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Why I’m using a keyboard phone in 2023

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Re: Why I’m using a keyboard phone in 2023

#31

I miss the keyboard on the HTC Dream/T-Mobile G1[0], it hid behind the screen until you needed it, so there was no need to sacrifice screen or keyboard size. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Dream

Aren't sliding keyboards dust traps?

I'm pretty hard on phones - I tend to end up having to pick all the dirt and sawdust out of my charging and headphone ports a couple of times a year. But somehow I don't remember having issues with dust in keyboards. I think on a lot of them the keys were all one piece of flexible plastic so there wasn't really a way in.

Re: Why I’m using a keyboard phone in 2023

#32

I miss my N900. On screen keyboards are a PITA, they have zero haptic feedback and I constantly end up fat fingering all over the place.

I don't miss my N900; I still use it. I do not use it so much as a phone and more as a pocket computer. Install PostmarketOS on it with Emacs. Made a configuration that is very comfortable with the keyboard. I actually use daily, using it to write my journal, emails, have Telegram working on it within Emacs. Even whip it out in the train now and again to do some explorative coding. My favorite use of it is writing down my dreams at night. I can do this blind at night, don't have to look at the keyboard or screen which is excellent for dream recall.

For all these things the device is perfect. Though actually browsing the web with a modern browser is a no-go it is simply too slow. Would give a lot for a modern replacement. I have looked into the Gemini PDA though it is not the same as you need to put that device down on a surface to really use it. Not so with the Nokia N900. If anybody knows of a modern equivalent, please tell me.

Re: Why I’m using a keyboard phone in 2023

#34
I had the "blackberry key one" from 2017 to 2018 and I really loved it. Like the Titan it had a keyboard, but it was an otherwise normal sized phone with a passable camera. Unfortunately it broke after one year, basically it split in half. I was hoping Blackberry would continue iterating on the design and I looked forward to buying a future, sturdier version but from what I can tell they abandoned that.

So... When I saw the kickstarter for the Titan I was excited. I have one in my desk but have never used it as my daily driver. I think the author really undersells how bad the out of the box experience is with this phone, sure Instagram stories look bad, I expected that. What I didn't expect is that almost all of the "optimized" apps that came pre-installed on the phone are poorly integrated with the screensize and keyboard. Furthermore, the keyboard is hard to type on! I mean physically, the keys are difficult to press down. I assume if I used this phone more frequently, this problem would resolve itself.

At the end of the day I don't regret buying the phone though. I have been an Android developer for around a decade and it's depressing how little experimentation is done with the hardware these days.

Re: Why I’m using a keyboard phone in 2023

#35

Pinephone is saving the world here[0]. [0] https://pine64.com/product/pinephone-pinephone-pro-keyboard-...

Yeah I got a Pinephone for this exact peripheral and it doesn't even correctly fit the size of the phone. Not universal for all their phones so beware.

I have the original Pinephone and haven't sprung for this yet so thanks for the heads up.

Re: Why I’m using a keyboard phone in 2023

#36

I miss my N900. On screen keyboards are a PITA, they have zero haptic feedback and I constantly end up fat fingering all over the place.

N900 was the last phone I had with physical keys too, and I miss being able to type on it quickly and accurately, in a way I just haven't been able to on Android or iOS devices.

There was a lot else good about that phone too - a full-fat gnu/linux device that actually fulfilled its basic requirements to function as a phone! Terminal as standard :)

Re: Why I’m using a keyboard phone in 2023

#37
post #27

From the image, it looks like the author taps, 2007-style, rather than swiping: https://duet-cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0x0:600x338/1080x608/fi...

I don’t think that’s a weakness — having done both, I went back to tapping on iOS. I find it easier to type without looking at the keyboard that way.

Re: Why I’m using a keyboard phone in 2023

#38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there a specific shake pattern? I use twist for camera and handshake chop for flashlight

I’d love a shake pattern for flashlight on iOS!

It's really handy, I don't generally even use the flashlight in my pocket when I have one on me, but somehow the phone gesture flashlight gets used about 10-20x daily, even for walking into a room without hitting the light switch, since the phone is in my hand.

Re: Why I’m using a keyboard phone in 2023

#39

I miss the keyboard on the HTC Dream/T-Mobile G1[0], it hid behind the screen until you needed it, so there was no need to sacrifice screen or keyboard size. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Dream

Oh, I loved that phone. The phone was bulky, but it never seemed like too much in the pocket. And there's something to be said for the satisfying click as you flipped open the phone.

Ours are now play "phones" for the kids, and they still have that satisfying click 15 years later. I now swipe type faster than I could type on that thing, but I did love it at the time.
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