Top 5 QWERTY phones
Frustrated with the touchscreen keyboard of your handset because it isn't all that accurate? Well, there's always the option for a physical keyboard.
After all, if you're a voracious Facebooker or Twitterer, you really don't want to accidentally send out badly typed posts, which can be hilarious for everyone but you.
However, do note that depending on the handset design, the option of having a physical keyboard usually means a smaller-sized screen. Of course, there are still large touchscreen handsets with slide-out keyboards, which are usually much thicker. Read on to see if any of these QWERTY phones are for you.
First take:
Announced at a launch event in Jakarta along with the Curve 9380, the BlackBerry Bold 9790 is the latest addition to the Bold series of smartphones.
CNET Asia rating: 8.0 stars
The good: Slim; good QWERTY keyboard; excellent battery life; decent camera and display.
The bad: Voice search needs some polishing; limited number of offerings in App World; BB 7 OS not enough of an improvement from BB 6.
The bottom line: The BlackBerry Bold is perhaps the best offering from RIM so far, which makes it a great smartphone for business types and hardcore fans. However, its feature set is not enough to convince other users to make the leap.
First take:
Announced together with the LG Optimus Net, the Optimus Pro is a Gingerbread (Android 2.3) handset that caters to the QWERTY-loving Android crowd. The specs of the smartphone will not appeal to power users, but bargain hunters will probably be looking forward to the expected low pricing of the smartphone.
First take:
Barcelona, SPAIN--Among the three new Asha mobile phones introduced at MWC, the Asha 302 stands out for its QWERTY keyboard and new capabilities.
Targeted at youths and entrepreneurs in developing markets, the S40-powered Asha 302 packs a 1GHz processor--similar to its predecessor, the Asha 303.
First take:
Sony Ericsson has dedicated much of its resources making Android devices these days, but it still has a range of low-end devices for those who don't need a smartphone. The txt pro is one such entry-level product. Equipped with a slideout QWERTY keypad, it was designed for those who rely on text-based communication via SMS or Twitter.
About the author
Aloysius Low is a Senior Writer at CNET Asia and covers all things mobile. A former World of Warcraft addict, he now dabbles in social media to stave off the withdrawal symptoms. As a lover of all things furry, he's also the unfortunate slave/minion of two adorable cats.
Latest comments
Just get rid of the QWERTY keyboard which is like the dinosaur. For the few SMS that I send in a day I would much rather have a BIGGER display on my Galaxy Note.
I know a few people who bought the Blackberry because there aren't many smartphones with the qwerty keyboard. Hoping for a WP 7 phone with a qwerty keyboard soon.
Swype is so user-friendly. I used to be a hard core keypad fans but once started using Swype, no turning back... Give it a try folks!
Phone manufacturers definitely should consider qwerty android phones for asia. I was so desperate for one, I had to import the myTouch 4G slide from US to SG to use it.
I hope they continue to have QWERTY keyboard on Android. My hubby finger prints are mostly tarnised due to work. He loves Android but not able to use because the phone can't detect his fingerprints. LOL !
have been waiting for an ice-cream qwerty phone... touchscreens are over-rated. so there! :)
What about Xperia Pro? I'm sure that is a phone, which released in this quarter, with attractive enough features to reach the top 5.
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