Seriously Verizon?!? Are you releasing ANY new phones with Keyboards?

[shoot2scre]

CES has come and gone and it seems as though EVERY big release was a touch-only model. Does anyone know if Verizon plans on releasing ANY new, high-end android models with a Keyboard? I love my OG Droid, can't bring myself to buy a Droid2 (for obvious reasons) and I'm itching for a new phone. My 1 year contract ran up in November and I'm still waiting for something to release that I like. Anyone seen anything on the horizon?

 

[Skull One]

The sheeple don't want physical keyboards. These are the excuses I have heard so far.

Makes the phone too big.

I want a bigger screen not a keyboard.

Sliders break (and they mention LG Chocolates).

 

[mjforte]

CES has come and gone and it seems as though EVERY big release was a touch-only model. Does anyone know if Verizon plans on releasing ANY news, high-end android models with a Keyboard? I love my OG Droid, can't bring myself to buy a Droid2 (for obvious reasons) and I'm itching for a new phone. My 1 year contract ran up in November and I'm still waiting for something to release that I like. Anyone seen anything on the horizon?

I feel the same way you do. I hope a phone with the specs of the Bionic or better with a keyboard is announced sometime soon.

Sent from my Droid using DroidForums App

 

[shoot2scre]

The sheeple don't want physical keyboards. These are the excuses I have heard so far.

Makes the phone too big.

I want a bigger screen not a keyboard.

Sliders break (and they mention LG Chocolates).

My Droid is only slightly thicker than most keyboard-less phones...

If you make the screen bigger, say 4 inches, and use a newer/better tech like AMOLED (thinner bezel) wouldn't that just give you more room to spread out the guts of the phone... giving a better bigger keyboard, in a hypothetically smaller overall package?

I haven't had a single problem with my Droid as far as the sliding mechanism goes.


Am I going to have to just buy the friggin Atrix or Bionic? I mean... I really don't want a 4.3 inch screen without a keyboard. It's too big to justify taking up all that pocket space without also giving me the utility of a physical keyboard. I'm honestly so frustrated. I've been itching to buy a new phone since November and Verizon just won't release anything that makes me want to give them my money. =(

 

[garrett]

see i'm the complete opposite I've had the OG droid since it came out and cant stand the keyboard its a complete train wreck. I could probably count on one hand how many times I've actually used it for more then just pressing X to get into recovery. The only reason i got the droid with a KB was because i came from a blackberry and was used to having one but as soon as i saw how un-usable the Droid KB is i converted really quick.

 

[cereal killer]

Supposedly there is a phone out there(development/testing) made by Motorola going by the code name of Solana that will have one.

This comes from a reliable source on HoFo but please keep in mind that it's possible it won't see the light of day. I will say though that I believe it will simply because of the reason you just stated (no physical keyboards announced or known)

Just as the Droid 2 global was released I think this phone will make it to market, maybe as the Droid 3? Pure rumor and speculation ofcourse

 

[Shadez]

Thats what Im waiting for, the mega super super deluxe fragalistic phone WITH a keyboard, front camera and everything else that can be included, optical eye scanner, projector, hdmi...

 

[Skull One]

Pure rumor and speculation of course

That's what this place thrives on sometimes

 

[cereal killer]

Here's the link and discussion on that rumored device

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-news/101189-rumor-motorola-solana.html

 

[Grimster]

There are three main reasons why phones with hardware keyboard and being phased out.

1. Hardware keyboards have been shown to be for people who have limited/poor hand-eye coordination. These people are a minority and studies have shown that these types of people require the extra sense of feeling a physical key to accurately acknowledge location where as normal people only require the physical movement of the thumb to accurately acknowledge a location of a virtual key on a screen. If you have trouble using on-screen keyboards then unfortunately you fall into this category of dysfunction.

2. On-screen keyboards are ridiculously faster to type on than the slow pressing of hardware buttons.

3. Hardware keyboards make phones massively thick which people do not want.

Im sure there will still be new hardware keyboard based phones for sale but only on mid-to-low end phones from now on.

 

[icculusX]

I have the D1... I refuse to upgrade until there is a new good phone with a qwerty. No offence to touch keyboards, but I SUCK at them... (

and yes I owned one for like 2 months could never get used to it)

 

[huskerkate]

those are some pretty bold, broad statements Grim. personally, i can use a virtual keyboard just fine. i'm actually faster with it than a physical keyboard. BUT, i would still like to have a physical keyboard, with the primary reason being screen real estate. accuracy, in sending emails to business clients, is another. and, concerning the Solana, there remains the possibility that the physical keyboard may be capacitive/touch, and not have moving parts hardware. imo, this would be perfect blend - the sensitivity and speed of an on-screen keyboard, while allowing plenty of screen real estate (for editing docs, selecting text, etc).

 

[shoot2scre]

There are three main reasons why phones with hardware keyboard and being phased out.

1. Hardware keyboards have been shown to be for people who have limited/poor hand-eye coordination. These people are a minority and studies have shown that these types of people require the extra sense of feeling a physical key to accurately acknowledge location where as normal people only require the physical movement of the thumb to accurately acknowledge a location of a virtual key on a screen. If you have trouble using on-screen keyboards then unfortunately you fall into this category of dysfunction.

2. On-screen keyboards are ridiculously faster to type on than the slow pressing of hardware buttons.

3. Hardware keyboards make phones massively thick which people do not want.

Im sure there will still be new hardware keyboard based phones for sale but only on mid-to-low end phones from now on.

I have no problem with virtual keyboards... its merely preference... that and I can type blindly on a physical keyboard. I can't do that on a virtual one. The real-estate available also plays a roll. I like being able to read/re-read an email and make changes without sacrificing 1/3 of my screen.

Speed-wise... I've never thought to myself, 'Damn, if only it took me 8 seconds instead of 14 to type that text/email, I could die a happy man'...

And that size argument is cyclical. The OG droid isn't SOOO thick that it's a nuisance. Not to mention that it's old. Surely the newer displays and newer internals will allow for a thinner shell, while still accommodating the same tech.

 

[AngryHatter]

I got my droid precisely for the keyboard.
Then I found Swype - I don't need one, anymore.

 

[BlueSami]

I think something like this belongs in this thread!:noupstoday01:
:icon_rolleyes: