Slide out keyboard discussion thread

[vinnie]

For protection, a tempered glass film protector or some other protection foil may be enough.

The glass is good only versus scratch but not with collision

[bcnaz]

Perhaps a nice kickstand or some type of 'Stand' for the phone itself ?

Then use a Bluetooth keyboard or game pad ?

That would make it easier to still use it as a 'Phone' should you receive an incoming phone-call.

Lots of 'Good' ideas here.

[murak]

But lets keep the discussion going, lets focus on features and worry about who will design, manufacture and pay for the keyboard later 

That's the spirit!

Can you elaborate what makes it so hard? (I don't have any experience with anything like this)

Absolutely, I love talking about molds  

I circled some details that probably requires moving parts in the mold, for example the hole for the headphones. The part of the mold that makes the hole have to move out of the way before the case can be removed from the mold. Same goes for the other circled areas.

All the moving parts have to be automated so that they move back and forth in the right order while the mold opens and closes. It's especially hard to make the parts that have to move "inside" the case, like the small tap/lock in the picture above, since there is so little space. 

Here is a animation of a mold with moving parts that makes a spiral pattern on the outside of a plastic cup.

https://i.imgur.com/nipHz0x.gifv

The mold for the pinephone case above would be cheaper to make if it had less moving parts.

Please do say if I should elaborate more

[qrsBRWN]

Just strolling by to add that I prefer a slide out keyboard too and that I will buy once available.

[undo]

All the moving parts have to be automated so that they move back and forth in the right order while the mold opens and closes. It's especially hard to make the parts that have to move "inside" the case, like the small tap/lock in the picture above, since there is so little space. 

Ok, I see the complexity. Is it not possible to modify the existing back cover design? Or do you need specific machinery designed for the particular back cover?

[murak]

All the moving parts have to be automated so that they move back and forth in the right order while the mold opens and closes. It's especially hard to make the parts that have to move "inside" the case, like the small tap/lock in the picture above, since there is so little space. 

Ok, I see the complexity. Is it not possible to modify the existing back cover design? Or do you need specific machinery designed for the particular back cover?

Maybe, but I kind of like having a hole for the headphones seriously though, the tap/lock etc are probably there for a reason. If someone from pine64 is reading this, is there a picture of the mold? I for one would really like to see it

[r@di0guy]

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

Hello,

I'm very excited about the Pinephone and the possibility of having a physical keyboard.  I, for one, would like a hole for the camera.   

However, with the problems and complexity of fitting a sliding keyboard to the back of the phone, has anybody brought up the possibility of creating a "Pinephone2" with a Blackberry style keyboard built into the phone?

[murak]

I have reached out to boxwave.com to see if there is any interest att all to make a slide out keyboard for pinephone. Any other manufacturers I should know about?

@r@di0guy I haven't seen anything about it, but who knows, if the pinephone is successful then maby other form factors will be viable in the future.

[Boern]

I'm an N900 veteran so I'm very interested in a slide out keyboard.

I don't like clamshell keyboards because then I'd have to open it even if I wasn't using the keyboard. Like for reading or playing a touchscreen-game. Notifications aren't the big problem with a clamshell keyboards for me, I'm used to opening my phone case and notifications can also be shown on a smart watch. But really that one handed use is limited when you are forced to open the keyboard.

Regarding the mold, in my imagination a slide out keyboard would use more or less the same mold with an additional hole for the I2C pins and the actual sliding mechanism is glued or screwed on.

[Beattie]

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 prefer this keyboard layout, mainly because it does not interfere with the phone function or with keyboard-less use. I also had am HTC G1 and liked that keyboard. As for the camera, the Pinephone is larger that the Iphone so I don't think a cutout for the camera whould be a big problem.