Concept Windows Mobile Phone with Fastap Keypad

[Darius Wey]

<a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20061222-fastaprena.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20061222-fastaprenath.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/></a><i>Click the image above for a larger version.</i>Kris Kringle visited us recently to deliver some conceptual renderings of a Windows Mobile phone with a <a href="http://www.digitwireless.com/">Fastap keypad</a>. The contents of the display suggest it's a Pocket PC Phone, while the buttons (note the Home and Back buttons at the bottom of the keypad) suggest it's a Smartphone. Either way, we must stress that we have no knowledge of this being a real product, and thought we'd simply throw this one out there for your perusal. Check out the design (two additional shots after the break) and let us know what you think. Are you a fan of this form factor? <!><a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20061222-fastaprenb.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20061222-fastaprenbth.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/></a><i>Click the image above for a larger version.</i><a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20061222-fastaprenc.jpg"><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20061222-fastaprencth.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/></a><i>Click the image above for a larger version.</i>

[Jerry Raia]

I actually kind of like the form factor.

[Kris Kumar]

I like the phone first approach and the form factor.

While Windows Mobile devices have been getting QWERTY keyboard and getting w-i-d-e-r. BlackBerry Pearl is right now for me the benchmark for the formfactor. It is small and still has QWERTY functionality. This concept Windows Mobile phone with FastTap will definitely be the right thing to do to reduce the size.

[dfdaiker]

Now THIS is the phone I've been waiting for! A flip with a keyboard. That is, as long as it's narrow like the StarTrek and my SDA and has all the other latest goodies. To me, the width is more important than the thickness but I know that thin is "cool" now so I'm probably out of luck :(

[dstrauss]

I love my Blackjack, but nothing tops a flip phone for protecting the screen and making a compact package. For that matter, I loved my Cingular 3125 but for the absence of input (I HATE T9).

Even better would be this design with a touchscreen - the old Samsung i500 (Palm OS and all) was great because you could write on the screen for input - not as good as QWERTY, but a heckuva lot better than T9 - a good compromise to give you a tiny device. In fact, I saw a guy in the Knoxville airport using one last spring, and he WOWED the crowd with it, particularly when he explained it was four year old technology.

[hondaguy]

i think a nice thin flip smartphone with a suretype keypad would be my ideal device. something like the star trek with the pearl's keypad would be close to perfect. i am using a blackjack now and love it, but i found i could type faster with my old pearl and i prefer a flips form factor

[Rocco Augusto]

i dig the landscape screen and qwerty keypad, i don't think i could go back to using something that was more 'phone' like

[scottb]

I always thought a flip was the best too--that's what I liked so much about my Samsung i600. Since I use my home screen a lot for my schedule and tasks, I have grown to really like just tapping a key to see it so instead of opening and closing the flip. Because of that, these very slim smartphones work a little better for convenience.

[Mike Temporale]

I'll take the red one. :mrgreen:

I'm not sure I like the whole FastTap thing, but I'll give it a try. I'm kind of use to QWERTY layout.

[Jerry Raia]

I'll take the red one. :mrgreen:

He didn't really say that did he? 8O

[ctmagnus]

I'll take the red one. :mrgreen:

He didn't really say that did he? 8O

*Waves hand* These are not the droids you're looking for.

No, he said he wants the green one. :mrgreen:

[J4yDubs]

Looks good to me. I love my 3125, but hate the T9. Not sure if this would be better, but I'd give it a shot. Don't want to give up my flip form factor, so this might be the answer.

John

[Mike Temporale]

No, he said he wants the green one. :mrgreen:

Green works for me too. ;)

[jdmountford]

I absolutely dig this idea. An observation, the screen seems very small compared to the housing,. Any how... a Smartphone flip in a thin phone with some type of full keyboard would be fantastic. It has always amased me that no OEM makes a truly feature ritch stylish phone that just happens to be a Smartphone. I mean something like an LG 8600 with a more tactile keypad and MS Mobile 5 Smartphone edition. Would be so cool!!