Slider lovers, come dream with me or tell me I'm crazy

[oldpueblo]

This is a history lesson/rant, skip to the bottom if you just want the question. I've used many different smartphone devices over the last year, and despite loving them all I have yet to find "the one true device" for me. All have come close, but all have had me wishing for some minor changes to make them perfect. Below is my list in order of use:

Touch Pro 2 - Loved the speakerphone, it's keyboard still cannot be beat, tilting was great, but it's OS is WinMo 6.5. I actually loved this phone including WinMo, but it was a dead OS and it just couldn't hang with the new crowd. I was incredibly happy that the Froyo port for it was so far along, but it's still not in a good enough state for me to use it as a business device.

Droid Incredible - First initiation into Android, I was amazed at the speed and the OS flexibility. But I hated not having a hardware keyboard, and to this day still can't type as fast as I could on the TP2.

Galaxy Tab - Excellent tablet, this went with me everywhere in my pocket and the 3G always being on made me rarely use my smartphone for smart type things. This was my first realization that a large screen really speeds up browsing/content consumption with less panning/zooming. If this had a hardware keyboard it would be even better.

Droid 1 (borrowed) - I borrowed this just to get my hands on an Android device with a keyboard. Slapped on Gingerbread (GPA14) and overclocked it to 1Ghz and it was a great device. I ended up going back to my DInc though because the keys on the keyboard were as bad to me as using the onscreen on the DInc (mushy/had to push hard) and I missed SenseUI.

EVO Shift 4G (borrowed) - Perfection! Almost. This phone is as close as I've seen to what I want in a device, but I find myself having been ruined by the Galaxy Tab. If only it had a larger screen.


tld;dr - I wish there were a 4-4.3 inch device with a slide-out keyboard running SenseUI, basically a slider EVO 4G or a Thunderbolt. If there were such a device, would you buy it? Even if you hated Sense you could always wipe it and just put an AOSP ROM on it. I'm hoping to send a message (probably won't get there) to manufacturers that there is still a crowd that want a keyboard. Will my dreams ever come true Internet? The closest I can think of is the Epic 4G, but I love Sense too much.

PS - A 4.3 ASUS Transformer with the same keyboard dock option would be sweet.

 

[lafester]

merge has 3.8" just like tp2.
epic has 4.0" and is about as big as you'd want and still fit in your pocket. no sense though.

 

[oldpueblo]

After putting a Galaxy Tab in my pocket regularly, you'd be surprised what I'd be willing to try. Yeah the Epic's the closest so far but sadly no Sense and I'm not a fan of Samsung's update history. Still, at least it exists. We just need more of them now.

 

[the one and only M]

I'd buy a 4.3 slider as long as it was reasonably thin.

 

[Timelessblur]

I will say after having my Atrix for a week the biggest thing I miss about my blackberry is the keyboard. I mean I REALLY miss the keyboard. I wish they made a good android phone with a slide out keyboard. I am willing to give up that keyboard for blackberry but I still REALLY and I mean REALLY miss my keyboard.

 

[ravenlore]

4 would be about as big as i'd want to go. Fortunately, it sounds like the D3 will be a 4.

 

[cthunder]

Unless the kybd on the D3 has drastically changed. I won't be getting one. I don't know what the problem is with Motorola but they make the worst physical kybds to day. I tried the D1 and D2 Global. I just can't stand the kybds. Like oldpueblo stated, the keys just seem mushy and hard.

 

[oldpueblo]

Yeah I've already disqualified the D3 based on that, HTC knows how to make a good keyboard (TP2/EVO Shift).

 

[calz]

I just wished there was a Nexus device with a physical keyboard. That will be awesome.

 

[Finsol]

If you're hell bent on a physical keyboard then the epic 4g is what you're looking for. may not have sense but ADW EX launcher has sense features built into it and it can't be beat.

I was like you at one time, all about physical keyboards but after getting my DX I could care less about that. My brother feels the same way about it with his vibrant coming from a blackberry.

Personally I would never get a samsung phone, but I guess sometimes you gotta deal with it.

 

[Morpheus#AC]

Hope is on the horizon

The Droid 3 keyboard does in fact look to be much improved over the previous 3 iterations. Specifically, there are 5 rows (Huzzah!), and the buttons appear to have a more pronounced hump. Unfortunately, still they appear to be pretty cramped. Still, if you look at the photos and take into account the screen is now 4 inches and the "droid lip" appears to be smaller, this may be the biggest and best droid keyboard by a decent margin.

The HTC doubleshot aka the Mytouch 4g slide will also have a physical keyboard (and reportedly a boss processor, too). Though it is likely to be either 3.7 or 3.8 inches (3.8 is the size of the current mytouch 4g screen), HTC has made some wondergul keyboards in the past, none the least of which was the mytouch 3g slide.

Still your best bet may be the G-Infinity that is rumored to come out sometime in Q$ on Tmo. Though we literally know nothing about this phone, to this point both cycles of the G series phones (the og G1, and the G2/X) have begun with a handset that comes equipped with a physical keyboard. *Fingers Crossed*

Here's a question though, if you have a phone as big as the Samsung Hercules (4.5 in screen), do you even need a hard keyboard, or at that size is a soft keyboard no longer a drawback?

 

[jordanetodd]

My evo shift 4g is soooo great, I just miss the big screen. Otherwise the keyboard is easily better than the touch pro 2, and I'm running the new gingerbread sense leak for it and I'm totally in love with the new sense functionality, as well as the fluidity of the phone as a whole. Its reasonably thin, and built like a brick sh*t house. Going to be switching to t mobile soon, and I know even though the sidekick 4g is nice, it will never be the same as this phone I'm using now.

 

[balthuszar]

Unless the kybd on the D3 has drastically changed. I won't be getting one. I don't know what the problem is with Motorola but they make the worst physical kybds to day. I tried the D1 and D2 Global. I just can't stand the kybds. Like oldpueblo stated, the keys just seem mushy and hard.

based on pictures of the D3 moto has finally gotten the keyboard correct...Motorola Droid 3

 

[kingofthe718]

try a Epic 4G. root it. flash CM7. then use Launcher Pro Plus as a home replacement. LPP has almost all the sense (looking) widgets, and with all the skinning and icons you can use with it, you can make it look EXACTLY like sense... the only other thing you would need it to use Fancy Widget Pro for the clock and BOOM, you're set.

 

[anon(214110)]

If it's going to be bigger than the Epic/Thunderbolt size, I'd go "candybar" style and put the keyboard on the front and make the screen AMOLED with high-res definition ... essentially a souped-up Motorola Pro.

Otherwise, getting over 4" with a slider makes the device in your hand REALLY large when open. The Epic currently pushes the limit, and as an Epic user, I think its a bit large. Also, thickness at that size becomes bulky for the pockets or even holster.

 

[funkmaster]

Sounds good to me. Please make it with a good keyboard.

I currently have the G2 and I have to say it is quite a capable phone even by today's standards... It is amazing how much technology changes in 6 months! By the time you get your 4-4.3inch slider, someone will release into production a quad core chip and you will be drooling again

Personally, l am going to sit tight with what I have until this AT&T-Mo garbage gets sorted out.

My only gripe about the G2 is that I find myself really missing the keyboard of my G1. Maybe it is the 5th row of keys, the feel or layout, but I really prefer it to the G2. I played around with a friends Epic and really didn't care for the feel or their keyboard.

What the heck - my phone plays Netflix..

 

[rickhamilton620]

I sure would, I know the Droid 3's keyboard is "better" but the layout seems odd and keys cramped.

As usual, Moto will biff it with Blur too blecchhh.

I'd love a 4+ inch slider with a great keyboard.

 

[dyslexicbunny]

I really wanted one (Merge) but after playing with the Charge, I didn't have a big problem with the touch keyboard. I'd still rather have a keyboard but I also love the bigger screen. Plus, I'd prefer to lock into unlimited LTE now. If they offer an LTE slider down the road, I might make the jump. We'll see.

 

[jrz5024]

try a Epic 4G. root it. flash CM7. then use Launcher Pro Plus as a home replacement. LPP has almost all the sense (looking) widgets, and with all the skinning and icons you can use with it, you can make it look EXACTLY like sense... the only other thing you would need it to use Fancy Widget Pro for the clock and BOOM, you're set.

^ This. LPP is clearly modeled after Sense, and with the latest update that includes widget and icon skinning, you can download free skins that look identical to it. LPP is way more customizable than Sense, but also much less bloated.

Plus, when you go Epic, you get SAMOLED.... can't beat that screen.

 

[cckgz4]

I heard the new Samsung Sidekick has the best qwerty keyboard