Getting New Phone - Phones with touch pad or slider Keyboard

[fingaz]

So after two years of having my Droid Eris (ugh) I get to finally grow up and get a real Droid! But, I am not really too enthused by these new phones.

Looking at the new phones... it seems that do they not make any with slider keyboards and/or touch pads. I love the roller ball on my phone. Makes it really easy to navigate around the screen, especially on websites. I have seen the some phones that have the touch pad (like on blackberries) or the optical joystick (as in the Droid Incredible) but, it seems that all the newest phones do not have any sort of input (other than the touch screen).

This is frustrating to me. One of the reasons I we with an Android phone is because of this feature. Its one thing that I hated with the iPhone. They didn't have any input other than the touch screen and now Android phones seem to just copy the iPhone.

Alternatively, the slider keyboard has directional keys on it. This would replicate the movements of the touch pad on the face of the phone... but I don't see many slider phones (except the droid 3) but it isn't a 4g phone. Also, I used to have a slider Windows Mobile phone and I think I want to get back to that.


So my question is:
Are there any Verizon 4g phones with touch pads(or the like) and/or slider keyboards coming out in the next few months?

 

[dezymond]

Rumor is Droid 4 is supposedly finished ans possibly release soon. Has a nice looking keyboard and with 4g.

Only downside I can see of it is that it doesn't have a removable battery

Sent from Droid Incredible via Droidforums app

 

[REMilk]

The Droid 4, not yet available, will have a slide-out keyboard and it will be 4G.

 

[baldybill]

I'm also struggling with this. Yes, the droid4 will be impressive : dual core, front facing cam, 4g physical keyboard. My problem is that I like the physical keyboard, but then something is sacrificed: like speed, or screen size.

Sent from my OG Droid

 

[fingaz]

Ahh, does anyone know when the Droid 4 will come out? Was looking on google and didn't see anything. Plus, it better have ICS on it. Not paying for a brand new phone that's already old.

But other than the slider keyboards... I guess all the phone companies did away with track pads and optical joysticks??? Maybe its just my small screen on my ****ty Eris (or my fat fingers) but sometimes the touch screen isn't that great especially when selecting text to edit or links on the internet. I love that I can scroll around with the roller ball on the Eris.

 

[dezymond]

No word on release of D4, but once that news or another rumor comes out it'll be in our News section for sure

As an inc owner I use the trackball more than I thought it would and it is a very helpful tool, no new phones have this option though.

As for ICS, the Razr will get it "early 2012" according to Moto, what they consider early is up in the air.