The best available or upcoming smartphone with a physical QWERTY keyboard?

[viahiptop]

I'm looking for a new phone and would like to know, what's the best smartphone with a physical QWERTY keyboard on the market right now or soon to be released? I've been a Sidekick user since '05 so a physical keyboard is a major selling point for me, but so far all the QWERTY smartphones I've seen have been low to mid range in terms of features and quality. So what's the "highest end" QWERTY smartphone out at the moment or soon to be out?

Right now I go back and forth between my Samsung Fascinate with Verizon and my old Sidekick LX 2009 with T-Mobile. I do all my texting with the Sidekick and often use it for e-mail and internet browsing as well -- obviously the Fascinate's browser is light years ahead of the Sidekick's, but when there's a lot of typing involved I still use the Sidekick since the touchscreen keyboard takes 20 times longer to use (for me at least). However, at the end of next month the SK's data services will be discontinued (plus my T-Mobile contract runs out) so I can't switch back and forth between the two anymore, hence the search for a new phone that will be comparable to the Fascinate in terms of quality but will also have a decent physical keyboard.

I'm not crazy about the upcoming Sidekick 4G since it'll be with T-Mobile and I get really crappy coverage with them ever since I moved a few months ago...the HTC Arrive and the Evo Shift 4G are also not great options due to Sprint's similarly crappy coverage in my area, plus, ignoring their keyboards, they both seem like a downgrade from the Fascinate anyway. Verizon's Droid 2 would be great if the keyboard wasn't so flat and crammed but as is I find it almost as aggravating to type with as a touchscreen. So what options does that leave me with, either out now or upcoming? TIA for any help.

 

[VideoGameMatt]

The only possible option would be the Droid 3 but who knows when that is going to come out

 

[darkmatter]

Xperia pro could be interesting, especially if its unlocked like all the upcoming xperia are supposed to be.

Honestly, if moto doesn't step up with the droid 3, I may jump to xperia pro.

*edit
That assumes its on verizon, I can't find anything saying what carrier the xperia pro will be on.

 

[kioshi]

In the meantime you could try an alternative keyboard. I HATE virtual keyboards with a passion but since installing SLIDEIT (like Swype but much better) I hardly ever use my droid 2 physical keyboard.

Plus the upcoming Sony Xperia Pro has basically the same specs as the Milestone 2 (with less internal memory, 320mb versus 8gb on my Milestone, but will probably have a decent camera) so it won't be a powerhouse like the newer dual core models. And you'd better wait for reviews to see if Sony will have a decent physical keyboard, I skipped the droid/ milestone 1 because the keys were too plain.

Sent from my Motorola Milestone 2 using Tapatalk

 

[random190user44]

They need to make more high end phones with a physical qwerty keyboard. The day I buy a smartphone with no physical keyboard will be when there are zero physical keyboards on the market

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums

 

[aristoid]

The rumors I see about the D3 make me drool, but you may find the keyboard cramped. With a 4" screen, the phone will be a bit larger than the D1/2... but it may not be as large as you are used to.

Then again, a dual core 1ghz processor may tempt you to get used to a smaller keyboard :-o

The only problem is - - - when will we see it? I just bought a backup D1 to wait for this one.

Sent from my Droid using DroidForums

 

[Lenagainster]

In the meantime you could try an alternative keyboard. I HATE virtual keyboards with a passion but since installing SLIDEIT (like Swype but much better) I hardly ever use my droid 2 physical keyboard.

Same here: thought I couldn't do without a physical keyboard until I got SwiftKey. Now I rarely use the slide out keyboard on my Droid 2

 

[gunz.jones]

In true moto fashion, i expect the d3 to hit 3-6 months after dx2 which is going to be at the end of the summer i think....but i might wait to see if they pull a fast one like they did last year and enter a slightly better global version just a few months later before signing up another two years of my life.

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums

 

[VideoGameMatt]

Xperia pro could be interesting, especially if its unlocked like all the upcoming xperia are supposed to be.

Honestly, if moto doesn't step up with the droid 3, I may jump to xperia pro.

*edit
That assumes its on verizon, I can't find anything saying what carrier the xperia pro will be on.

the xperia play does not have a keyboard. It is a slider for the gamepad.

 

[gunz.jones]

Xperia play, definitely on verizon, will have the game pad. The pro is a different phone that doesn't have the pad that i remember in the stats. Although, i could always be wrong.

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums

 

[VideoGameMatt]

Xperia play, definitely on verizon, will have the game pad. The pro is a different phone that doesn't have the pad that i remember in the stats. Although, i could always be wrong.

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums

I completely forgot about the pro to be honest haha all i keep hearing about is the play. I stand corrected!

 

[gunz.jones]

I am just bummed they didn't make the phone a power house contender.....no dual core and the video chipset is only so-so....built to be a psp for the mobile user in some sordid sense....eh...i carry a backpack of toys if i go anywhere anyway....

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums

 

[bplewis24]

It sounds like the HTC Merge is truly going to be on Verizon, and if it does, it may have the best keyboard of any phone. Specs-wise, it won't compare to the D3 though.

Brandon

 

[gsu_golfer]

Droid PRO?