Today’s article will be all about the QWERTY keyboard phones. But before we dig deeper into the topic, we need to make sure we all know what QWERTY stands for and what exactly do we mean by QWERTY keyboard phones.
QWERTY keyboard, also known as “Universal” keyboard or “Sholes”, stands for what you may simply know as the keyboard. It was invented back in 1860’ by C. L. Sholes and was first used on typewriters. Then it got passed on to computers and in the 21st century to cell phones. The name comes from the top row’s letter “QWERTYUIOP.” The first six letters give you the “QWERTY” name that stuck.
By ‘QWERTY keyboard phones’ we refer to mobile phones with a full physical keyboard. These are often called smartphones with keyboards, cell phone with keyboard, slide keyboard phone, and other similar titles. All of these refer to phones that have a full or party adjusted computer-like keyboard. Most known of these are BlackBerry phones, which have been the norm back in 2000 or so.
These days touch screen smartphones are the most popular choice and they use QWERTY keyboards that come in a digital form displayed on the screen. The majority of users got used to that type of keyboards, however, there are still many users who prefer QWERTY keyboard phones. Moreover, it has been proven many times over that physical QWERTY keyboard phones enable users to write text faster and without actually eyeballing the keyboard.
In this article, we will help you realize if you are the one that should consider using a cell phone with a keyboard and if so, what are the aspects to consider. Besides, we will also present 10 best and latest QWERTY keyboard phones for you to choose from.
Are you ready to dig deeper? Let’s do this.
Who needs QWERTY keyboard phones?
To be completely honest, no one really needs QWERTY keyboard phones as everyone could get used to touchscreen keyboards, which are getting better and better every year and are now offering great word suggestions that make writing super-fast.
That said, QWERTY keyboard phones still offer a major advantage to users that text a lot, write longer emails, and edit text on their phones and are used to physical keyboards and write much faster on them. These are the type of users that definitely need to consider QWERTY keyboard phones.
Smartphones with keyboards are also a much better choice for individuals with compromised sight as they enable you to write using only your sense of touch (that applies for the advanced users).
So, QWERTY keyboard phones are something that everyone who types a lot on their phones, has a compromised sight, or simply prefers physical keyboards should absolutely consider.
Why choose QWERTY keyboard phones?
Aside from the benefits described in the above section, the QWERTY keyboard phones are also extremely affordable at the moment. After their initial popularity, they’ve been put on the side rail as most people decided to go with smartphones with touch screens alone. As such, their price went down and are now very affordable.
Why should you buy a QWERTY keyboard phone over a touchscreen-only phone? What are the advantages of QWERTY keyboard phones?
This section is essentially a sum up of the above two. Whether you should or shouldn’t buy a cell phone with a keyboard or a slide keyboard phone is completely up to you, however, below is a list of benefits that may help you realize that QWERTY keyboard phones are something you should consider from now on.
- The physical keyboard enables many users to type faster
- The physical keyboard enables typing without the need to look at the keyboard
- The physical keyboard is great for all phone users that got used to physical keyboards or that do not like touchscreen keyboards
- QWERTY keyboard phones are a great option for users with compromised sight
- QWERTY keyboard phones are worth considering by all who text frequently, use instant messaging, write long emails, edit text documents on their mobile, etc.
- They are more affordable than the latest touchscreen-only smartphones
- There are many refurbished and highly affordable smartphones with keyboards available on the market.
10 Best and Latest QWERTY Keyboard Phones
This the section that will be of most interest to many of you. Herein you will get to learn details about the 10 best and latest QWERTY keyboard phones, which will enable you to decide if any of the models below may be the right pick for you.
Blackberry Key2
Main features:
- The best cell phone with keyboard on the market
- Great battery life
- Unmatched keyboard shortcuts and customization
- Excellent build quality
- TCL-built smartphone
- Superb build quality that you expect from a traditional BlackBerry phone
- The full QWERTY keyboard has capacitive buttons, so you can use it to swipe and scroll — or swipe up to pick suggested words — as well as type
- You can use the whole keyboard as a trackpad for scrolling
- Speed key now which acts as a shortcut into apps
- Android phone
Specs:
- Dimensions: 5.96 x 2.83 x 0.33 inches
- Weight: 5.93 oz
- RAM: 6GB
- Storage: 64/128GB; external microSD card slot available
- Display: 4.5-inch 1080 x 1620 pixels IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 3:2 ratio (~434 PPI density)
- Camera: Dual 12MP rear; Front: 8MP
- Battery: 3500mAh; fast charging 18W
- Processor: Qualcomm SDM660 Snapdragon 660; Octa-core (4×2.2 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver)
Pros:
- Excellent keyboard, handy new Speed Key
- Beautiful design
- Great battery life
- Plenty of security and privacy features
- Good Portrait Mode
Cons:
- Camera not much above average
- Low-light photos could be better
- Performance can dip occasionally
- Poor capacitive gestures in keyboard
Best for: The best cell phone with keyboard on the market
Blackberry KeyOne
Main features:
- Great battery life
- Unmatched keyboard shortcuts and customization
- Excellent build quality
- TCL-built smartphone
- Superb build quality that you expect from a traditional BlackBerry phone
- The full QWERTY keyboard has capacitive buttons, so you can use it to swipe and scroll — or swipe up to pick suggested words — as well as type
- The space bar doubles as the fingerprint sensor
- It has a vibrant 4.5-inch, 1080p display
- Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection
- It comes with added security features as well.
Specs:
- Dimensions: 5.87 x 2.85 x 0.37 inches
- Weight: 6.35 oz
- RAM: 3/4GB
- Storage: 32/64GB; external microSD card slot available
- Display: 4.5-inch 1080 x 1620 pixels IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 3:2 ratio (~434 PPI density)
- Camera: 12MP; Front: 8MP
- Battery: 3500mAh
- Processor: Qualcomm MSM8953 Snapdragon 625; Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53
Pros:
- Great keyboard customization options
- Brick-like build quality
- Capable camera
- Top-notch security
Cons:
- Occasional performance stutters
- Bulky, not ergonomic
- Subpar navigation icons
Best for: 2nd best cell phone with keyboard
Blackberry Priv
Main features:
- Before the KeyOne it was BlackBerry’s flagship
- Looks much like a standard touchscreen phone, but with a slide-out keyboard that lives under the display when not in use
- Android operating system – opening up the device to the millions of apps on the Google Play Store, as well as an operating system that many people are probably more familiar with
- A display with high resolution
- Very solid specs all around
Specs:
- Dimensions: 5.04 x 3.56 x 0.37 inches
- Weight: 6.91 oz
- RAM: 3GB
- Storage: 32GB; external microSD card slot available
- Display: 4.5-inch 1440 x 1440 IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 1:1 ratio (~453 PPI density)
- Camera: 13MP; Front: 2MP
- Battery: 3450mAh
- Processor: Qualcomm MSM8974AA Snapdragon 801; Quad-core 2.26 GHz Krait 400
Pros:
- Solid build quality
- Gorgeous display
- Hub is an excellent productivity tool
- Wireless charging
- Android Pay capable
- Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
Cons:
- The camera is noisy in low-light
- Productivity Tab could be better
- The physical keyboard adds girth
- No backward compatibility with BB10
Best for: Best for slide down keyboard
BlackBerry Passport
Main features:
- The Passport looks like a blend of classic BlackBerry devices and modern design
- Limited to GSM carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile.
- Decent specs, including a quad-core Snapdragon processor, a 4.5-inch HD screen, and a 13-megapixel rear camera
- The compact keyboard has been designed for typing accuracy, plus it has a cool set of touch-based gesture controls
- Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Protection
Specs:
- Dimensions: 5.04 x 3.56 x 0.37 inches
- Weight: 6.91 oz
- RAM: 3GB
- Storage: 32GB; external microSD card slot available
- Display: 4.5-inch 1440 x 1440 IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 1:1 ratio (~453 ppi density)
- Camera: 13MP; Front: 2MP
- Battery: 3450mAh
- Processor: Qualcomm MSM8974AA Snapdragon 801; Quad-core 2.26 GHz Krait 400
Pros:
- Excellent multitasking and messaging capabilities
- Square display ideal for viewing documents and email
- Excellent keyboard with capacitive touch features
- “Official” Android apps available via Amazon Appstore
- Unique and refined design
- Very solid battery
Cons:
- One-handed operation is very limited
- Odd design and hybrid keyboard takes time getting used to
- Some apps and games don’t translate well to square display
- The camera could be better
Best for: Best for documents and spreadsheets editing
Blackberry Q10
Main features:
- Wide range of Application Software
- The front-facing camera, navigation, rear-facing camera, voice recorder
- Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert
- Sensors: accelerometer, ambient light sensor, gyro sensor, magnetometer, proximity sensor
- TTY compatible, BlackBerry Balance, BlackBerry Magnify
Specs:
- Dimensions: 4.71 x 2.63 x 0.41 inches
- Weight: 4.90 oz
- RAM: 2GB
- Storage: 16GB; Up to 32GB external microSD card
- Display: 3.1”, 720 x 720 Super AMOLED, 16M colors, 1:1 ratio (~328 PPI density)
- Camera: 8MP; Front: 2MP
- Battery: 2100mAh
- Processor: Qualcomm 1.5 GHz Dual Core
Pros:
- Easy to use rounded keys
- Decent cameras
- Touchscreen
Cons:
- Blackberry operating system
- May be too underpowered for some users
- The battery could be more powerful
Best for: Affordable Blackberry
F(x)tec Pro1
Main features:
- Physical Keyboard layout: 5-row, 64-key, staggered, backlit, landscape QWERTY keyboard
- Keyboard mechanism: sliding (angled)
- Dual rear camera
- SENSORS: side-mounted fingerprint reader, GPS/A-GPS, Accelerometer, Magnetometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Ambient Light, Hall effect
- Landscape-optimized apps: launcher, calendar, email
Specs:
- Dimensions: 154 x 73.6 x 13.98 mm
- Weight: 243 grams
- RAM: 6GB
- Storage: 128GB; up to 2TB with external microSD card
- Display: 5.99-inch 2160 x 1080 (FHD+) AMOLED with curved edges; Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3
- Camera: Dual rear: 12MP + 5MP; Front: 8MP
- Battery: 3200 mAh
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998
Pros:
- Excellent keyboard
- Highly respectable performance
- OLED display
- Fully optimized for landscape use
- Solid support for other operating systems
- Dual SIM
- Solid performance
- Good battery life
Cons:
- On a heavy side
- Thick design
Best for: Best Slide Keyboard Phone
LG Enact
Main features:
- Sliding QWERTY keyboard open and closed is pretty easy to do (even with one hand)
- Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass)
- Powerful battery
- Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording
Specs:
- Dimensions: 2.06 x 4.37 x 0.62 inches
- Weight: 5.95 ounces
- RAM: 1GB
- Storage: 8GB; up to 64GB with external microSDXC card
- Display: 4″ inches TFT LCD, 480×800 pixels, 233 PPI, 16 million colors
- Camera: 5MP rear, 0.3MP front
- Battery: 2460mAh Li-Ion (Removable)
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8930; 1.2Ghz Dual-Core Krait
Pros:
- Hardware full QWERTY keyboard
- Stellar battery life
- Satisfying sliding keyboard mechanism
- Bright display
- 5 mm audio jack
Cons:
- Thick body
- Basic cameras
- Poor resolution
Best for: Affordable Slider Keyboard Phone
Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere 2
Main features:
- Retro design
- Solid Super AMOLED panel
- Dual-core 1.2 GHz
- Good size for single-handed use
- Five-row QWERTY keyboard with large keys that are slightly raised and clicky
- Dedicated row of number keys at the top
- Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer
Specs:
- Dimensions: 4.97 x 2.58 x 0.53 inches
- Weight: 154 grams
- RAM: 1GB
- Storage: 8GB; up to 64GB with external microSDXC card
- Display: 4″ inches TFT LCD, 480×800 pixels, 233 PPI
- Camera: 5MP rear, 1.3MP front
- Battery: 1800mAh Li-Ion (Removable)
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960; 1.2Ghz Dual-Core Krait
Pros:
- Comfortable and roomy hardware keyboard
- Impressive call quality
Cons:
- Midrange specs
- Average display
- Stiff keyboard sliding mechanism
- Lots of bloatware
Best for: Affordable Slider Keyboard Phone
LG Xpression 2 C410
Main features:
- The essential stuff.
- Great for texting, emails, and to use the built-in web browser
- Store up to 256MB of music or pictures on the phone and add an additional 32GB of external memory using a microSD card if you want to keep a nice selection of tunes or podcasts at hand.
- If the keyboard is the most essential part of the phone and the modern experience isn’t, the LG Xpression C410 offers excellent value as it comes at a price less than half of most other picks on this list.
Specs:
- Dimensions: 2.13 x 4.25 x 0.63 inches
- Weight: 4.59 ounces
- RAM: 128MB
- Storage: 256MB; up to 32GB with external microSD card
- Display: 3”, 240×400 pixels, 155 PPI, 260 thousand colors
- Camera: 2MP
- Battery: 900mAh Li-Ion (Removable)
- Processor: 230Mhz Single-Core Qualcomm QSC6270E
Pros:
- Highly affordable
- Solid battery life
- Very compact size
Cons:
- Limited features
- Smaller keyboard
- Poor camera
- Not suitable for advanced use and heavy multitasking
Best for: Best Budget Slider Keyboard Phone
Motorola Photon Q XT897
Main features:
- Highly generous screen real estate of all seven QWERTY world champion title candidates: 4.3 inches
- Scratch-resistant glass on top of the screen
- Dual-core 1.5 GHz chip
- Android 4.1 Jelly Bean,
- 8 MP primary camera with LED flash
- 4G LTE and microSD support
Specs:
- Dimensions: 4.98 x 2.60 x 0.54 inches
- Weight: 6.00 ounces
- RAM: 1GB
- Storage: 8GB; external microSD card slot available (up to 32GB)
- Display: 4.3” TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 540 x 960 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~256 PPI density)
- Camera: 8MP
- Battery: 1785mAh Li-Ion (Non-Removable)
- Processor: Dual-core 1.5 GHz
Pros:
- Relatively affordable
- Retractable QWERTY keyboard – great slide keyboard phone
- Water splash resistant (don’t immerse)
- Gorilla Glass protection
Cons:
- Limited internal storage
- Poor display resolution
- Poor camera
Best for: Budget Slider Keyboard Phone (CDMA
Things to Consider Before Buying QWERTY Keyboard Phones
Screen Size
Whether you are buying a cell phone with keyboard or any other mobile phone, you need to know what size of the screen you want. Also, determine whether you want a slide keyboard phone or a fixed keyboard (this slightly limits the size of the display).
Button Size
It is best to try out a cell phone with keyboard in person to get a sense of its keys. You can always get used to the keys over time, however, their size must match your finger size.
Overall Specs
Know what sort of task you plan to do with your phone. Do you want to perform advanced multitasking? Maybe even play some latest games? Or are you only in need of basic texting? You want to be able to perform tasks at hand smoothly.
Battery Life
Make sure your phone will last you through the day. You can always charge it during the night.
Storage
If you plan on storing a lot of music, images, and videos on your phone, you should aim to have at least 32GB of internal storage or use an external memory card.
Simplicity and Intuitiveness
Simplicity is always the key. Make sure that the phone is as intuitive as possible and that things are kept simple.
Camera Specs
If you plan on taking some advanced photos, ensure that your cell phone with keyboard packs a solid camera. Megapixels are just one aspect of it, so make sure it performs well in conditions you want to use it for.
Power and Performance
If you need a high-performing phone, you will need to consider only the latest QWERTY keyboard phones, which pack advanced processors and solid RAM.
Miscellaneous Factors
If you have any special preferences, make sure to consider them. Are you all about the looks? Do you want your phone to be super-slim? Make sure to go with the one that checks most of your needs and wants.
Ratings and Reviews
We also strongly advise you to check the phones’ ratings and reviews. Make sure it has 4 stars or more (out of 5) and at least 20 reviews.
Bottom Line
As you can see, there are some solid QWERTY keyboard phones available on the market. However, since their popularity is still relatively low, there are still some older models of smartphones with keyboards worth considering if you do not need a high-performing device – that way you can save a lot of money.
We hope you found our article about QWERTY keyboard phones useful and that it will help determine whether or not you should consider slide keyboard or cell phone with keyboard for your next purchase.
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