Droid keyboard membrane coming off

[iMatter]

Since everyone is throwing in their build dates... Mine is 39/09. Bubble keys.

 

[herki]

I know 4 different people with Droids, and they all have the same keyboard.

My cousins got his the day it came out (??/09- likely low), I got mine about a week afterwards (42/09), but ordered it the day after it came out, and two of my friends got theirs in about December(44/09). They all have bumped keyboards.
So maybe I just haven't come across a keyboard that's completely flat yet, but regardless I don't think that the way to determine the type is by using build numbers.

This makes no sense unless Motorola had multiple companies building them and they are being shipped from different locations with each their own stock.

I think differing manufacturers might be a more plausible explanation if the build numbers don't form a significant trend.


Whether the keyboard type is determined by build number or manufacturer, I think the odds of getting a Droid with a flat keyboard are pretty slim. I wouldn't worry about losing that if you return it.

 

[sniffs]

That's weird.. I've had to warranty switch out 2 Droid's with flat keyboards and both fo them came back with flat keyboards. these were new devices replaced under the 30 day warranty.

HMM..

 

[tkfox007]

I had ordered mine 8 days after the Droid was launched, build says 44/09 and I have a bubbled keyboard. I don't remember if the keys were flat when I got it or not, I believe they were flat since my Q key is not as raised as the others, it's very flat when compared to the other keys as I hardly every use any words that start with Q. But I think that the buttons are bubbled due to so much use.

I don't think it matters when the phone was made, I think it's a matter of use. Since day 1, I've used the physical keyboard and the keys are bubbled from an insane amount of usage. The keyboard was criticized for being super flat. So I can only assume that people whose keyboards are flat, mostly use the touchscreen keyboard.

 

[johnny99]

I bought my Droid a few weeks ago (build date 50/09). My keyboard is not as "bubbled" as some of the photos I have seen, but when I run my finger over the keyboard, there is a definite bump for each key. I can tell when I'm pressing the center of a key without having to look at the keyboard.

 

[Blueriver]

My Droid's keyboard are very flat, but those keys I use very often (due to gaming) is raised somewhat.

But the fact is, I like those raised keys better. It makes typing whole a lot easier, since I can distinguish the keys without looking at it.

Only problem is, that only happens to regularly used keys, so not all keys are like that.

As long as that does not make any other serious problem, I think it's good for me.

 

[Mrluky]

keyboard

my key board date is 40/09 and my board is raised

 

[Flyguide83]

I have had two with the old build dates one of those had raised keys.I have had two newer builds again one of each keyboards.

 

[kmatheny]

I have the original Droid and I guess I didn't realize that there was a different keyboard on the later Droids. The original doesn't seem to have a problem with the keyboard. I'm a Swype user, so I don't use the hardware keyboard much anymore.

 

[drudometkin]

I'll go ahead and add my 2cents. My g/f and I both got ours launch day. Mine has raised up keys which I love and my g/f has a super flat keyboard. She hardly uses her physical keyboard and I use mine all the time. maybe use has something to do with it.

 

[technicalbuzz]

It seems like there's no rhyme or reason to the raised/flat keyboard in terms of build number. Mine's 44/09 and I have a perfectly flat keyboard. Even after sending about a thousand text messages a month since early December.

 

[GenericMessage]

I've had two Droids (the first one was defective, I got it on release day).

First ones keyboard was very flat, almost no texture at all! Plus the slider was all loose! I could shake the phone open.


I returned it in two weeks. The second one's keyboard had raised letters, like little pillows. And the slider was very solid and clicked nicely.

 

[Dyslexic Entrepreneur]

People, the answer to all your questions about the keyboard keys; raised/bubbly keys are just used keys. They get this way from use. The oil on your skin will act as an accelerator in decaying the keyboard making the keys appear to be raised, but they are not. It is the outside area of each key that over time with use will start to fall down. This happens because there is only support under the center of the key, thus giving the appearance of raised keys, but in fact they are just used. So when you buy or get a replacement Droid and the keyboard is flat, it is bran new or just has not been used.

 

[NickF227]

Wait, some of the Droids had Raised keys?

If I knew this I would've gotten the Moto Droid. =/

 

[GenericMessage]

People, the answer to all your questions about the keyboard keys; raised/bubbly keys are just used keys. They get this way from use. The oil on your skin will act as an accelerator in decaying the keyboard making the keys appear to be raised, but they are not. It is the outside area of each key that over time with use will start to fall down. This happens because there is only support under the center of the key, thus giving the appearance of raised keys, but in fact they are just used. So when you buy or get a replacement Droid and the keyboard is flat, it is bran new or just has not been used.

This actually makes sense 0_0

 

[GivenToFly]

my build date is 48/09 and my keyboard is completely flat. I knew the droid keyboard was horrid before I bought it, used the keyboard once, and never again, especially since swype. Checking my keyboard is the first time I've even slid my phone open in over a month.

I'd be inclined to agree with the wear issue. especially if some people are getting refurb phones as warranty exchanges with bubbled keys.

 

[iMatter]

This actually makes sense 0_0

I disagree- Well, at least In my case my keys were never flat. Or even close to some other Droids I have held in my hand. The keyboard had a break-in period, but regardless, mine was never in the "Flat Keyboard" category.

 

[BerkleyJ]

I disagree- Well, at least In my case my keys were never flat. Or even close to some other Droids I have held in my hand. The keyboard had a break-in period, but regardless, mine was never in the "Flat Keyboard" category.

Same here. You can tell just by looking at it that's it's a difference in design not just use.

 

[Mr. Z]

i went to bestbuy to check out droids back in december. I was coming from an lg voyager so i was spoiled and i knew what a good keyboard was. the display droid they had for people to play with had a flat keyboard, and i had a real hard time typing on it. it had the battery removed, so i went up to the phone guy to ask him if he could put the battery in so i could use it. instead he just handed me one from behind his desk, which was on. I suddenly noticed a difference in the usability of the keyboard. When i asked him, he said he had noticed the same thing.

So, the one that is out for everyone to play with, and had the most wear and tear and usage, had FLAT KEYS, and the one behind the desk used a fraction of the time, had a raised keyboard. My build date is 54/09, and i have a raised. Motorola clearly heard complaints about camera and keyboard from reviews, so they software updated the camera and released a new series with better, raised keyboards. There is no way this could be based off of wear/tear, unless of course if my entire story was an illfounded lie. which it is not.

 

[Mr. Z]

i went to bestbuy to check out droids back in december. I was coming from an lg voyager so i was spoiled and i knew what a good keyboard was. the display droid they had for people to play with had a flat keyboard, and i had a real hard time typing on it. it had the battery removed, so i went up to the phone guy to ask him if he could put the battery in so i could use it. instead he just handed me one from behind his desk, which was on. I suddenly noticed a difference in the usability of the keyboard. When i asked him, he said he had noticed the same thing.

So, the one that is out for everyone to play with, and had the most wear and tear and usage, had FLAT KEYS, and the one behind the desk used a fraction of the time, had a raised keyboard. My build date is 54/09, and i have a raised. Motorola clearly heard complaints about camera and keyboard from reviews, so they software updated the camera and released a new series with better, raised keyboards. There is no way this could be based off of wear/tear, unless of course if my entire story was an illfounded lie. which it is not.