# Smart phone keyboard preferences **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 19, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-preferences/564721 "2010-12-19T16:43:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-preferences/564721/1 "2010-12-19T16:43:17Z")
My first poll, bear with me… My Wife will be in the market for a new cell phone after Christmas. This will be her first smart phone. I have a BlackBerry Storm, and like it a lot but am not necessarily recommending it. She has never ‘texted’ (I don’t either) but we see it in our future. The question is. Slide out mechanical keyboard, or on screen keyboard. Which do you prefer and why? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-preferences/564721/2 "2010-12-19T16:52:18Z")
I have a Droid with a Slide out keyboard as well as the on screen one. In the year that I’ve had this phone, I think I’ve used the slide out keyboard once or twice. Even then, it was only used because I was having a hard time placing the cursor to edit the middle of some text. The on screen keyboard is _very_ good, on top of that it’s extremely good at guessing the word you’re looking for. Recently I downloaded the beta version of the [Swype](http://swypeinc.com/) keyboard. I’m still getting used to it, but it could be better then the regular on screen keyboard. FTR, the next time I get a phone, given the option, I wouldn’t bother with the slide out mechanical keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-preferences/564721/3 "2010-12-19T17:04:09Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I have a Droid with a Slide out keyboard as well as the on screen one. In the year that I’ve had this phone, I think I’ve used the slide out keyboard once or twice. Even then, it was only used because I was having a hard time placing the cursor to edit the middle of some text. > The on screen keyboard is _very_ good, on top of that it’s extremely good at guessing the word you’re looking for. > > Recently I downloaded the beta version of the [Swype](http://swypeinc.com/) keyboard. I’m still getting used to it, but it could be better then the regular on screen keyboard. > > FTR, the next time I get a phone, given the option, I wouldn’t bother with the slide out mechanical keyboard. Thank you Joey. We are looking at the Droid and that’s the kind of info we are looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-preferences/564721/4 "2010-12-19T20:06:04Z")
I have a Droid X. Onscreen only. When oriented vertically, the keyboard is tight, but if I orient it horizontally, it’s quite good. I also like that I don’t have to press a button. Just a light touch on the screen is enough. Joe ---
**Author:** ![ClaytonThroop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@ClaytonThroop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ClaytonThroop)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-preferences/564721/5 "2010-12-19T23:47:45Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Thank you Joey. We are looking at the Droid and that’s the kind of info we are looking for. I use my Droid’s slide out keyboard almost exclusively, for anything longer than a word. I think it really comes down to personal preference. It just seemed easier to type reliably for me with the mechanical keys - the on screen keyboard would result in more mistakes. Certainly many people disagree with me though. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-preferences/564721/6 "2010-12-19T23:53:00Z")
You missed the non slide out physical keyboard such as the old Palm or original blackberry. I freaking can NOT stand a slide out keyboard. It’s too fat, heavy, another thing to break and extra steps you have to take. I used the Palm Treo for the past couple of years - it was a workhorse. I’m using the Samsung Focus running Windows Phone 7. The virtual keyboard has taken some getting used to and I still can’t thumb as fast as I could with the Palm. I’ve only been on it for a week so the thumb speed will probably speed up as I get used to it. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-preferences/564721/7 "2010-12-19T23:56:16Z")
I carry two phones with a slide-out keyboard. I tend to use the keyboard most of the time. My experience is that if the screen is too small, then typing on the virtual keyboard is difficult. If the screen is big enough, then it’s personal preference. It’s like asking what brand toilette paper to buy - the right answer is the one that works for you. It’s that personal. Unfortunately, you’ll never get a satisfactory answer to “will I like this” for a feature like this. -D/a ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-preferences/564721/8 "2010-12-20T00:38:54Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > I carry two phones with a slide-out keyboard. I tend to use the keyboard most of the time. > My experience is that if the screen is too small, then typing on the virtual keyboard is difficult. > > -D/a I don’t doubt it - my Droid X has a HUGE screen, which makes it not a problem. I think it’s the biggest screen of all the Droids. Some people don’t like the size - they like a more compact package, I guess. But I’m happy with it. [Droid X](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Droid_x) Joe ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-preferences/564721/9 "2010-12-20T03:20:59Z")
I need buttons. I would never use a touch screen keyboard if I can avoid it! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-preferences/564721/10 "2010-12-20T04:17:58Z")
Last night I had two friends over. One is looking to upgrade his phone and the other has a new Droid X. The one looking to upgrade currently has a Treo, and one of his requirements for a new phone is that it should have a keyboard. But, we put his Treo up next to the Droid X with the Droid’s onscreen keyboard in view, and it turns out the Droid’s onscreen keyboard is bigger than the Treo’s hardware keyboard. It actually is easier to type on the onscreen one. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-preferences/564721/11 "2010-12-20T05:02:48Z")
I have the Storm and, like you, am not specifically recommending it, although I do like the onscreen keyboard better than my old BlackBerry with the mechanical keyboard. That said, I’m drooooooooling over the Droid X. The screen is freaking huge, and the onscreen keyboard is easier to type on than the Storm. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-preferences/564721/12 "2010-12-20T05:10:57Z")
For me the Droid X was the only keyboard big enough for me to use. I tried several other phones including blackberries and the original Droid and they were no good for me. The Droid X was. I am typing this post on it now. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-preferences/564721/13 "2010-12-20T13:27:55Z")
I prefer the onscreen keyboard. I have an iphone, but have had other phones. The thing is, you have to trust the autocorrection to just do its job - and it does it extremely well. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2010, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-phone-keyboard-preferences/564721/14 "2010-12-20T14:12:46Z")
Thanks everyone. I was wondering if there would be a huge preference of one over the other. Seems to be a wash. As my Wife has never had a smart phone, I just wanted to help point her in the right direction. She is leaning towards the mechanical keyboard, which I’m sure will be fine.