easily the fastest typing method, especially if we're talking just one handed typing.

Swype is just one of the guys who do swipe style typing. Stock Android has it, Swiftkey has it, there's one called SlideIT I think, etc.

The device size argument is the same as the physical keyboard one to me. To accommodate smaller phones/physical keyboards, you have to gimp everything else that you can do with the device. Making phone calls is no longer the marquee feature of smartphones, it doesn't make sense to limit all other aspects just for that one thing.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

yeah, motorola and samsung both made one and neither sold. nobuddie wants to give up a larger screen for a keyboard. other fones with that form factor like the facebook fone by htc didnt sell either. i dont really buy that there is anyone left who wants a physical keyboard. its really awkward to hold a shift key for numbers and characters etc... peeps long ago stopped buying rims pathetic attempt to convince people that we needed that form factor "for bidness".

 

[bearxor]

You see one of these every couple of years just to cater to the market. They're just not big enough sellers. There's too much compromise so that the phones not as large as a Hitachi G1000.

Now, if someone went the HTC Blue Angel route, a 3.5-4" high res screen with a portrait QWERTY slider, I might be kind of interested.

 

[Eug]

It's easily the fastest typing method, especially if we're talking just one handed typing.

For you maybe.

I can't even one-handed type at all with 4.7"+ phones. My hand is too small.

Like I said before, I think BB nailed it with the 4.2" Z10 phone size.

The device size argument is the same as the physical keyboard one to me. To accommodate smaller phones/physical keyboards, you have to gimp everything else that you can do with the device. Making phone calls is no longer the marquee feature of smartphones, it doesn't make sense to limit all other aspects just for that one thing.

I don't want a physical keyboard, but I have no use for swype either. It's good for people like you who like it, but it is by no means automatically the fastest way to type for everyone.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

Not enough people want to be able to type one handed on a physical keyboard? There are a few candy bar phones but the keyboard is so narrow that they're almost unusable. Surely this is an untapped market... Of course the new Blackberries are coming but I doubt they'll be available for prepaid plans like Virgin Mobile's, so they're only for people who no financial sense.

maybe because rim nearly went out of business sellling fones like that??

 

[Deeko]

yeah, motorola and samsung both made one and neither sold. nobuddie wants to give up a larger screen for a keyboard. other fones with that form factor like the facebook fone by htc didnt sell either. i dont really buy that there is anyone left who wants a physical keyboard. its really awkward to hold a shift key for numbers and characters etc... peeps long ago stopped buying rims pathetic attempt to convince people that we needed that form factor "for bidness".

Pro tip: If you're making a case for why real keyboards aren't necessary, you should probably try typing like an adult while doing so.

The HTC Status was garbage, the Droid Pro was hideous and mid-range. What we really need is something like the Dell Venue Pro, except, ya know, not by Dell, since they have failed to write stable phone drivers in recent efforts.

 

[Eug]

Yeah, I'd consider buying a slider, but only if it wasn't massive or gimped.

I do prefer physical keyboards, but not in the traditional BB style where half the screen is missing because of it.

 

[Red Storm]

Yeah, I'd consider buying a slider, but only if it wasn't massive or gimped.

I do prefer physical keyboards, but not in the traditional BB style where half the screen is missing because of it.

By being a slider it's already gimped. I see one and automatically think "They could have put a bigger battery in there..."

 

[Deeko]

By being a slider it's already gimped. I see one and automatically think "They could have put a bigger battery in there..."

So by your logic, the iPhone 5, GS3, and Droid Razr HD are all gimped because they are thinner than necessary.

 

[Red Storm]

So by your logic, the iPhone 5, GS3, and Droid Razr HD are all gimped because they are thinner than necessary.

Yes, exactly. The iPhone 5 is too thin IMHO, they could have gone with a bigger battery. Same with the S3. The existence of the Maxx makes it a moot issue with the Razr.

 

[Eug]

By being a slider it's already gimped. I see one and automatically think "They could have put a bigger battery in there..."

That makes no sense at all.

Although I appreciate the bigger battery size of the RAZR MAXX HD, I'd take a slider version of the RAZR HD over the RAZR MAXX HD any day.

 

[Red Storm]

That makes no sense at all.

Although I appreciate the bigger battery size of the RAZR MAXX HD, I'd take a slider version of the RAZR HD over the RAZR MAXX HD any day.

BTW, do you have a RAZR MAXX HD? Cuz by your argument, pretty much any other sub 5" phone on the market is gimped compared to the RAZR MAXX HD, with regards to battery size.

It makes perfect sense. Manufacturers aim for a certain thickness level. Making a slider eats into the available space on the back of the device. That space could have been used for any number of things, such as a bigger battery, thinner/lighter design, etc.

Uh yes, when you see a phone like the Maxx and the battery life it can have and look at the competition you can definitely say they are gimped (in battery life) in comparison. My Note 2 is not gimped though, that thing has very good battery life.

 

[Deeko]

Yes, exactly. The iPhone 5 is too thin IMHO, they could have gone with a bigger battery. Same with the S3. The existence of the Maxx makes it a moot issue with the Razr.

Not really. It illustrates exactly the point of this thread - that people have different opinions. You might consider the Razr HD to be a gimped version of the Raxr HD Maxx, but there are those who would consider the Razr HD Maxx a gimped version of the Razr HD. Who is wrong - them or you?

People have different opinions out there when it comes to phones. As much as the manufacturers (and in some cases, fanboys) would prefer there to be a "one-size-fits-all" model, that's just not how it works.

 

[Eug]

It makes perfect sense. Manufacturers aim for a certain thickness level. Making a slider eats into the available space on the back of the device. That space could have been used for any number of things, such as a bigger battery, thinner/lighter design, etc.

Give us the option. Red, you can have your RAZR MAXX HD with Swype, and I'd get my RAZR HD SLIDER with physical keyboard.

BTW, do you have a RAZR MAXX HD? Cuz by your argument, pretty much any other sub 5" phone on the market is gimped compared to the RAZR MAXX HD, with regards to battery size.

I agree though that I'd take the RAZR MAXX HD over the plain RAZR HD, but the latter isn't available in Canada. Others I know would definitely take the thinner phone though.

 

[Throckmorton]

Yeah, I'd consider buying a slider, but only if it wasn't massive or gimped.

I do prefer physical keyboards, but not in the traditional BB style where half the screen is missing because of it.

There is a significant advantage though, which is that you can type with one hand. That's really useful for typing in addresses into nav while driving for example. Or maybe touchscreen keyboards are a safety feature because you have to pull over to properly look at the screen and "swipe" and fix your mistakes.

 

[Red Storm]

Give us the option. Red, you can have your RAZR MAXX HD with Swype, and I'd get my RAZR HD SLIDER with physical keyboard.

BTW, do you have a RAZR MAXX HD? Cuz by your argument, pretty much any other sub 5" phone on the market is gimped compared to the RAZR MAXX HD, with regards to battery size.

I agree though that I'd take the RAZR MAXX HD over the plain RAZR HD, but the latter isn't available in Canada.

Yes it would be fantastic if they could make both types so everyone has the option. I know I would like that cause options are nice, but realistically there's reasons why they don't, and I'd say the chief reason is money.

 

[Eug]

I use voice recognition in the car.

Plus I'm not supposed to be using the phone at all in the car anyway. It's both because of safety but also because it's illegal here unless handsfree.

Yes it would be fantastic if they could make both types so everyone has the option. I know I would like that cause options are nice, but realistically there's reasons why they don't, and I'd say the chief reason is money.

So do you use a gimped non-RAZR MAXX HD?

 

[Red Storm]

Not really. It illustrates exactly the point of this thread - that people have different opinions. You might consider the Razr HD to be a gimped version of the Raxr HD Maxx, but there are those who would consider the Razr HD Maxx a gimped version of the Razr HD. Who is wrong - them or you?

People have different opinions out there when it comes to phones. As much as the manufacturers (and in some cases, fanboys) would prefer there to be a "one-size-fits-all" model, that's just not how it works.

I get your point, but I would really like to see an explanation as to why the Maxx is the gimped version.