[mrsean2k]

1) Retain the overall size and shape, but increase the screen size.

Looking at the bezel, there's around another 1cm available edge-to-edge, and about the same at the top if the speaker and sensors shift up and Blackberry logo is moved

That would maintain the square aspect ratio which I've grown to like

2) More controversially, switch the keyboard and screen positions so that the keyboard is above the screen.

This would make it much more stable in use as the mass of the phone would be cradled on your hand(s) instead of sticking up and out unsupported.

It makes surprisingly little difference to visibility when typing and almost none when just browsing about (try it!)

[CTU2fan]

I agree they could have given us more screen.

As for keyboard on top - no. One, you will find yourself touching the top of the screen with the bottom of your thumbs. And two, the balance is no good. When I flip it over the phone is "bottom heavy" and wants to slide out of my hands. If you type one handed regularly then it's not so bad, but most of the one hand peck typers seem to be touch phone users anyway. I could see this as an option for the Z phones.

Posted via CB10

[mrsean2k]

Hmmm, I don't feel the same sense of lack of balance when I flip the Q10 around - the instability when positioning the keyboard under my thumbs with the real life version is noticeable by comparisons. Maybe a function of individual hands / thumbs.

Touching the screen could a problem.

There's a bezel below the keyboard that could be repositioned between the screen and keyboard that would cut it down.

And perhaps a bit of software finessing - ignore touches originating in the top 5-10mm of the screen for half a second after the last keypress for instance.

[bbnrs]

"Retain the overall size and shape, but increase the screen size." How could the screen size be increased given the constraints of the physical size by eliminating the KB? Essentially a smartphone is at war with itself trying to be everything to everyone.

[mrsean2k]

Well as I say:

1) the screen doesn't go edge to edge, so around 1cm more screen are horizontally in the same physical case

2) there's "dead" space at the top of the screen where the blackberry logo and text is, and a largish border at the bottom of the case below the keyboard.

I make it comfortably a cm in each dimension without altering the overall dimensions of the phone.

And it does say "fantasy" so I'm ignoring the cost of engineering and other improvements that could make it happen.

[CTU2fan]

How are you holding it? Mine rests on my 2 index fingers right below the camera. It sits comfortably and balanced perfectly. If my fingers are lower, say behind the keyboard, then it feels top heavy.

Tried typing upside down again. If I hold it with all my fingers interlace it feels comfortable but in that position I'm more typing with the sides of my thumbs. Better but still awkward.

Posted via CB10

[paperplanes7]

i dont think id ever feel the need to get a different phone if they could increase the screen size while maintaining the same size and weight.

[arphen_steic]

Some people complain that the Q10's bezels are too small for the gesture-based navigation. I doubt they'd like it if the Q10 would get smaller bezels.

[Lithtech]

1080P Camera
3GB RAM
32GB Storage

[mrsean2k]

@arphen

In theory this is something you could fix in software; at the minute, hardware dictates the size of the border used to detect that a gesture is an edge-swipe.

But if a screen is fully edge-to-edge, a blank / apparently inactive margin could be reserved for the same purpose - maybe even margins of different sizes depending in preference.

Some sort of newer full screen mode could allow these margins to be toggled to minimum size to show as much as possible; maybe one upper / lower edge reserved for swiping out of that mode.

[ChocPrez]

One thing I wish BlackBerry would do is remove the front "Blackberry" branding and increase the screen size of the next devices.


Posted via CB10

[Motosurf]

A trackpad at the back of the phone like the Motorola Charm, and the Motorola Blackflip, that would work really well on BB10

[arphen_steic]

In theory this is something you could fix in software; at the minute, hardware dictates the size of the border used to detect that a gesture is an edge-swipe.
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Some sort of newer full screen mode could allow these margins to be toggled to minimum size to show as much as possible; maybe one upper / lower edge reserved for swiping out of that mode.

Yeah, something like that could probably work. But wouldn't the blank margin just be a bezel, albeit an adjustable one?

[mrsean2k]

Yes, but I still see that as an advantage; the worst case is that you have a significantly larger screen when the screen is expanded to concentrate on reading / scrolling through content, and your swiping method stays the same.

Best case is that you can tune down the size of the bezel for a larger screen across the board.

Also, supposing you set the bezel to the same size, it opens up the possibility that what's currently a blank inactive area could display useful information even if it doesn't respond to touches - permament date and time, graphic countdown of a timer / alarm, battery life etc. etc.

[anon(8063781)]

That keyboard on top business is a mind-f^@k! I just flipped my bold and ... Hmmm....

How about a capacitive keyboard where the letters are projected on the keys? Turn the phone upside down, and the keyboard letters and screen rotate...

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[anon(2325196)]

There should be no screen at all. And the keyboard should be upside down and on the back. Sounds sweet?!

Posted via CB10

[mrsean2k]

@shus - a touchscreen version would be an easier version to test, that's for sure, although I'd personally keep the hardware keyboard and trade a lot of other features off to keep it

[mrsean2k]

@buck - I think that could work, providing the headphone jack was under the battery and the sim card was attached to a ribbon cable dangling from the side of the case

[anon(8063781)]

@shus - a touchscreen version would be an easier version to test, that's for sure, although I'd personally keep the hardware keyboard and trade a lot of other features off to keep it

I was actually thinking of a "capacitive" keyboard in the sense that the Passport's keyboard is capacitive. There would still be individual keys, but the letters would be projected on the keys from below. I mean, if we're thinking about 'fantasy upgrades'!