HTC Moving Away From Physical Keyboards on Phones

[bourgeoisdude]

[citation][nom]phatboe[/nom]Why out of all the phones in Verizon's line up there is only one phone with a QWERTY keyboard is beyond me (DROID).[/citation]

Stratosphere? I'm pretty sure there's others too...

 

[eddieroolz]

Virtual keyboard is the downfall of everything good about the smartphone. I don't want to have to fight to input data.

 

[halcyon]

There's always blackberry....

 

[halcyon]

[citation][nom]SRRAE[/nom]I also hate it when people and articles make it sound like Apple invented the smartphone, when in fact they had been around well before that. Virtual keyboard, touch screens, front facing camera, video calls, the ability to download apps, listen to music all have been around for about 10 years but yet people give all the credit to apple.[/citation]

Some think that Apple didn't necessarily invent the smartphone...that Apple just made it enjoyable and useful. I know there was the Palm Treo and the whatchamacallit phone before the iPhone...for some reason some people think the iPhone made the technologies you listed more usable.

I can't imagine why anyone would think this though.

 

[Verrin]

I'm still waiting for an ICS QWERTY phone to replace my Galaxy Ace. I wouldn't mind something like the Galaxy S Glide, but it's still missing some key hardware features I'm looking for (that and I don't want to have to deal with Rogers to get it). But with this move from HTC, I'm guaranteed to never be their customer ever again. My dream phone just doesn't exist right now. I think touch screens are a good way to input some form of data, but not all. They aren't suited for typing or high speed input. It's like the difference between an analog stick and a d-pad-- you can usually accomplish the same kind of functionality with the d-pad, but if you want precision and accuracy, you're going to opt for the analog stick. And I prefer the touchscreen for other forms of input, just not typing.

 

[headscratcher]

Seems like one of the main things that people do with "smart" phones is message and post crap to facebook. A physical keyboard would seem to be a desirable feature.

People dog blackberry, but use a Bold for messaging and communication and tell me it isn't better than an iPhone. I have used both. Much rather type on a Bold.

 

[halcyon]

[citation][nom]headscratcher[/nom]Seems like one of the main things that people do with "smart" phones is message and post crap to facebook. A physical keyboard would seem to be a desirable feature.People dog blackberry, but use a Bold for messaging and communication and tell me it isn't better than an iPhone. I have used both. Much rather type on a Bold.[/citation]
+1

If you have a lot to text a blackberry seems way better than an iPhone. Its not until you want to do something besides text that a blackberry leaves you've frustrated and it lack of ability.

 

[alidan]

[citation][nom]halcyon[/nom]Some think that Apple didn't necessarily invent the smartphone...that Apple just made it enjoyable and useful. I know there was the Palm Treo and the whatchamacallit phone before the iPhone...for some reason some people think the iPhone made the technologies you listed more usable. I can't imagine why anyone would think this though.[/citation]

iphone would have been as big a failure if it wanst for the ipod.

[citation][nom]Verrin[/nom]I'm still waiting for an ICS QWERTY phone to replace my Galaxy Ace. I wouldn't mind something like the Galaxy S Glide, but it's still missing some key hardware features I'm looking for (that and I don't want to have to deal with Rogers to get it). But with this move from HTC, I'm guaranteed to never be their customer ever again. My dream phone just doesn't exist right now. I think touch screens are a good way to input some form of data, but not all. They aren't suited for typing or high speed input. It's like the difference between an analog stick and a d-pad-- you can usually accomplish the same kind of functionality with the d-pad, but if you want precision and accuracy, you're going to opt for the analog stick. And I prefer the touchscreen for other forms of input, just not typing.[/citation]

with the dpad... you could make it pressure sensitive with a 15% dead zone on the top and bottom of the pressure scales, and probably get as good of precision as the analogue sticks... and probably better... i cant tell you how often controllers need to be replaced because of thumbs getting loose, or rubber grip being rubbed away, or fingers slipping off, they cant do that with a dpad. hell if you had a pressure sensitive 8 way d pad, i dont think analogue could match that... at least with how small they currently are.

 

[Guest]

Good for her!!!

 

[halcyon]

The only HTC phone I've ever had was the Evo 4G....that was my first dive into Android...it wasn't long before I missed the iPhone.

 

[sync_nine]

Meh Blackberry fanboys want physical keypads....

 

[alegomaster]

There is a reason why I decided to go with an older single core phone instead of a dual core phone, and that is the fact that the single core had a physical keyboard. Desire z ftw

 

[alegomaster]

There is a reason why I decided to go with an older single core phone instead of a dual core phone, and that is the fact that the single core had a physical keyboard. Desire z ftw

 

[halcyon]

I think at least one oem besides blackberry will offer a phone with a keyboard. So keyboard fans should be okay.