Who here is waiting on the EVO v2 with a keyboard and better specs?

[BlackDynamite]

Originally Posted by brownhornet

man either way you look at it qwerty will soon be a thing of the past. They'll probably put out like 1 phone with a qwerty just to suffice those that just have to have it... but companies are looking at the fact that the iphone is the best selling phone period without one and are following suit.

That may be true for HTC, but everyone else is still making qwertys. Again, the Droid was the hottest selling smartphone in the USA not named iPhone, and google has already confirmed the next Nexus device will have a keyboard.

[BlackDynamite]

Originally Posted by tokuzumi

I was curious on the ratio of keyboard/non-keyboard android devices, so I did a little digging. I tried to remove phones from this list (source Droid Dog: http://www.droiddog.com/android-blog...d-device-list/) that were either killed off, or have not been released yet (such as evo, legend, desire, etc), but if I made an error here, please correct. These are available right now, but not limited to the US.

Acer Liquid A1 - No keyboard
Acer Liquid E - No keyboard
Alcatel OT-980 - keyboard
Dell Ophone mini3i - No keyboard
Gigabyte GSmart - No keyboard
Google / HTC Nexus One - No keyboard
HTC Desire / Bravo / Passion / Dragon - No keyboard
HTC Dream / T-Mobile G1 with Google - Keyboard
HTC Eris (Verizon’s Hero) - No keyboard
HTC Hero / G2 Touch - No keyboard
HTC Magic / T-Mobile myTouch 3G with Google / Ion / Sapphire - No keyboard
HTC Tattoo / Click / Fiesta - No keyboard
Huawei T-Mobile Pulse Mini - No keyboard
Motorola Android Quench / Cliq XT / Zepplin - No keyboard
Motorola Backflip - Keyboard
Motorola Droid / Sholes / Tao / A855 - Keyboard
Motorola i1 / Opus One - No keyboard
Motorola Morrison / Cliq / Dext - Keyboard
Motorola MOTOROI / XT720 - No keyboard
Motorola MT710 - No keyboard
Samsung Behold II - No keyboard
Samsung Galaxy / i7500 - No keyboard
Samsung Moment - Keyboard
Samsung SHW-M100S - No keyboard
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X3 / X10 / Infinity - Keyboard

In summary,
18 without keyboards (17, if you combine the Eris with the Hero, which would be reasonable)
7 with keyboards

Wow, I just noticed somehting from this list though...

The HTC Hero is also called the G2 and does not have a keyboard, lol.

[Biggnaa20]

If you wait, there will ALWAYS be better tech. I'll probably get the 4g if I am sick of my Pre and want something new and shiny, but I won't be mad when the EVO2 comes out either.

[akayareal]

Seeing how this is a HTC Evo thread and a discussion on whether or not HTC will release a "pro" version with a keyboard, we have to look at HTC's history in the phone game.

Correct me if im wrong with any of my points cause im firing off the dome.

1) Before there was Android, HTC only produced WM phones that are geared for business use. Most of these phones had hardware keyboards because that was basically a standard for WM phones until the Iphone came out which was a full screen phone (not the 1st but the 1st that was in great demand). After the Iphone came out, HTC released the Touch that had no hardware keyboard but wasnt a big hit (i feel it was of the small screen size). They started making a mix of hardware and full touch screen keyboard phones.

2) When Android was came on the market, HTC now had anther OS that was not exclusive to RIM, Nokia, Palm, or Apple that they could build headsets for. They released the 1st Android phone which was the G1 which had a hardware keyboard. After the G1, they have not released or even made any indication that they were making another phone with a hardware keyboard that was running the Android OS.

3) Making the comparison to the TP/Diamond, TP2/Diamond 2 and so on is pointless because these are WM devices and not Android. Just because they do something for one OS doesnt mean they'll do it for the other.

4) Dont hold your breath for another WM phone even though Microsoft has said they will still support WM 6.5 now WM Classic, dont look for HTC to put to much into it. They have already shown pics and specs for a 1.5 ghz WP7 phone with no hardware keyboard.

Hardware keyboards are not dead because of companies like RIM. I personally believe from the pattern that HTC has shown, they are not looking to have hardware keyboards on Android devices. As ive said before, those looking for a hardware keyboard should look to other companies like Samsung to release 1.

Sprint may well release another 4g Android super phone this yr or early next yr with a keyboard but dont look for it to be a HTC device. I would bet HTC wont be making WP7 phones with hardware keyboards simply cause they are not geared towards the business users right now.

I can care less about a new nexus phone if its not a 4g phone personally.

One last note, if this phone is a hit and decide to make a upgrade sporting the same name (Evo 2) then dont look for it for at least 10 months or so after this one is released seeing how this is going to be a Sprint exclusive flagship phone. They may get another exclusive in 6 months or so running WP7 depending on when WP7 is released.

[BlackDynamite]

Originally Posted by akayareal

2) When Android was came on the market, HTC now had anther OS that was not exclusive to RIM, Nokia, Palm, or Apple that they could build headsets for. They released the 1st Android phone which was the G1 which had a hardware keyboard. After the G1, they have not released or even made any indication that they were making another phone with a hardware keyboard that was running the Android OS.

I agree with your overall point- HTC seems to have abandoned keyboards while other manufacturers still produce them.

However, HTC made the MyTouch Slide (AKA HTC Espresso) for T-Mobile. It's an android device with a keyboard that is set to launch anytime now (just cleared the FCC the other day).
http://www.tmonews.com/2010/01/mytou...e-images-leak/
http://www.tmonews.com/2010/04/mytouch-slide-uncovered/

[akayareal]

I stand corrected then. IMO though, as great as the TP2 keyboard is, the phone is bulky, if not so much in size than in weight. That is a 3.6 in screen. I know some will argue and say 4.3 isnt that much bigger but when you double the thickness as a result of the keyboard, the phone becomes very bulky and probably very uncomfortable in the hand.

As it stands, the phone seems perfect. If i wanted to be greedy and ask for something on the phone thats not already on it would be the 1.5ghz chip that they plan on rolling out next.

[phistyle]

even if they make an EVO version 2, it will not come with a keyboard...HTC would name the device something else so no point in waiting for an EVO v2 because you'll actually be waiting for a different device....if you didnt understand that then let me put it into perspective...the HTC Diamond came out and you be like..."I'm waiting for the DIAMOND 2 with the keyboard which when released did not have a keyboard so you would be looking at a Touch Pro or Touch pro 2 instead which was pretty much like the diamond but with a keyboard....

[BlackDynamite]

Originally Posted by akayareal

I stand corrected then. IMO though, as great as the TP2 keyboard is, the phone is bulky, if not so much in size than in weight. That is a 3.6 in screen. I know some will argue and say 4.3 isnt that much bigger but when you double the thickness as a result of the keyboard, the phone becomes very bulky and probably very uncomfortable in the hand.

As it stands, the phone seems perfect. If i wanted to be greedy and ask for something on the phone thats not already on it would be the 1.5ghz chip that they plan on rolling out next.

True, the TP2 only has a 3.6 inch screen. However, it also has a stupid zoom bar at the bottom that adds probably at least a half inch to the size. Combine that with the rather large area between the top and bottom of the screen and the edge of the device- which presumably advances in technology could reduce, and I think we could get a 4.3 inch screen in a device the size of the TP2.

It would still be thicker and heavier than an HD2, of course, but it wouldn't have to be as thick and heavy as a TP2.

Anyway, word is leaking that Sprint plans 2 more 4G devices this year after the Evo. Supposedly they will all have front cameras and 4.3 inch screens. So hopefully one of them has a keyboard. Hopefully these guys are credible:
http://fourgphones.com/

[drksilenc]

well salty part of the reason for the larger areas where there isnt nething is the rails for the tilt and slide part of the keyboard. so it would have to be that big without the screen otherwise they would have to make it a significant bit fatter

[BlackDynamite]

Originally Posted by drksilenc

well salty part of the reason for the larger areas where there isnt nething is the rails for the tilt and slide part of the keyboard. so it would have to be that big without the screen otherwise they would have to make it a significant bit fatter

That may very well be part of it, but it is a very small part of it. If you look on the back of a TP2, the rails take up a couple of mm on each side, but there is a huge 3/4 of an inch (or more) space on the outside of the rail (which has unused space on the screen side of the device). In fact, the rail on the top of the device is actually under the screen, not the unused space above it. The tilting mechanism is all under the screen on both sides, not under the unused space.

Not sure if you have a TP2 to look at this or not, but I'm looking at my Sprint TP2 right now and this is how it is built.

I agree the keyboard will definitely make it thicker and heavier, but I don't think it will make it longer or wider. How much thicker and heavier the keyboard would make it remains to be seen. I think if they wanted to, they could make a pretty thin device with a keyboard. They have gotten thinner and thinner with each generation (sit a TP2 next to a PPC 6700, it's a whole lot thinner). I just don't think HTC always cared about making a thin device. They obviously do now, so we'll have to see what they come up with- if they even make a "superphone" with a keyboard.

I guess it all comes down to this: some people seem to be trying to get the smallest device possible. I am not one of those people. I am trying to get the most features possible, in a device that is small and light enough for me to carry in my pocket. If a device has more features but is a few millimeters bigger and a couple grams heavier, no big deal to me.