- cross-posted to:
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- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
I had two BlackBerry devices for work, right about the time they were going away. I’d heard the keyboard was good on earlier models but it seemed like the quality had gotten pretty cheap on the later phones. The BlackBerry 10 OS on my last phone was actually pretty good, and probably would’ve kept them in the market if they’d launched it 5 years earlier.
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So for 20 years, it wasn’t possible for anyone but BlackBerry to manufacture phones with the revolutionary technology of… checks notes… keyboards, and now that it is irrelevant to modern devices, is free for anyone to use.
Patents should be abolished.
Checks notes, that’s not what happened, no. Tons of phones had/have keyboards.
My 2001-era Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 PDA had the best slide out keyboard ever made, nothing has come close at all. A CF wifi card brought it so close to being a smart phone before there were smart phones.
I would buy it today as a phone if they’d just remake the original with an updated linux with QT equivalent option and updated screen hardware.
I miss phone keyboards so much. I wish I still had a slide out keyboard
With all the craze to make phones super thin, soon they’ll be so thin you could add a sliding keyboard on it, and it’ll be thinner than phones of a year or two ago!
I loved my N900. Think it would be doable right now with that thickness.
They were so fantastic for gaming. I could actually see what was happening on the screen.
SEND IN THE CLONES!
I would unironically love that
What’s special about Blackberry keyboards that every early slider phone didn’t have?
I would love to have something like my HTC G1 again with modern hardware and screen.
It’s hard to explain. The keyboards they built just felt and worked better. They clicked just right, they had the shape right. Once they licensed out production like their Android branded phones it wasn’t as good.
There was a device called Typo that copied their keyboard exactly but attached to iPhone that was good but they must have really copied BB because they got sued into smithereens.
The build quality and tactile feedback were much better. I never owned a BB but the keyboards were definitely something that I envied.
The only one I ever had experience with was the Blackberry Touch that my wife had. It was a total piece of junk and I think she went through 2 or 3 during the warranty period. This was after their heyday, though, when they were trying to jump on the smartphone bandwagon.
Was that the one where the entire screen moved when you pressed it?
Yes like a shitty car infotainment touchscreen from 2008.
I’m guessing OP means the build quality, as defined by the mechanical and material standards that are needed to recreate the keyboard.
Maybe the layout or that little nipple that could work as a mouse.
The first Android phone had the nipple, so must be the layout or something.
The article is absolute trash for not mentioning this. “Their iconic keyboards…” is the closest it gets to describing them.
Thankfully, there is a link to the patent at the end.
Abstract
A keyboard comprising a plurality of transparent keys. In use, the keyboard is attached to a device such as a mobile device, to overlie a display screen of the device. One or more images displayed on the display screen are made visible to a user through the keys, which may be pressed by a user. User input is determined by identifying a pressed key, and the image or part thereof visible through the key when pressed.
Basically a detachable keyboard of transparent material as a display overlay, providing tactile feedback while the LCD allows for backlit and customizable key labels. I don’t remember seeing a practical implementation of this IRL or in media but I might be too young for that.
That sounds pretty rad. I’m almost 40 and haven’t ever seen this either. Perhaps it was just the coke addicted business tycoons of the 1980s and '90s that got to experience this tech.
Even after they stopped producing phones, they could have made a killing licensing the patent to phone case manufacturers.
Wow really I never saw that before, sounds crazy.
So changeable keys on a touchscreen, but with physical buttons on top. Sign me up!
I want the Palm Pre form factor back. Sooo satisfying to slide that thing open or snapping it closed.
Keyboard was ok but not as good as the BB, IMO.
There have been a bunch of other phones and devices using that style of keyboard. I used a Nokia E63 for years. Were they under license? What about the one Lilygo sells now? Maybe whoever manages RIM’s portfolio just stopped caring. Anyway this is kind of interesting. I always liked that keyboard.
Lilygo uses old stock bb keyboards, I think. Looks exactly like the one an employer had me carry.
Any takers? Any?
It’s why somebody make this. They too were missing the keyboard
It looks so flimsy. The size of the keyboard compared to the screen feels like it would be nearly impossible to type on it with the thumbs comfortably and without the phone falling out of your hand.
Edit: Oh no, I just noticed that’s a case. Than makes it even worse. I would not trust that thing to hold my phone in place.
I actually have one and it’s actually SUPER secure. Zero risk of it sliding out. It’s plastic all around and not flimsy rubber.
I had a phone with a physical keyboard that small. Surprisingly easy to work with.
I need this to be a slider.
Oh the sweetest raspberry, mother of jam, What is this abomination?
Looong loooooong maaaaaaaaaaaan
This was hilarious 😭
Clicks.tech keyboard case of you really want to know
$139!
I remember this. Was it a kickstarter?
I can’t find any mention of it being on Kickstarter, but here’s an early promo for it:
https://crackberry.com/clicks-iphone-brings-real-keyboard-back-smartphones
The LG Env2 would have been the perfect smartphone form factor, change my view.
I really enjoyed my Sidekick from TMo. Great device to play Google roulette back when feature phones were king.
But the dual slide on the Helio Ocean was pretty dope too. The screen was just too small for most people to care.
Yes, the sidekick LX was the perfect phone, it’s too bad they shit the bed when they tried to bring it back with Android.
As far as androids with keyboards, the Moto Droid and the HTC G2 really hit the sweet spot. They are tiny little things though compared to current flagships.
Surely you mean the slider style of the Xperia X1 and not the more common folding style of the LG
I had the Motorola droid, it was pretty sweet
It was the first good phone. It was great to have the Verizon marketing thrown at an Android flagship phone.
I used a Q10 as my first phone and I miss the keyboard so much, hopefully someone does something cool now ;)
Remembering the BlackBerry keyboard leads me to remembering the Palm Pre, which had so much potential. In many ways, still my favorite phone ever. It’s sad to see WebOS reduced to Smart TV shit.
I still keep it around. It doesn’t work, but it is such a nice object. That was my favourite phone. I miss interesting phones
I still have mine too, and really for the same reason. It is such a great design, and the aesthetic of a water-smoothed river stone was really cohesive. The Pre was all smooth lines and soft curves. Just gorgeous.
Exactly. I had the pre 3 afterwards, but I kept the original pre
I found one of those in the back of a taxi before my first smartphone.
I read through the guys messages and decided he was an abusive asshat. Kept it, wiped it, used it as an mp3 player until the screen cracked in my back pocket.
To this day I cringe whenever I see someone keeping their phone in a back pocket.
My friend in high school had every palm pre, those things were awesome
I used a Palm Zire 31 and Later a Dell Axim 51v (Windows Mobile) in high school. People thought I was weird, but it kept me organized. I miss how simple and functional those programs were. This was largely pre-enshittification. No built in keyboard on either, but physical buttons alone are a strength.
I got an LG largely because the options were WebOS or shitty proprietary OS.
And yeah, LG haven’t been kind to it.
It was such an innovative Mobile UI for its time, and the physical slide-out keyboard of the Pre, was a really satisfying typing experience. These days, people take for granted that they can dismiss an app by simply “flicking” it up and off the screen on your mobile phone, but that whole visual metaphor and activity came from WebOS. It felt like the first true multi-tasking mobile phone. shucks I miss it.
My Palm Pre people. I loved that phone. It was under powered, buggy, and felt like the future.
Finally we can begin to chip away at BlackBerry’s dominance.
They’ve had it good too long!
Oooh I might look into that once my 3310 dies
Best keyboard I ever had was a Motorola Q. The phone itself was mediocre, but great keyboard.
Yes please I hate fucking virtual keyboards and haptic feedback.
I literally go out of my way to use shit like KDE Connect to not have to type on a shitty phone virtual keyboard
God I don’t know how anyone likes the haptic feedback. Turn that shit off.
Swiping is pretty cool though.
I’ve been swiping for years. I can’t believe no one else in my tight circle does it.
I can’t get my head round it.
Start with swiping not too fast and keep track on prediction bar, you often don’t have to swipe the whole word. You can take breaks mid-swipe, no problem.
Haptic feedback maxed out plus the tap sounds with the volume turned up to 100% is the way to go.
“Boomer mode”
Tagtagtag tag tag tagtag tag tagtagtagtag tag tag tagatagtag
Might as well use a typewriter. https://youtu.be/o4nwe7cW_og
I never tried swiping. Maybe i should look into that.
I hate tapping away on the glass but swiping works okay, until the phone decides a word couldn’t possibly be what you’re trying for. My most recent frustration was New Zealand, which of course worked fine this time.
I use a FOSS (ish) keyboard and it’s not very accurate, but all still way better than typing everything.
I can’t even use they keyboard properly without haptic feedback.
I fucking love haptic feedback. They suck only when the system used is a motor with that circular half-weight thingy. The linear oscillating weight ones are amazing.
I like it if it’s really really subtle. Basically the minimum length vibration, which is 2ms on heliboard.
Anything longer, I find annoying.
Boomers and normies appear to love it.
What keyboard do you use? They are not all the same
Check out Unihertz. Can’t offer any advice or if they’re good, but they look interesting.
Keyboard feels great to use but their current layout sucks majorly
I have a 60% bluetooth keyboard that I’ll use when I need to type on my phone. A pain to carry with me, but taking a whole laptop is sometimes even worse.
60% Bluetooth, but what’s the other 40%?
Magic
Wired USB. If I get some time I’m going to put PS/2 or maybe ADB in it as well just for the fun of it.
(Just in case this is a serious question to someone, 60% refers to the keyboard size, indicating what buttons I have and don’t have compared to a normal keyboard)
Potash
Concentrated power of will.
They’re on discount. You don’t have to pay for the extra 40% of a keyboard.
With our luck? Carcinogens.
Dolomite
It’s the tough black mineral that won’t cop out when there’s heat all about.
Yea looking forward to this kind of keyboard XD
Urgh split keyboards are the worst. Better to have everything in one higher up central position with easy access to entry ports for finer fingering.
You can get these folding keyboards that will fit in a pocket, often have a roughly-cell-phone-sized case.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=folding+keyboard
Still another item to carry, but it might fit the niche you’re looking for better if you’re not happy with hauling a regular 60% keyboard. Larger than those Blackberry-style thumbboards.
I have the protoarc, and it’s awesome. Got it for using with my tablet when I’m stuck in a parking lot (long story) for several hours. Only trouble with it is that the design of the case means you have to use their charger, because the insertable length of the USB c is slightly longer than normal, and the case makes it so a standard USB c won’t fit.
I hate having to have multiple chargers, especially proprietary ones, so I took a knife and carved away the plastic around the charging port, and now I can use whatever USB c I want. Just thought I’d mention, because I’m sure it’ll void the warranty. Lol
