Latest smartphones with great QWERTY keyboards
Nicole Lee
Senior associate editor July 8, 2010 (updated on: August 22, 2011)
While touch-screen smartphones continue to dominate the market, many people still want the tactile feel of physical keyboards. Here we round up the latest and greatest.
We tend to think slider and flip models offer the best keyboards simply because of the larger surface area. The LG Genesis and the Motorola Droid 3 have very roomy keyboards with five whole rows of keys, one of which is a dedicated number row. Though the T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide only has four rows, we found the keyboard easy to use as well.
If you would rather have a vertical-style keyboard, the HTC Status or a BlackBerry like the Torch 9810 or the Bold 9930 fits the bill. Vertical keyboards tend to be more cramped, but we didn't find that to be a problem with these. The Status has a slight bend in the body for better texting ergonomics, while the Torch 9810 has a slightly wider keyboard than its predecessor. The Bold 9930 has what might be the best vertical keyboard we've used yet, with its iconic angled keys.
| Product name | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $79.99 to $409.00 | $0.01 to $399.99 | $0.00 to $0.01 | $0.00 to $119.99 | $0.01 | Check Prices |
| CNET editors' rating | ||||||
| Average user rating |  |
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| Release date | July 27, 2011 | July 14, 2011 | ||||
| The Bottom Line | The BlackBerry Bold 9930 is the best QWERTY BlackBerry to date, but should be priced lower. | The BlackBerry Torch 9810 won't wow newcomers with its tired old design, but its affordable price and much-improved specs should keep BlackBerry enthusiasts satisfied. | The HTC Status offers stellar hardware and a fantastic Facebook experience, but it's hampered by a tiny landscape-oriented screen. | The T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide is a well-designed, feature-packed dual-core handset that can stand alongside today's premium smartphones. | For Verizon customers who crave physical keyboards, the Motorola Droid 3 offers an excellent one, but the rest of the Android smartphone's improvements fail to impress. | If you can live with its size, the LG Genesis is a great midrange Android phone for U.S. Cellular customers who want a full physical keyboard. |
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| Features | ||||||
| Cellular technology | GSM / CDMA / UMTS | GSM / 3G | Info unavailable | GSM / UMTS | GSM / CDMA / WCDMA | CDMA2000 1X |
| Weight | 4.59 oz | 5.68 oz | 4.32 oz | 6.5 oz | 0.4 lbs | 6 oz |
| Wireless Interface | Bluetooth 2.1 IEEE 802.11b/g/n | Bluetooth 2.1 | Info unavailable | Bluetooth IEEE 802.11b/g/n | Bluetooth 2.1 IEEE 802.11b/g/n | Bluetooth 2.1 EDR IEEE 802.11b/g/n |
| Service Provider | Verizon Wireless | AT&T | AT&T | T-Mobile | Verizon Wireless | U.S. Cellular |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
| Buying choices | | | | | ||
They updated it and actually included a couple of BlackBerry devices this time lol.