It seems to be another rumor claiming that Apple is developing another version of iPhone, which is an iPhone equipped with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.
The keyboarded iPhone is specially made to compete in the market which has been dominated by BlackBerry. The keyboarded iPhone is surely not to target the consumer marker. As consumers are already used to typing on the iPhone’s touchscreen.
The keyboarded version is to target office workers or executives who prefer typing on a full-sized QWERTY instead of the touchscreen.
In order to maintain almost the same size with the existing version of iPhone, the QWERTY keyboard of this new version of iPhone is to be slide-out. When you don’t need it, just slide the QWERTY in for better storage. The keyboarded iPhone will not be coming this year. At the current stage, it’s got some prototypes that have been sent to senior executives at some operators. And there are still some issues need to be solved.
via [slipperybrick]
December 24th, 2008 at 9:37 am
I think big texters will also be interested in this new iPhone but even if it would have a qwerty the blackberry would still be a major rival to iPhone with the business ppl. But the iPhone would still be king of the multimedia phone! I don’t like balkberrys because there a lot more differnt then normal phones and I would go with the iPhone espacially if it would have a qwerty!