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Slide-out QWERTY keyboards were popular on phones many years ago, but in case you haven't noticed, that's not really the case anymore. A company called F(x) Technology, however, is launching a QWERTY slider soon, and it's started to spill the beans on some of the specs.
The smartphone industry has evolved rapidly in the past few years, and BlackBerry was a victim of complacency for much of that time. Finally in November of last year, the company caved in and released its first Android device - the BlackBerry Priv. It was too little too late, and BlackBerry has moved from developing its own hardware to rebranding existing phones, starting with the DTEK50.
We've checked out the BlackBerry Priv, and it's pretty good - Android fans who have been begging for years for a high-end phone with a QWERTY keyboard will love it. But what comes next? According to CrackBerry, it's the phone you see above, codenamed the "Vienna." It's similar in style and layout to the Priv, but with a keyboard that's fixed in place as opposed to the slider mechanism on the Priv. There's no original source for the images, so we'll classify them as rumors for the time being.
Earlier this week Blackberry's official online store posted a pre-order page for the Priv, a high-end QWERTY slider phone that also happens to be the company's first full Android device. Apparently that was a bit premature - it disappeared after a short time, but not so short that prospective customers didn't balk at the $749 USD starting price. Today the pre-order page is back with a slightly cheaper price: $699. Was the original page an error or did Blackberry see the quick reaction and adjust it down? We couldn't say. The page says the phone will start shipping on November 6th.
A small and vocal element of the Android community has been begging for a decent QWERTY phone ever since the original Motorola DROID was retired, and a huge and vocal part of BlackBerry's userbase has been clamoring for the company to switch to Android OS before it goes the ignominious way of Palm and Nokia. So the BlackBerry Venice, which has been leaked six ways from Sunday, is a welcome if late addition to the struggling company's lineup. The latest leak shows off what looks like a production-ready phone in sharp photos from every angle. It's a looker.
The LG G Flex is big, slightly curved, and generally overpriced. Now you can add one more thing to that list - it's available from T-Mobile right on schedule. Anyone who wants to own this phone commitment-free for $672 (or for $28 a month over the course of two years) can do so right away, both online and in stores.
LG G Flex And Optimus F3Q QWERTY Slider Coming To T-Mobile On February 5th
LG G Flex And Optimus F3Q QWERTY Slider Coming To T-Mobile On February 5th
If you've been holding your breath for LG's curved, flexible G Flex and... well, the somewhat less remarkable Optimus F3Q to come to Magenta, then you won't have to wait much longer. T-Mobile announced this morning that both smartphones will be available starting on February 5th online and at retailers. The G Flex will cost $672 ($28 a month on T-Mobile's two-year payment plan), while the budget QWERTY slider will cost $312 ($13 for 24 months).
Alas poor QWERTY, I knew him, Horatio! A fellow of infinite texts, of most excellent data entry. Here hung those keys that I have tapped I know not how oft. Where be your Tweets now? Your emails? Your Google+ posts? Nowhere around here, that's for sure - the QWERTY slider phone has become rare in the last year or so, with only the Samsung Stratosphere II, the LG Enact, and a BlackBerry or two filling the once-swollen ranks. But it looks like T-Mobile is getting at least one more QWERTY phone, the LG Optimus F3Q, if the indefatigable Evleaks is correct.
The QWERTY-equipped smartphone is a dying breed. The LG Enact is the only one running Android that has come to Verizon all year, and it's not exactly looking to set the world on fire. After a pair of leaks, it's now available on Big Red for .99 with a two-year contract or $349.99 unsubsidized.
When last we saw the LG Enact, it was looking like a decidedly ho-hum budget phone for Verizon whose only differentiator was an oddly retro 4-button layout. Evleaks has graced us with yet another look at the phone and... well, it still looks pretty ho-hum, but now it's a slightly more interesting QWERTY slider. Verizon hasn't had a new Android phone with a physical keyboard since the Pantech Marauder over a year ago.
NEC's first entry into the American Android market isn't exactly auspicious, but it does fill a much-neglected niche. AT&T is now offering the NEC Terrain for sale, right on time and online only. $99.99 on contract gets you the QWERY candybar phone with a miniscule 3.1" screen, or you can shell out $429.99 to own it outright. Considering its ruggedized, semi-waterproof build, that's not such a bad deal... but you will have to live with Ice Cream Sandwich, a year after Jelly Bean 4.1 was released. Ouch.
[Update: Price And Release Date] Sprint Announces Mid-Range LG Mach - 1.2GHz Dual-Core Processor, QWERTY Slider, And ICS
Sprint Announces Mid-Range LG Mach
Update 11/1/12: The Mach will come out on November 11th for $99.99:
US Cellular's LTE selection just gained an additional member: the Samsung Galaxy Metrix 4G. Available online today for $179 after a $100 mail-in rebate, the device comes with fairly middle-of-the-road features, such as:
Sprint Will Sell The Kyocera Rise For $20 After Rebate With Contract On August 19th, Tries Selling A Budget Smartphone Without The Rope
Sprint has finally announced what we'd heard almost a month ago. The Kyocera Rise, the budget smartphone best known for making my movie references easy,
Sprint has finally announced what we'd heard almost a month ago. The Kyocera Rise, the budget smartphone best known for making my movie references easy, is heading to the Now Network on August 19th. The device will cost $19.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. So if you want the internal specs of the original Evo in a QWERTY slider from the company that you probably didn't know also makes cutlery, it will run you $70 out the door.
Pantech's Star Q Headed For Verizon's Budget Lineup With 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4, QWERTY Keyboard In Tow
Looking to be the successor to the Pantech Breakout, it seems that a little phone called the Pantech Star Q will be headed to Verizon. This sliding,
Looking to be the successor to the Pantech Breakout, it seems that a little phone called the Pantech Star Q will be headed to Verizon. This sliding, QWERTY-packing device is decidedly a budget phone, expected to ring in at just $99 on contract, but it includes a mixed bag of low-end and surprisingly appealing specs, including Android 4.0.4, a Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz, a front-facing camera (of indeterminate resolution), a 3MP rear shooter, a 4" WVGA display, and of course a sliding QWERTY keyboard. Besides all that, the phone will feature 4G LTE connectivity, a definite bonus for those in the budget/mid-range market.
Photo Of Sprint's Upcoming LG "Cayenne" LS860 QWERTY Slider Leaked, LTE And S4 Snapdragon On-Board
We've already seen the LS860 in blurrycam previously, but this latest photo of the upcoming LTE-equipped QWERTY slider headed to Sprint is a lot easier
We've already seen the LS860 in blurrycam previously, but this latest photo of the upcoming LTE-equipped QWERTY slider headed to Sprint is a lot easier on the eyes.
It seems Motorola is having a tough time keeping its upcoming releases under wraps. First, a press shot of the Dinara (believed to be the Atrix 3) was leaked, and now somebody grabbed a shot of an unannounced Motorola device heading to Sprint.
Hot on the heels of blurry-cam shots of the upcoming LS970, a rumored upcoming Sprint LG device, today we've heard that the carrier has yet another phone from the other Korean electronics giant waiting in the wings - though this one's a little less exciting.
Of course, the biggest feature on any DROID is the keyboard, and you can rest assured, the DROID 4's does not disappoint. Key spacing and action were both great, and the praise Motorola has received for its keyboards on previous iterations of the device obviously hasn't made them complacent.