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Want a real keyboard on your iPhone? The Indian industrial designer Altamash Jiwani was also, and created a prototype of a sliding QWERTY keyboard to snap for iPhone 4:
[The] keyboard features a QWERTY slide-in keyboard and stylish case to protect your iPhone from bumps and bruises, as well as access to all switches and jacks on your iPhone. Simply insert your iPhone into the case while connecting the QWERTY keyboard port to your iPhone's dock connector.The design also incorporates a finger rest at the bottom of the case for a comfortable grip when typing. If you do not open the cursor, you still have access to the entire Iphone screen and QWERTY keyboard to quickly type something.
Jiwani has thought a great deal about choosing between three possible form factors: a rocker keyboard, an elongated iPhone frame, or a sliding keyboard. He documented the design process on his blog.
The keyboards are held in place by a "bumper" frame that surrounds the iPhone, built in polycarbonate, ABS and carbon steel. The different concepts are sketched and detailed and the advantages and disadvantages of each are taken into account:
Jiwani Concept 1 | Flip Keyboard
This is not a bad concept, familiar and popular. It allows full use of the phone and, if it included a microphone at the bottom of the keyboard, it could improve the quality of the voice. I would not be surprised to see something like this in the end, but eventually it was rejected for being too dated.
Jiwani Concept 2 | Extended keyboard
This is my favorite it allows to look at and use the entire phone without having to move anything, and there is no hinge to break. Made properly, I think it could work, but it was rejected by Jiwani because it was too big.
Jiwani Concept 3 | Sliding keyboard (finalized)
The slider style is Jiwani's choice for the best compromise. He then makes a foam model, then the real prototype. A fascinating insight into how to conceptualize and implement industrial design. Read the full articles on Jiwani's blog for more details and larger photos:
QWERTY Iphone Keyboard | Industrial design
QWERTY Iphone Keyboard (manufacture) | Industrial design
Thanks to iPhoneSavior for the pipe.
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