Are Candy Bar QWERTY Phones a Thing of the Past?

I have been on different forums lately and most people have commented on the fact that the beloved blackberry form factor is a thing of the past. That comment being discussed for all types of phones.

Granted, I am asking this on a BlackBerry forum so I know many of us CrackBerry addicts will hold true to the form factor. However, if we addicts were to take a step back and look at the market AS A WHOLE, could the form factor really be a thing of the past? Do consumers dislike this form factor?

I agree there should be a choice, but we haven't really seen other manufacturers really embrace the design. Yes Motorla Droid Pro, there is a Samsung one coming out in the UK only but besides those 2 (that I've seen,) I don't see many candy bar QWERTY phones coming to the market.

Personally, I don't see these phones as being business centric and I think that with texting and IMing being so popular, we would see more of a choice with this form factor.

Thoughts, considerations are welcome. This is not a doom and gloom blackberry post. This is a question about BlackBerries and other types of phones as well.

edit: I forgot the HTC cha cha and the other HTC phone. But those phones have pretty low specs compared to other droid phones...

i think qwerty phones will always be around to some degree...
I wish they were more evolved...personally I hate touchscreen keypads...but you cant have the best of both worlds.... =(

also dont forget the nokia E series as well, i dont think they are a thing of the past, but touchscreen is becoming more popular. thats what i love about BB though is the choice, plus the 9900 really does bridge that gap nicely

I really do like the blackberry's form factor. I do like the bold touch and the torch because it is the best of both worlds. I really want to keep those going because I like the actual keyboard and I like to have the touchscreen. I do see that style leaving though. As sad as that is to say, I do see it happening.

I'm a little skeptical of the Bold touch...I can see it conceptually..but the screen is pretty small for touch purposes....

my opinion may change when I actually get to try it out

Currently I own both a Tour and Torch and the "candybar" is the only way I'd go. I have tried the landscape slider and also the portrait slider (pre and torch) but honestly prefer the Tour. I think virtual keyboards will eventually be downplayed. Almost every single person I know jumped shipped from either feature phones/bb/treos to go to apple and android and now they want the physical keyboards back. I really liked the Palm Pixi's layout, so I cannot wait for the Bold Touch

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Full touchscreens are obviously gaining ground. i can't help but think the pendulum will swing back the other way at some point. But instead of candybar qwerty maybe landscape mode sliders like the droid 2 is what will be most popular.

Originally Posted by jlspeed29

I'm a little skeptical of the Bold touch...I can see it conceptually..but the screen is pretty small for touch purposes....

my opinion may change when I actually get to try it out

Bigger than the Palm treo, and the new iPod Nano

The beauty is it isn't the only input method! It complements the keyboard/trackpad


And I don't think the candybar qwerty will die it will start to evolve more, right now the reason it hasn't been a popular form factor is it lacks the variety of the all touch screen phones, and lacks the advertisings, the majority of heavy type/texters use keyboard devices. The candybar qwerty will remain relavent

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Well with the shift the devices took, full touchscreen, and phones essentially 3.2 inches and up are the future. The pas technology didn't allow for touchscreens to be good and usuable as they are today, so qwerty candybars were great. The data was also expensive and slow, so media rich expirience was absent from mobile devices. Now on the other hand now all of thouse things became possible.
The past generation created a few people who just don't want to move to full touchscreen. Touchscreen devices are actually a lot faster to type on as you don't require a press but rather a tap. It does take a little getting used to, and I hated it for the first bit going from iphone back to blackberry.
Personally I use qwerty just becuase its more or less some of the last generation devices. Its same reason why I want to purchase chrystler 300, this might be the last generation to enjoy these clasic looking items.
I am getting 9900 just because of my point above.

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Candy bar QWERTY phones are like manual transmissions for car nuts. They are not as popular with the general public, but when you want absolute control and performance, it's the only way to go.

Originally Posted by Blackberry Guy

Candy bar QWERTY phones are like manual transmissions for car nuts. They are not as popular with the general public, but when you want absolute control and performance, it's the only way to go.

Interesting analogy!

I don't think candybars will go away. There are too many of us that just won't settle for anything less than a real keyboard.

Originally Posted by Blackberry Guy

Candy bar QWERTY phones are like manual transmissions for car nuts. They are not as popular with the general public, but when you want absolute control and performance, it's the only way to go.

That analogy only works in USA lol, in the rest of the world you struggle to find automatic cars. Automatic cars use more fuel too, you can't cruise in high gear/low revs.

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i love candybar...i used iphone before i got my first bb and i'll never go back to an all touch phone.

Originally Posted by canook

i love candybar...i used iphone before i got my first bb and i'll never go back to an all touch phone.

I don't know why, but I think this is the sexiest form factor for a phone, ever. I honestly don't know why it's dying out so much.

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Originally Posted by Aspyred

I don't know why, but I think this is the sexiest form factor for a phone, ever. I honestly don't know why it's dying out so much.

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I don't think itks dying out at all, I'm sure there's more qwerty users every year, it's just that there's been an explosion of touch phones on the market and it makes it look loke it's dying out.

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My mother will be getting a candybar phone soon, her other has shorted the li-ion battery while charging it, even shorted the new one I bought off ebay, making both swell to almost a ball-shape.

It only holds a charge for 15 minutes at most.

I might get her a blackberry if possible.

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