Play along - create a PinePhone keyboard

[PhoenixLandPirate]

So far the best one for me is the keyboard of F(x)tec Pro1 - I use it as my daily driver.

Just checked this out, definitely looks like the best of both worlds. Pine64, go for this design!

I agree, please use something like this. Slider keyboard is the way to go

I don't think this would work with the current PinePhone, the thing with the F(x)tec Pro1, is that most of the hardware is in the keyboard section of the hardware, rather than the screen, where as with the Pinephone, they would have most of the hardware in the screen section, this messes around with weight distribution and size.



However hopefully with this experience, and from seeing the F(x)tec and what people are interested in and want, perhaps the next pinephone will take that in to account, and have a keyboard like the F(x)tecs in the PinePhone Pro.



Plannet Computer have also been working on switching from a clam design with the cosmo, to a sliding keyboard with the Astro Slider, so to me it does seem that the future is slide out, however I just dont think this can be done on the PinePhone well, but if Pine64 start designs with the plan of having a keyboard, than they can make it a slide out keyboard, and make it work really well.





I know depending on the route they go down, it might be harder to open things up, replace them, etc, but I recon you could easily put the hardware switches in an easier place on a physical keyboard, and you could still take the back off to replace components, its just how the screen would work would be a bit more complex, and if you wanted a different keyboard layout, its harder to exchange, currently Pine64 could offer you several different kinds of add-on keyboards on the website, so not only could it be a choice between QWERTY english, Japanese, Hebrew, etc keyboards, you can also buy a different style, are you gonna use the keyboard at a desk? you would probably want to buy the astro slider styled keyboard, however if youre the type who wants to type with your phone in your hand, stood on a train, or waiting for a bus, then  the F(x)tec styled keyboard is more right for you, but If the keyboard is already a part of the phone, then its harder to offer these alternatives.



However, I think I'd rather a keyboard that's average that I can't change, but is there with just a flick, and when I need to use it as a phone, I can put the keyboard back without having to stop, take the keyboard off, hope that I didn't forget my real back for the phone, put that on, find a place to put the keyboard in my backpack, then carry on.



It's a lot of extra effort, so I hope the PinePhone Pro does go with a F(x)tec Pro 1 or Astro Slider style keyboard, qwerty styled without being weird about where some keys are like the original F(x)tec was, so the PinePhone pro with a keyboard could be just slightly thicker than the current PinePhone and have easy access to the keyboard whenever.





However if I had to choose between the F(x)tec Pro 1 or the Astro Slider keyboards for the PinePhone Pro, I think the wiser idea is to go with the F(x)tec Pro's design, because from looks, it look's like you're less likely to accidentally click on a key when you're sliding your thumb to the middle, and it looks like its a lot easier to get to every key, and if you're using a keyboard thats integrated into the phone, you're more likely to use it in a place where you can't just place the phone down to type, such as stood at a bus stop, or sitting on the train with no table in front of you, for moments where you do have a desk, there are plenty of portable bluetooth keyboards that you can fold out to give you a better typing experience than you'd get from having your fingers in the way of your screen on a cramped keyboard on the Slider.



TL;DR Please make the PinePhone Pro with a slideable keyboard by default, and please make it the f(x)tec style, I want to easily be able to use my phone keyboard when I'm waiting for someone to finish there shopping, I don't care to much to use my phone keyboard, at a desk when I've got a huge keyboard in front of me or can just get out my bluetooth foldable keyboard which takes up less space in my bag than a book.