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Apple iPhone 3G with slide-out QWERTY keyboard: is it needed?

By: Peter Chubb | July 3, 2008 | 20 Comments


We all know how popular the new 3G Apple iPhone will be one it reaches stores, but it looks as though Apple are already working on a newer iPhone. This new handset will come with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and Insider Apple sources report that there is already a prototype currently on show. Although many of us normal users will not be interested in a QWERTY keyboard, it seems as if Apple is targeting this new iPhone at the enterprise market.

If Apple does launch the new Apple iPhone 3G with slide-out QWERTY keyboard, then this would mean that the iPhone would be see wider business world acceptance. It is not a done deal yet, but Apple has been canvassing the idea to phone operators, they have been asking the question “If you had a keyboard version, how many would you take?”.

There have also been reports that Apple have sent out prototypes to senior executives inside the operators, just to try and gauge what they think. However; the keyboard on these early models are said to have a few issues, which have not yet been resolved.

Myself, I am happy with my touchscreen version, but if they did come up with an iPhone 3G with slide-out QWERTY keyboard, then Apple might just hit gold with corporate buyers. It seems as if there is no stopping the Apple iPhone, many cell phone makers have tried to say that their latest handsets will be an iPhone killer, so it goes to show that the iPhone is still the benchmark.

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  • joe

    woah!! i didn’t no that Apple teamed up with microsoft to slap on a QWERTY keyboard from the HTC Wing/Tilt

  • Aaron

    i think that a sliding keyboard is a stupid idea personally,
    i know that phones have sliding features and all, but also
    more and more phones have a touch screen part on it,
    so having one on an iphone takes the purpose of being a touch-screen
    phone. if you want a part touch/slide phone then go get one,
    but i think it would be better to just have an iphone that you can type with
    a qwerty keyboard. i also think that i needs to record video, and have live tv.

    and it would be nice to simply copy and paste,
    and send and recieve multi-media messages

    and it should have a lower price, to me $199 isnt that bad but there are other
    full touch screen phones that are better and cheaper, so that should be one
    of the things to change.

    people get mad that they dont have insurance, but there are things about
    the iphone that a whole lot of people dont know.

    if you break your iphone, you just simply take it to an apple store and they
    give you a new one COMPLETELY free.

    a bad thing on the money side with the iphone is lets just say you
    want a different phone ? well Apple charges an extra $200 to cancel the phone,
    and when you get the phone you have to pay a $200 with the actual price
    for the internet even if you dont want internet,

    so if i want to get an 8G and cancel , it woul be a full $600, and
    if i want to get a 16G it would be $700.

    and FOR SURE, that is not worth the price.

    and there are just waaaay too many hidden fees on the phone

    Apple is strict on the phone

  • http://google Sarah

    i think you really should make that phone because for that would be the pefect phone. Its a touch screen it has a slide out qwerty keyboard for which i prefer. And as long as long s its affordable especially with the econemy right now i would and everyone i know would certainly buy one.

  • MMansonFan08

    omg i think the iphone with a slide out keyboard is a AWESOME idea! i want a cell with a touch screen and a slide out keyboard….i was wanting an iphone but i wanted a slide out keyboard on it…. when is it cumin outt??? i want is asap….. :) )))

  • mark

    suggestion if apples going to do this make 2 different types of the phone one with qwerty keyboard and the other with no qwerty that way everyones happy

  • Shane

    Love the Photoshop job of combining a HTC keyboard with an Apple iPhone!

  • Paula-Marie Cross

    Suggested improvements to the iPhone:

    5 megapixel camera, with zoom and flash
    option of forwarding text messages
    option of cut and paste
    videoing
    a range of colours, including colour-coding of the front so it matches the back colour.

  • streetlegend

    I was ready to get a G1 Phone but I’ll wait and see if Apple makes some must needed improvements to the iphone. But yeah…qwerty keyboard would be sweet.

  • Pink Lotus

    A qwerty keyboard would be the icing on the cake! Being that a large part of the market is on facebook, twitter, myspace, texting & emailing the keyboard would make it easier & faster to type both of which are important to this cluster of people (me included).

  • http://www.horizontal-paul.com Paul Simpson

    If they did add a Qwerty keyboard I be interested for the first time. I have already decided that my next phone will be a slide out qwerty.

  • dkie

    I have an HTC Tytn (Its Qwerty is featured in this article with the Iphone lol) and I have to say a keypad with an iphone would definitely push me to get one.
    People who don’t have a qwerty dont realize how much more convenient and finger friendly it is that having full out touchscreen.
    A qwerty coupled with the widespread support of the iphone would make this phone truly dominant (even more than it already is).

  • http://whatever hammad

    wow.. an iphone with a qwerty is my dream.. the only thing i hate the most about my lovely iphone is that it doesn’t have an actual qwerty.. so when i am browsing my blog or some social site and need to type around on the website, the inscreen keyboard covers the whole page.. so i have to switch to my n97.. n97 is an awesome mobile btw.. i haven’t experienced any bugs/problems with it.. but still iphone has superior internal hardware.. which makes it perform faster and smoother..
    and i don’t know what’s with apple fans.. if you don’t accept any downsides in apple products, it’ll never get better.. so simply accepting that iphone really need a real qwerty won’t damage anything..

  • Dean Anders

    First of all, I want to note that I’m Macbook and Itouch owner, but our house uses blackberry phones.

    That said, I am so tired of Apple and many of you who say a physical qwerty not needed, stupid even.

    What the hell? Is it just pure product usage/ui arrogance / elitism? There is a good market of customers who would buy an iphone in a flash if it had it, so why not appease a portion of the market? Simple economics, I’d say. And if Apple did do it, I’m sure they would provide the best slider keyboard that’s possible, even to the point of making it even better.

    Meanwhile, people go to Google Droid and MS*/HTC HD Touches…why? in many cases because they want and use a slider keyboard.

    I have an itouch, and yes, the touch screen is ok, but it is no where near as fast and it takes time to somewhat get it working well. That said, why can’t the product just work for most people right away, say with a real keyboard?

  • Britt

    There are a multitude of touch phones w/slide out keyboards, pls get one of them. A slide out keyboard would ruin the sleek line of the iPhone. I pray they never, ever do such an awful thing. IMHO

  • Susan

    One of the reasons I don't have an iPhone yet is BECAUSE of the lack of the QWERTY keyboard. I am really hoping they make a new iPhone with this feature – make it reasonably affordable, and I will be sure to be getting one of these!! Til then, I will stick with my Palm Centro.

  • Sara

    I reAlllllyy think they should get the slide out qwerty keyboard, I was really wanting the iPhone but I don’t like texting on touch screen, so I would love if they got a qwerty keyboard. They should make it like the apple Mac keyboard, that would be sweet! I’m really hoping they go with it!

  • QWERTY Fail.

    To small for most people, that QWERTY will be a fail :-/

  • Eric

    I agree with Sara. Texting on a touch-screen is very tough. Seems like a great idea, in my opinion. I believe that the person who makes a slide-out QWERTY keyboard on the iPhone will make a LOT of money.

  • Natalie germanotta

    I have an iphone,ive had it for 3 months, and now gutted to see an iphone with an QWERTY board !!

    im only 12 aswell!

    but at least im getting a imac to myself!

    And , i think iphones with a qwerty board is an good idea, some people are want an iphone, and used to qwerty board phones, and some people are used to touchscreen phones! so now everyone can have an iphone :)

  • deepak

    if apple wanted to overtake nokia in indian market then they should reduse their price tag value is the best business approach