Slide out keyboard discussion thread

[DrewTechs]

The design for the official Pinephone keyboard is set to resemble that of Psion which will make room for a relatively large keyboard. The typing experience will most likely be excellent considering the size. I am very thankful that Pine64 is planning a keyboard for the Pinephone!

That said, some users was maybe picturing a slide out keyboard similar to Nokia N900 or early Droid phones which would make typing on the go with your thumbs more comfortable. One other aspect is the ability to see and use the screen and notification led while the keyboard is tucked away. 

So, the question is if there is demand for a slide out keyboard (and if someone can make one)? In this thread we can discuss how a slide out keyboard could be designed and also get a feel for the demand.

I will start with a picture of a cheap BT keyboard for a iPhone, which resembles what I personally had in mind.



Thoughts:
-If there is no hole in the keyboard for the camera, then you would have to slide out the keyboard every time you wanted to take a picture. 
-The weight of the phone is far greater than that of the keyboard. This could make for an unpleasant typing experience and would also put extra stress on the slide out mechanism. Adding for example a extra battery in the keyboard part would counter this, but would ad to total thickness.
-The keyboard area would be much smaller than that of a Psion design, so one would have to really think through what keys to include. A quick look at the Fxtec Pro 1 can help with desiding since they have put a lot of thought in to the matter already. A software bar at the bottom of the screen is also possible but would take time to develop.
-Is dedicated gaming buttons something to consider? Look at GPD Win and Dragonbox Pyra for inspiration.
-The N900 had a kickstand that was excellent when viewing videos and the N7 and Fxtec Pro 1 tilts the screen when using the keyboard. I have seen keyboards similar to the one in the picture above that has a hinge, but I suspect it might make the design less sturdy and there is also the problem with weight distribution.

Please share your thought and keep it friendly and constructive

I would like a sliding keyboard over the psion-style keyboard but not sure if it's possible. If it is, the design would either have to be Bluetooth or the design would have to be complex to be wired around the I2C pins. The psion-style might actually be easier to make though I would prefer the sliding keyboard.

[M@yeulC]

I don't think it would be too complex to hack the pictured keyboard to connect to the I2C pins.

I'd disassemble the one pictured, replace the back cover part with a custom 3D-printed one, and add a microcontroller + flex cable (this would be the most complex part, though bluetooth is doable as well).

[lonze]

Jolla phone had this slide out keyboard, which connects through I2C. Something similar shouldn't be too hard to produce.

[DrewTechs]

Jolla phone had this slide out keyboard, which connects through I2C. Something similar shouldn't be too hard to produce.

Okay, so it is possible then to have that kind of setup with an I2C. That would be a wish come true though and maybe something for me to look into, I just need get myself one of those I2C boards with the pinout to connect wires to.

[kelbot]

I am interested in both the slide out and psion style keyboards. Which one I prefer the most is up in the air and depends on how I ultimately end up using my pinephone. Secondary device that is more like an ultra portable computer then I would want the Psion style. As a primary smartphone for daily use then the slide out would be preferred. Either way I will probably purchase both if they become available and will be happy to have the choice.

[VaZso]

Yes, keyboard-less operation of a phone running Linux is a pain.
Any kind of keyboard would make the phone much more usable.

My primary phone has a slide-out keyboard and that is what I prefer, but i would even buy a Psion-style keyboard.
So any kind of keyboard which can be attached physically to the phone with the right dimensions is good for me.

I hope it will be available soon...

[ozzeruk]

Slide out would definitely be my preference.

If there was room (there probably won't be) - for a PSP style directional slider that could be useful for games but also for scrolling/mouse if needed.

Definitely use the i2c pins. Bluetooth is nice when it works, but is a pain when it doesn't, much better to be wired up.

[murak]

"To be precise, we have approached a vendor and began exploring our options for a slide-out keyboard akin to those used on the Nokia N900."
Source:  https://www.pine64.org/2020/07/15/july-u...e-version/

Thank you all for participating in this thread!

EDIT: Please share your thoughts in this thread as well: https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=10885

[eFqLLnGo]

I think you might be interested by me message on the other thread :
https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?...2#pid84922