Updated Physical Keyboard?

[jakfish]

I see that the kb is out of stock at the store, and while I'm glad to have mine to use with the Beta, I was wondering if there's a new generation of kb in the pipeline. Something with a backlight, perhaps.

[tllim]

I see that the kb is out of stock at the store, and while I'm glad to have mine to use with the Beta, I was wondering if there's a new generation of kb in the pipeline. Something with a backlight, perhaps.

There is no new generation in the pipeline. The main out of stock reason due to slow sales and factory required high MoQ (Minimum Order Quantity).

[pehjota]

I see that the kb is out of stock at the store, and while I'm glad to have mine to use with the Beta, I was wondering if there's a new generation of kb in the pipeline. Something with a backlight, perhaps.

There is no new generation in the pipeline. The main out of stock reason due to slow sales and factory required high MoQ (Minimum Order Quantity).

Maybe take pre-orders/crowdfunding for enough of the MoQ to make it worthwhile, and/or raise the price a little to reduce the breakeven quantity?  Maybe add a package product of the PinePhone (Pro) with keyboard included, like the convergence package with docking bar, to make the keyboard option more prominent.  Second-hand listings with keyboards have been selling for double the Pine Store prices, so there seems to be demand.

I know some people would consider buying a PinePhone (Pro) only because of the keyboard, so sales of the PinePhone (Pro) may be reduced without the keyboard available.

I for one need a new keyboard and would immediately buy several if available.  I can't imagine using my daily driver PinePhone without my keyboard, but unfortunately it broke: the sides of the case keep it rigid, but the headphone jack hole is a weak point in the case that broke on mine when dropped, so the case flexes and loses contact with the pogo pins (in hindsight, a headphone jack on the right side of the phone instead of the left would have been better, but oh well).  Because of that weak spot (and just the lifespan of lithium-ion batteries), I'd like to stock up on spares of the keyboard.  And maybe other keyboard owners will also someday need replacements (due to damage/wear or battery age).

[jakfish]

I'd certainly be interested in participating in a crowd-funded kb. And I agree, there seems to be a secondary demand for the old one. The kb is the reason I use a PP.

[zetabeta]

it is good that this talking point landed here.

i heard weird rumors that pine org has stopped building keyboard cases. at least here is some kind of explanation.

redesign may be out of option. but key issue might be in the pinephone. basically usb port cannot be used when keyboard is connected. this needs to be taken into considerations n next pinephone model.

however, can we have some numbers for those magnitude of order numbers? or other related information, like possible availability? slow orders might be an option as well.

i used battery case, because of extra battery.

[Peter Gamma]

- a Pinephone without a keyboard would be a big, big loss that shouldn't happen.

- it is listed from Pine64 EU but out of stock.

- There are people who where able to use the Pinephone keyboard and  o n e   s i n g l e  usb port:

https://petergamma.org/do-you-need-a-mou...s-follows/

- So this allows at least to add a usb mouse.

- Bluetook keyboard and mouse did not work for me, they both disconnected.

[Kevin Kofler]

- it is listed from Pine64 EU but out of stock.

But it is unlikely to ever get back into stock now that the Pine Store has stopped producing it. (Unless the Pine Store finds some leftover items hidden somewhere in their warehouse like they did for the LoRa case.) Pine64 EU can only sell what the Pine Store sends them (or what it has sent them in the past and is still in stock locally at Pine64 EU). So while the keyboard case was in stock, they were able to sell it, but now it is gone.

[Peter Gamma]

Out of stock and never come back? Also in the EU? That can't happen, it has to come back. What is the Pinephone without the keyboard?

I did a deep dive into finding out how it is possible to connect an usb mouse when the PP keyboard is attached:

https://petergamma.org/do-you-need-a-mou...s-follows/

This needs profound knowledge. Years of evaluation that the Pinephone has turned from a controversial device to a device which is really good. on my site www.petergamma.org. And now the Pinephone keyboard is gone?  That can't happen! Who is responsible for this new tragedy about the Pinephone?

If the keyboard does not come back, I definitely will turn away from the Pinephone towards a Pinephone 2 :

https://petergamma.org/the-pinephone-2-n...-urgently/

[zetabeta]

i lean towards pinephone 2, or whatever is called.

even if keyboard case comes back, it has some sub-optimal things.

- usb port does not work, both ports.
- two battery hassle
- charging only works through keyboard, (maybe this is intended.)

if pp2 will be designed, it can fix many of these issues. because it will use mostly same chips, it leads some compromises, explained in a list.

- battery should be at least 5000mAh, preferably higher.
- battery still should be replaceable as a separate item.
- if keyboard is a separate item, usb ports or dongle should be usable. keyboard shouldn't have battery or it is small.
- keyboard could be integrated, or separate thing.
- pp2 should be slightly bigger, this is a compromise for battery life, screen size and weight.

[Peter Gamma]

I urge Pine64 to bring back the old Pinephone Keyboard to the Pine64 store immediately. So much advertisement was done for this keyboard, and most of them where positive.

The old keyboard might have issues, which can be resolved on a Pinephone which can do anything.

Since what are the alternative keyboards? I went through all of them. Do not all of them suck?

And who pulls a keyboard from the market without being able to offer their users an alternative which does not suck ?