Consumers looking for a new mobile phone have a big choice to make – do they go for a touch screen keyboard or a physical keyboard?
This decision will have a massive impact on the way you use your phone and how easy you find it to navigate through texts, emails and the whole operating system.
There are a number of things you should consider in this decision, most of which we will cover below. However, it is important to remember that ultimately the decision between the two will come down to personal preference and you should make sure that you have had a chance to use both before choosing.
Physical QWERTY Keyboards
The greatest thing about physical QWERTY keyboards is that most people will have spent their whole lives using them and will be used to the feel of quickly jabbing at buttons. This can make all the difference when it comes to selecting a favourite type of keyboard as one of the main things you should be looking for in a keyboard is how natural and intuitive it feels for you. Some people will simply prefer the click of a button when typing and if that’s you, you should definitely look towards physical QWERTY keyboards.
If you are one such person, but feel that you need to catch up with the times or move on towards a touch screen, then there are a number of great options available to you. Numerous phone companies have now released handsets that offer the best of both worlds and come complete with a touch screen keyboard and a physical QWERTY keyboard. This may take some getting used to, but you will gradually be able to work your way onto the touch screen or just switch between the two when and where necessary.
Touch Screen Keyboards
Touch screen keyboards are definitely the future means of navigating around your phone and inputting text and data. They have already been integrated into most modern phones and it looks like most developers won’t be reverting back to a physical QWERTY keyboard. Touch screen technology has now reached a point where it is accurate enough not to cause any issues and even the clumsiest of fingers will soon be tapping away happily at the screen.
One of the main benefits of touch screen technology is its ability to be customised. The keyboard can be switched around, changed and manipulated in any way deemed fit by the user. A development we have also seen in recent years is alternative means of using touch screen keyboards.
Rather than just tapping at buttons, users can now use the ‘swipe’ method where they quickly move between letters on the keyboard without removing their finger from the screen. After a certain amount of practice, many users find this a much easier, quicker and more accurate way of writing text and inputting data.
In conclusion, it is fairly obvious that touch screen keyboards are the future of mobile phone input methods and most future mobile phones will rely solely on them. However, if you don’t think you’re ready for one just yet, there’s no need to switch immediately. There is still a lot of life left in the traditional physical QWERTY keyboards and there is sure to be continued support for their use.
