Compare QWERTY keyboard smart phones

QWERTY Keyboard Phones: Buyers' Guide

Anyone who likes to text a lot or sends a lot of emails should consider QWERTY keyboard phones. A QWERTY keyboard takes its name from the first six characters on the top row of the keyboard starting from the left. It is the most common keyboard design in the world and has been in use in typewriters and computers for ages. The idea behind a QWERTY is to minimize the instances where you have to press two keys side by side (known as a typebar clash).

Although QWERTY design was originally meant for typewriters, it has perhaps become even more important in mobile phones because of the limited space. That is the reason why phones with QWERTY keyboards are becoming more and more popular these days. The concept was given a major boost by Research in Motion (RIM) in its Blackberry phones when it sacrificed sleek designs in favour of faster typing speed, as the best feature of the company's mobile phones was their corporate email support.

Even in phones with QWERTY, there are many design options that you can go for and the best QWERTY phone for you depends on your own preferences. Here are your options:

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PDA bar style mobile phone QWERTY

These are the least complicated and have a straightforward design with no movable parts, but they can be quite bulky. They are used in most of the Blackberry phones, even in their cheapest models.

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Slide out QWERTY keypad phones

As the name suggests, in these phones the keypad slides out. The keys get more space because of the design and the screen can also be larger. Due to the sliding mechanism, prices of such phones usually tend to be higher, but there are some cheap offers in the market.

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Flip style QWERTY keyboard mobile

These phones open up like a book, which saves a lot of space. But most flip models in the market try to be sleek, which means that the keys of the QWERTY are very close together and not easy to use.

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Touch screen QWERTY phones

Many touch screen mobile phones also come with a full QWERTY keyboard now. Popular touch screen phones like the iPhone and the latest HTC models boast of a touch based QWERTY keypad. However, the keypad of these 3G smartphones may take some time to get used to after you buy one.

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Alternatives to QWERTY keyboard mobile phones

The simplest alternative to a phone with QWERTY is to go with one that has multiple letters on a single key. This is the oldest mobile phone keypad design, where you have to press a key multiple times to access different letters. The problem with such a keypad is that it can be painfully slow when you want to write long text messages or emails. Such a keypad is very rarely found in the latest 3G phones.

Another alternative to QWERTY keypad phones are half QWERTY keyboard mobile phones. In such a keypad, the same key is shared by two letters of the alphabet. In terms of convenience comparison, this lies somewhere between a regular numeric keypad and a full mobile phone QWERTY keypad. However, with such a keypad, you have to learn a new way of typing the keys, whereas in full QWERTY keyboard phones, you just go with the instinct that you have developed over years of QWERTY use.

Compare all the major QWERTY keypad phones on Broadband Genie and read detailed reviews before you buy one. You can also look for attractive deals from all UK mobile operators - 3 Mobile, Vodafone, T-Mobile, O2, and Orange.

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