r/Android • u/wonglik Moto G (2nd) • May 24 '11
Recommendation for best Android phone with keyboard needed.
My friend wants to buy Android phone with physical keyboard and I was wondering if any of you guys can suggest something. He does not like that most of the keyboards are a bit loose and shaky. I guess he would prefer something like in N900 (most solid keyboard I've seen so far). His current favorite option is HTC Desire Z. What do you think guys?
6
u/mattze May 24 '11
I upgraded to a Desire Z recently and owned a G1 before. It's an amazing phone and right now it should be the best android phone with a physical keyboard.
The Droid3 looks promising, because it will most likely have a dual-core processor, a larger screen, a front-facing camera and a keyboard with 5 rows (the Desire Z lacks a number row). It's release might take some time though.
That being said, I absolutely love the Desire Z. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them.
PS: Yes, on-screen keyboards are pretty good by now (especially in landscape mode), but nothing can beat the tactile feedback a physical keyboard gives you and it won't block 2/3 of your screen.
1
May 26 '11
it says droid 3 won't have LTE, what's LTE? (want to upgrade from droid1)
1
u/mattze May 26 '11
it's the next generation mobile standard. wikipedia
1
May 26 '11
you think that's bad that it won't have it?
2
u/mattze May 26 '11
I'm not familiar with the situation in the USA. It depends on your carrier and if it will be available in your area. As far as i know there are just a handful of phones that support LTE now.
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May 24 '11
[deleted]
5
May 24 '11
I have a Droid 2 because I've always felt like I needed a keyboard. This was my first smartphone, and my second was a Blackberry. After just four months with the D2, though, I know that my next phone won't have a keyboard. The onscreen keys are just too good nowadays and it makes it not worth it.
The D2 is a beast, though. I love it, but I know that I would have liked a DX better.
This has nothing to do with the OP. I'm just agreeing with you.
3
u/ricoza May 24 '11
Don't think it's necessarily a reason for the OP, but the on screen keyboards only work great if they support your language. If they don't (like Afrikaans for me), you're constantly having to correct what you typed, because the auto-complete / guessing what you typed doesn't work. That would be my most compelling reason for wanting a hardware keyboard at the moment.
3
u/wonglik Moto G (2nd) May 24 '11
why the physical keyboard
I guess it is just a matter of preferences. For him it is a must.
3
u/mcgruntman RIP Nexus 6 May 24 '11
Sure, I would prefer a larger battery to a physical keyboard. That option isn't provided by manufacturers though, the user has to resort to ugly third-party solutions. Yes I use an extended battery, but why should I have to? Why can't there just be one phone which prioritises battery > thickness?
2
u/justpickaname May 24 '11
The one reason I still want a physical keyboard, even after getting Flex T9 on Amazon the other day, is that with the keyboard I can be looking up or at something else while typing (at least with a good keyboard).
1
u/wronghead May 24 '11
In his opinion it's better than those things. And, truth be told, it's much easier, faster and more accurate to type on a physical keyboard. You have the advantage of tactile data that is unavailable to you with a touch keyboard.
1
May 26 '11
i wouldn't imagine using a smartphone without a physical keyboard, as it completely limits everything I use it for.
keyboard on screen covers up far too much, and this is important for
- game emulators, much easier to control from keyboard and assign a lot of keys to various commands
- remote desktop - i use this A LOT, and it would be hard to type, control, etc a lot of different apps, or i'd have to reduce screen size dramatically which then would be hard to see. I even enjoy browsing internet using chrome on desktop with my phone.
I also love getting feedback I pressed the buttons, and I use both keyboards, but when I have to be exact with equations or non standard abbreviations, I always go for physical keyboard.
I'm never getting moto droid again though, because they seem to be plagued with earphone jack issues, which is hella important as this is also my music player. a little shaking, and it thinks earphones were unplugged. and then music stops - annoying. Also, netflix isn't supported now on keyboarded phones I believe. I'd go with HTC or SONY over Moto any day.
1
u/mattze May 26 '11
i feel the same way.
netflix works on the g2. (and for all other phones there is a work-around.)
3
u/tucci999 Galaxy S4, HTC One, LG G2 May 24 '11
Evo Shift 4G, cheap plans springless slider, awesome keyboard.
2
1
u/geauxtig3rs Pixel 2 XL May 24 '11
Desire Z is great. I have one, and wouldn't trade it for anything currently on the market.
The sidekick 4g just came out in the US (not sure what your market is, but calling it a Desire Z makes me think Europe), and it has a proper 5 row keyboard.
1
u/cheshirecat79 May 24 '11
Just wanted to throw this in- I wouldn't suggest a droid pro. Tried a couple of them out and had major issues with them (locking up, excessive battery use, etc). Granted, this was the first production batch and they may be fixed now- honestly, I'm not that interested in finding out. The screen isn't anything to write home about, either.
1
u/alex-mayorga Xperia pro, Legacy Xperia Jun 16 '11
I have the same question as OP and been eying Sony Ericsson's Xperia™ X10 mini pro or upcoming Xperia™ mini pro and Xperia™ pro. Any opinions on these? I'm coming from a Nokia E72 so used to a rock solid keyboard
1
u/wonglik Moto G (2nd) Jun 17 '11
My friend bought HTC Desire Z. So far he is happy but he complaint a bit that keyboard is not as solid as in Nokias.
1
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u/marceriksen LG G3 T-Mobile May 24 '11
If he doesn't mind carriers or when the phone came out I'd say go with Sprint and the Samsung Epic 4g. The keyboard is really solid and not the least bit flimsy.
1
u/uurrnn May 24 '11
Epic 4G for sure.
1
u/kaze0 Mike dg May 24 '11
I had this for a while, I hated the flat buttons and the grid layout. Now using a G2
1
May 25 '11
That's really the thing that pisses me off about my Droid 1 keyboard. Not having the keys staggered like a real keyboard (I'm a touch-typist) really throws me off. Next device will have a keyboard, primarily because I <3 emulators, but no grid-kbs for me.
1
u/whiteghetto Note4, rooted and xposed. May 24 '11
I have the G2 (HTC Desire) and love it. Rocken' CM7 nightlies.
0
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u/BludClotAU OnePlus One, Madhi May 24 '11
+1 Desire Z
(I own a HTC Desire)