[lewis71980]

With no punctuation, alt or sym button. How do you think they will be handled?

[Armin Osmanovic]

A swipe down on the keyboard and the buttons change?

Posted via CB10

[II ARROWS]

I think the only logical way, is that every key is a small backlit epaper display, except the space bar (that you can see is slightly raised... maybe for more control or maybe just for blind typing reference like the point on S key...).
My idea, is that with quick gestures down you enable symbols (repeat down for the second or maybe third set) and every key changes accordingly.
In this way, you can also change the keyboard language and reflect this change to the keyboard.

Like this: Future Look: The Optimus Organic LED keyboard - Legit ReviewsThe Optimus OLED Keyboard Will Change Keyboards Forever

For me it's the only logic way to implement a keyboard like the one we saw, with only letters "printed" on it.
If it's not, no matter what they made, it's total bull****. If I wanted to use the screen for type anything else then a letter, I'd buy a full touch.

Swipe up enables the capital letter, double swipe up turn on caps lock.
As for BB10 virtual keyboard, you can swipe left to delete the whole word, and maybe adding something else for the right swipe (like accents).


Also, as you can see from these pictures: BlackBerry CEO John Chen shows off upcoming BlackBerry Passport and BlackBerry Classic smartphones | CrackBerry.com
The Passport keys are always on, while Classic turn off. It could be a hint that they are micro displays.

[PhoenixRUS]

that the symbols on the keys change would be awesome, i don't think that will happen, they will need OLED displays in the keys, and there is an OLED keyboard for PC which costs about $3000 so imagine what the Passport would cost then... this technology isn't cheap nowdays, maybe in 10 years or so... i would love to have such a keyboard, and when you switch from english to russian, all the characters just change

[II ARROWS]

I said ePaper... it's cheap, you don't need colors, the refresh period doesn't need to be high, doesn't consume much power and the keyboard is small.

[Nick Spagnolo]

I wonder if the touch sensitive keyboard has the functionality as the virtual keyboard, it backspace = swipe back to erase the last word. I find this feature extremely useful no matter what the situation.

Z10

[MP2100]

When I saw it, my assumption was that a key combination (or long key press? ) pops up a row of symbols on the screen above the physical keyboard. So it'd be a nice combination of classic BlackBerry and OS 10 BlackBerry.

Posted via CB10

[greenberry666]

A swipe down on the keyboard and the buttons change?

Posted via CB10

Thud would be awesome. If it brings up a virtual symbol bar on the screen it will seriously suck.

[Mar Lut]

Hi guys,

There is an interesting patent filing from BlackBerry. A summary you can find here:
http://berryflow.com/2014/03/blackbe...board-overlay/

I guess there is a full touch screen, single color (white) display behind transparent keyboard buttons.

It is much more easy and cheap for cables and control to have one big touch screen, instead of a tiny display built-in to each button separately. Then each button would need it's own controller chip. Thats crazy expensive.

And I guess when the phone is off, there are no letters on the buttons.

What you think?

Posted via CB10

[II ARROWS]

Technically speaking, you could see the whole keyboard as the same display,but mechanically it can be separated. You could only use one controller instead of 30, having a lot of "black" spaces.

Or yes, just one screen below the keys...

[dejanh]

I'm afraid you will be very disappointed when you see how it is implemented. The keys are physically etched with the letters and they don't change. A virtual row of keys pops up on the screen when you want symbols and other extended characters. This is one thing I am seriously worried about. This implementation could end up being exceptionally awkward. A disjointed physical and software keyboard.

This is unfortunately the design. A few people got to see the Passport in person at the Blackberry Experience event in London. I just need to see what this looks like in practice myself.

Posted via CrackBerry App

[Mar Lut]

Hmm, you can not simply mechanically seperate a display and use one controller.
The reason is these displays work as a matrix (AMOLED=Active Matrix OLED)
You would need hundreds of connections between the keys.

OLED touch displays are integrated parts that you can buy. Internally extremely complicated externally just a few connections for power/control.

I guess BlackBerry don't care about wasting 70-80% of the display that never turns on but gain a lot functionality and new users experience for a reasonable price.

Posted via CB10

[PhoenixRUS]

Hi guys,

There is an interesting patent filing from BlackBerry. A summary you can find here:
BlackBerry Patents Touch Sensitive Keyboard Overlay -

I guess there is a full touch screen, single color (white) display behind transparent keyboard buttons.

It is much more easy and cheap for cables and control to have one big touch screen, instead of a tiny display built-in to each button separately. Then each button would need it's own controller chip. Thats crazy expensive.

And I guess when the phone is off, there are no letters on the buttons.

What you think?

Posted via CB10

this is just a thing you put over phones like the Z10 to have a physical keyboard on it...

[Mar Lut]

@dejanh: Where did you get this information?

I also would be very disappointed if it will be like you said.

What about the "Revolutionary new Keyboard" that they announced a few weeks ago?

Let's see.

Posted via CB10

[Mar Lut]

this is just a thing you put over phones like the Z10 to have a physical keyboard on it...

The patent is just the concept. But is says a keyboard over a touch display.
Why not use a dedicated screen that's permanently fitted under the fixed keyboard?

Posted via CB10

[PhoenixRUS]

The patent is just the concept. But is says a keyboard over a touch display.
Why not use a dedicated screen that's permanently fitted under the fixed keyboard?

Posted via CB10

i really hope so, for me using 2 totally different languages, a keyboard that can change the letters shown would be the greatest thing ever

[Mar Lut]

Another thing that I observed on the photos where the device is used was that the brightness of the letters on the keyboard is quite high, same like the normal display.

It looks different from normal back-illuminated keys.

I think these letters are from an OLED display.

Posted via CB10

[PhoenixRUS]

Another thing that I observed on the photos where the device is used was that the brightness of the letters on the keyboard is quite high, same like the normal display.

It looks different from normal back-illuminated keys.

I think these letters are from an OLED display.

Posted via CB10

i noticed that they are a lot brighter than regular backlit keyboards too... i can't wait for it to be official

[KporalBoyQ10]

for use symbol or punctuation you need to put your finger on the screen and all symbols and number will show on screen

[dejanh]

@dejanh: Where did you get this information?

I also would be very disappointed if it will be like you said.

What about the "Revolutionary new Keyboard" that they announced a few weeks ago?

Let's see.

Posted via CB10

I knew somebody would ask. It was posted on Crackberry a few days ago by a couple of people who got to see the device in person at the Blackberry Experience London event. I have to go to the desktop to find the thread but I will post it here for reference. The info was first posted by a single individual and then was confirmed by another unrelated person who also got to see it at the Blackberry Experience event. And yes, it is sadly very disappointing.

Edit: Here is the thread forums.crackberry.com/blackberry-10-os-f269/strange-question-ask-blackberry-experience-935995/

You'll have to read through it for all the details.

Posted via CrackBerry App

[Mar Lut]

for use symbol or punctuation you need to put your finger on the screen and all symbols and number will show on screen

Well, then it's crap. :-(

Posted via CB10

[matt4pack]

I doubt we're getting any kind of display under the keys. Maybe with the next generation.

I do expect gestures to work. You will probably bring up a row on the bottom with a swipe.

Posted via CB10

[Mar Lut]

I guess they first want to see if people accept that form factor before they put something really innovative inside that cost a lot in R&D.

Maybe for the Passport II it could be reality.

Cheers.

Posted via CB10

[matt4pack]

Why only Apple can make the cool innovations? At least when Steve Jobs was still alive.

I guess they first want to see if people accept that forms factor before they put something really innovative inside.

Maybe for the Passport II it could be reality.

Cheers.

Posted via CB10

A capacitive physical keyboard that uses gestures is still innovative.

Posted via CB10

[dejanh]

A capacitive physical keyboard that uses gestures is still innovative.

Posted via CB10

Innovative yes, practical, TBD. I'm also not sold on mixing physical and virtual.

Posted via CrackBerry App