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Dual Flip Windows Phone?

Why aren't there more dual-flip windows phones?
I have a Motorola Mpx, and love it... http://www.mobileburn.com/gallery.jsp?Id=666
Heck, if it weren't for the phone's hardware limitations I'd likely not use my Tilt ever. Fits in the hand better, its got an easier to use keyboard, and its way more comfortable for making calls on.
Now Samsung comes out with the Alias 2, which also looks awesome. BUT, its for Sprint, not GSM carriers, and its not WinMo.
http://samsungmobileusa.com/Alias2.aspx?cid=ppc_mac_goo_Past+Iconic_Alias+2_samsung+Alias+2
There is something about flipping a phone open, and being able to press actual numbers without any on-screen nonsense needed.
I mean, is it really that unpopular a form factor?
Or is there a phone out there I don't know about?

Wow, I'm really the only one here who has an opinion on this?
(aka, it fell off the first page... lol)

not really my taste
too many moving parts which could break
and the keyboard look like a mess but
each to their own

Yeh, I was flipping a phone open with motorola 10 years ago...would never do again! You might be able to find some on pdadb.net

Did either of you click the links? Especially the second one?
Do you believe that clicking function or alt or using some tiny or unusable on-screen keyboard is better than a full keyboard that auto-adjusts to what you need?
I hate not being able to dial without a stylus and/or looking at the damn phone.
Yet I still want/need a WinMo phone (and it seems that dialing and intuitive keypads and WinMo are mutually exclusive)

Upgrading from touch pro, what do I get?

So today I decided I wanted to replace my Touch Pro. I've been having some issues with it lately so I took it to my repair center, as I have service plan on it, to see what they could do for me. Long story short all they did was replace it with a refurbished Touch Pro - not a problem as mine was really beat up.
However, I have an upgrade coming at the beginning of next month and am having troubles deciding on what phone to get.
This is what I narrowed my choices down to, all sprint:
1. HTC Hero
- This phone is $79.99 right now online all instant rebates!
2. HTC Touch Pro 2
- Exact same specs as my current Touch Pro but with better keyboard and screen and is $199.99 after $100 MIR
3. HTC Moment
- Android with full qwerty slide out keyboard and is $99.99 after $100 MIR
Here are my concerns:
1. The Touch Pro 2 is what i have been leaning towards for the past several months. I was hoping to get the free upgrade to this from the repair center but that did not happen. Also I do not think it makes sense to pay $199.99 for a phone which is identical in specs to the "crappy" phone I have now.
2. The HTC Hero is my next option which I am really starting to like the more I look into it. However, it is android and I am a windows man. I have used android on my Touch Pro and have found it to be very nice, but i'm worried I wont be able to manage my calendar, text, calls, emails as easily as I was able to before. Lastly, this phone is missing a hardware keyboard, even though it does have a very nice virtual keyboard!
3. The moment has got to be one of the uglier android phones I have seen floating around. But it would have the "power" from android that everyone is talking about and I would retain my hardware keyboard. I still can't seem to get past the price of the Hero right now though.
In Summary:
I think i'm going to get the Hero but really would like some input from some other Touch Pro users and if there is anyone that has upgraded to android from Touch Pro what your thoughts are. I have looked around these forums and have read a lot about the phones and what they are capable of...but it still comes down to how well they work as a whole not what they can do.
Also, if there are any other phones that might be a good choice over what I mentioned let me know, it has to be compatible with sprint. I will not switch carrier they are the best in my area. And the EVO is out of the question, battery life is bad due to screen size and I don't think the extra $10 is worth it when i have to go into another state to get 4G!

HTC Hero
I recently switched from an HTC Touch Pro2 to an HTC EVO. I've previously had Android setup on my Touch Pro2 and it felt nothing like it did on the EVO or even my brother's Hero. When I had the Touch Pro2, it felt bogged down due to WinMo compared to the Hero with similar specs in my opinion. There were lots of times I would admire the hardware keyboard and while it is one of the Touch Pro2's greatest asset, I felt it hindered the experience sometimes when it came to switching between orientations. For instance, there were times when I would text someone and swap to the hardware keyboard only to find that the input box wouldn't display my key presses and I would have to quickly swap orientations again to "refresh" my inputs.
To me, Android seems to manage processing and handle lag better than Windows Mobile. So far, it's been a smooth and enjoyable experience for me (HTC EVO) and my brother (HTC Hero).

Brandizle said:
I recently switched from an HTC Touch Pro2 to an HTC EVO. I've previously had Android setup on my Touch Pro2 and it felt nothing like it did on the EVO or even my brother's Hero. When I had the Touch Pro2, it felt bogged down due to WinMo compared to the Hero with similar specs in my opinion. There were lots of times I would admire the hardware keyboard and while it is one of the Touch Pro2's greatest asset, I felt it hindered the experience sometimes when it came to switching between orientations. For instance, there were times when I would text someone and swap to the hardware keyboard only to find that the input box wouldn't display my key presses and I would have to quickly swap orientations again to "refresh" my inputs.
To me, Android seems to manage processing and handle lag better than Windows Mobile. So far, it's been a smooth and enjoyable experience for me (HTC EVO) and my brother (HTC Hero).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you use the calendar or gps heavily? Also, I just found out that froyo 2.2 will be awhile before it reaches the hero. I have yet to even see froyo or what has been added. Does anyone think it is worth fussing over?

GPS & Calendar
I am generally a schedule- and task-oriented person. So yeah, I find that Android offers a nicer interface and input for logging in appointments. I've always been a Google person, so syncing it with my Google calendar is a no-brainer.
As for the GPS, I have found that Google Maps is by far the best GPS I have used. I have a high-end TomTom device and after using Google Maps, I no longer feel the need for the TomTom. Augmented reality Android applications such as Layars and Layers from Google Map makes it easier to find places and things of my interest within a specific proximity which I find convenient if I'm in an area unfamiliar to me.
The intuitiveness of Android won me over in the end.

Well, you really really helped me out here. I have been leaning towards android for awhile and have been using it on the touch pro, but that doesn't compare to the real thing.
I just needed to hear it from someone else who was more "business" orientated and wasn't just in it for the stupid beer can apps like iphone.
I got the Hero from sprint a few hours ago. I can honestly say that I have no regrets. I have yet to use the Google Maps, but i'm sure it will suffice. I will miss my Garmin XT app though. Along with all the customizations that SPB Mobile brought to the windows market. But it was pretty slow.

"Stay Frosty"
That's good to hear! Yeah, I hear ya. I also had my doubts when I was operating it on my HTC Touch Pro2. But, once the Android phone I wanted so long came out I threw away any and all hesitation. I'm glad it was a no compromise situation for me and I hope it will be that way for you.

After playing with it all day....I love this phone!!! It is everything I needed in a phone and everything I wanted in a phone. The virtual keyboard is one of the best I have used, in my mind the evo has the only better virtual keyboard.

I would go for Rhodium with no doubt!
And even more if you are coming from a device with REAL keyboard.

[Q] Is there a recent gen android phone with hardware portrait keyboard?

I'm not sure if this exists, but I thought I'd ask.
I've been using a Samsung Galaxy S Captivate (and loved it) up until about 1 month ago, when I got sick and tired of 30-35 effective WPM on the touchscreen keyboard and switched back to my old first generation Blackberry Bold. Believe it or not, the relief of going back to the blackberry was HUGE even while sacrificing all of the obvious advantages of Android. Touchscreen keyboards just arent for me. I spent nearly a year hoping I would get better at it, and I'm not particularly bad, but I'm just quite quick on a hardware keyboard (65-75wpm) and that is hard to ignore. I do a lot of typing (emails for work and also fairly heavy SMS user ~6000 in+out per month).
So to the point, can anyone recommend a phone for me? I've tried the landscape style hardware keyboards and I am not a fan unfortunately, because I think there are a couple of those to choose from.
Any portrait hardware keyboards? Blackberry style? It would need to be a slider of course to avoid having a tiny screen.. still looking for a ~4"+ screen.
Thanks <3

jammin1911 said:
I'm not sure if this exists, but I thought I'd ask.
I've been using a Samsung Galaxy S Captivate (and loved it) up until about 1 month ago, when I got sick and tired of 30-35 effective WPM on the touchscreen keyboard and switched back to my old first generation Blackberry Bold. Believe it or not, the relief of going back to the blackberry was HUGE even while sacrificing all of the obvious advantages of Android. Touchscreen keyboards just arent for me. I spent nearly a year hoping I would get better at it, and I'm not particularly bad, but I'm just quite quick on a hardware keyboard (65-75wpm) and that is hard to ignore. I do a lot of typing (emails for work and also fairly heavy SMS user ~6000 in+out per month).
So to the point, can anyone recommend a phone for me? I've tried the landscape style hardware keyboards and I am not a fan unfortunately, because I think there are a couple of those to choose from.
Any portrait hardware keyboards? Blackberry style? It would need to be a slider of course to avoid having a tiny screen.. still looking for a ~4"+ screen.
Thanks <3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HTC makes the T-Mobile Dash and the Ozone with portrait hardware keyboards, and 12 other phones with the more popular landscape slider keyboards and the big screens. It's gonna be tough to get a 4" wide screen with a portrait keyboard. That would be one big phone!
Happy shopping!

for the 4" I was thinking more like the Blackberry Torch slider style to avoid the phone being huge
Thanks for the input!
//EDIT// I would LOVE to see a phone that is basically what Motorola is showing off right now, the Droid 4 with slideout qwerty keyboard, except for it to slide up and down instead of requiring i turn the phone sideways to use it (aside from these keyboard being too wide to type comfortably on, using an android phone sideways in most cases is pretty obnoxious).

Have you checked out the DROID pro? I know it's a little old now but I owned this phone and I loved it, my first smartphone was a treo and that's all I've been use to. I don't care what anyone says, physical keys especially portrait style keyboard is so much netter then landscape

MO3iusONE said:
Have you checked out the DROID pro? I know it's a little old now but I owned this phone and I loved it, my first smartphone was a treo and that's all I've been use to. I don't care what anyone says, physical keys especially portrait style keyboard is so much netter then landscape
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't agree with you more. That is a pretty wicked phone and that's exactly what I want but with a current generation OS and specs

I have a i9000 and a Droid Pro to replace it on the way.
But I think it will be too slow.
How's about the LG Optimus Pro

Any potential successor to our beloved Photon Q?

Any potential successor to our beloved Photon Q? Has any of the big makers announced a more powerful, better spec'ed smartphone to take the throne from our Photon?

I don't think any of the new phones have kb's.
The Q might be one of the last sliders. Enjoy it.

Nope, nothing so far :'(

It's quite dramatic. I have owned an HTC One X prior to this, and in no way typing on a touch screen is as fast, precise and ergonomic as typing on a hardware keyboard.
I have owned the Nokia E70, E90, N900, as well as the Motorola Droid 2 Global and Samsung Captivate Glide in the past, and I really hope the Photon Q won't be the last one.

I have been thinking the same thing recently - this is the last Android phone with HW keyboard (if you do not count some low level Chinese phones). Seriouslyyyyyy - it is the middle of 2013 and there are zero phones announced. I am not complaining of lack of speed but I would really appreciate some battery life improvements, build quality and maybe display resolution .

idimitro said:
I have been thinking the same thing recently - this is the last Android phone with HW keyboard (if you do not count some low level Chinese phones). Seriouslyyyyyy - it is the middle of 2013 and there are zero phones announced. I am not complaining of lack of speed but I would really appreciate some battery life improvements, build quality and maybe display resolution .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully in the future someone will make a handset with full keyboard unlockable for any network. Open source phones. Hopefully in the future.
Was there ever a point in the past that had zero qwerty phones on the horizon? Is there a period of drought we can compare this one to or is this one unprecedented?

matt2k12 said:
...Was there ever a point in the past that had zero qwerty phones on the horizon? Is there a period of drought we can compare this one to or is this one unprecedented?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If memory serves correctly, QWERTY phones didn't start showing up en masse until Blackberrys came onto the scene. Even in their heyday (if there ever was such a thing), hardware keyboards were niche products.
I've always been partial to the physical keyboard, myself. At first, it was because my large hands have a difficult time using the on-screen keyboards effectively (even with swype or some derivative). Now in addition to that, the tactile feel of pressing buttons makes it seem like I'm doing something useful with my phone.

xaelith said:
If memory serves correctly, QWERTY phones didn't start showing up en masse until Blackberrys came onto the scene. Even in their heyday (if there ever was such a thing), hardware keyboards were niche products.
I've always been partial to the physical keyboard, myself. At first, it was because my large hands have a difficult time using the on-screen keyboards effectively (even with swype or some derivative). Now in addition to that, the tactile feel of pressing buttons makes it seem like I'm doing something useful with my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess we need to go buy the new BB to game the market for physical keyboards? lol.... Samsung or Motorola will have the next QWERTY phone, whenever that may be. No one else has any interest.

matt2k12 said:
I guess we need to go buy the new BB to game the market for physical keyboards? lol.... Samsung or Motorola will have the next QWERTY phone, whenever that may be. No one else has any interest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HW keyboard phones have always been slow for new models to come out. it's a much smaller market. but those of us that love the keyboard will always be there. A new keyboard model will come out eventually. I just got my Photon Q in May because I knew there was no other model in the near future with a HW keyboard.

I've been looking around, and there are a few keyboard cases that will go on the likes of an iphone or a Galaxy S4. I think that's going to be the best option for those of us with thick thumbs. I would pay a premium for a good phone with a good keyboard, but there's just not enough demand for it anymore, I guess.
Sent from my XT897 using xda premium

[Q] coming from TP2

My Touch Pro2 is getting a bit long in the tooth. I was looking for a decent Android phone with a keyboard and this looks like it may be a good choice. Are there any others using this device that can compare it with the TP2 (that is, especially the keyboard). And also, what is a good, stable and fast version of Android that you have running on this phone? I tried Android on my TP2 (Gingerbread) and was really impressed with it, but the CPU really wasn't up to it so I switched back to WM6.5. Hope someone can give me some real user experience thoughts.
PS. Also, when the keyboard is slid out, is it totally flat to the screen, or does the screen raise a little? I can´t seem to find good information on this aspect.

You won't find our CPU lacking anywhere. This is a fully capable android phone.
Our screen slides out parallel to the keyboard

-Jonny- said:
My Touch Pro2 is getting a bit long in the tooth. I was looking for a decent Android phone with a keyboard and this looks like it may be a good choice. Are there any others using this device that can compare it with the TP2 (that is, especially the keyboard). And also, what is a good, stable and fast version of Android that you have running on this phone? I tried Android on my TP2 (Gingerbread) and was really impressed with it, but the CPU really wasn't up to it so I switched back to WM6.5. Hope someone can give me some real user experience thoughts.
PS. Also, when the keyboard is slid out, is it totally flat to the screen, or does the screen raise a little? I can´t seem to find good information on this aspect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came from the TP2 and my mytouch digitizer just died so I looked at what phones I could upgrade to and decided there is nothing out there comparable so I'm sticking with the mt4gs.
You will miss the keyboard tilt but not having that allows it to be smaller and lighter so it's not as much of a brick in your pocket.
You will also miss the 5th row and the arrows on the keyboard but you get used to function shifting for the numbers. Having to copy paste with your finger on the touch screen sucks when you used to be able to do it on the keyboard. There are always concessions but this was a good move for me and it worked. There are other phones out there with 5 row keyboards (only a couple) but they aren't HTC and I think a couple of them are Verizon so they are CDMA. There was only one that I can remember that was an AT&T phone which I would have had to get and then unlock to work with t-mobile.