By Motorola must be having a blast testing out different form factors and unique layouts. They recently announced the Motorola Backflip and its rumored that in 3rd Quarter they’ll be launching the Motorola MOTOSPLIT. The folks at AndroidCommunity claim to have leaked renders of the device:
The first time we saw this was just a couple weeks ago and today’s tipster reiterates a 3rd quarter launch on AT&T. But this time around we get some insight from a purported 1st hand source:
The keyboard keys are inset and probably have no tactile feedback, however, they should be quite easy to use. It looks like the cutouts are pretty finger-friendly, as they contour to the shape of a standard finger. Under those cutouts is a low-resolution monochrome touch screen, one for each side of the keyboard. This is where the finger presses. The contact area is small, but the plastic grid that surrounds it contours to the fingers. The label and function of each key can be changed to suit certain layouts and applications.
The keyboard has multiple orientations. The keyboard can be pulled from side to side for typing on a surface. A small kickstand angles the phone when typing in this manner. The keyboard can also be pulled to the left for a standard landscape layout. There is also a dial-pad layout.
The specifications are slightly different than previously posted. The MOTOSPLIT uses the same processor as the BACKFLIP. Every other spec is almost the same as the BACKFLIP.
I’m not sure I completely understand but it sounds like the buttons have different backlighting depending on which way the keyboard opens. And, obviously, depending on which way they keyboard is open, button presses have different affects.
An interesting idea… one you’ll use?
I’m still really confused by this form factor. It looks neat but is it really all that practical? I would imagine it would be hard to type unless you put it down on a flat surface and spread it out.
Same processor as the Backflip?! It’ll be late 2010, and they’ll be using that crappy 528 mhz processor still? That just makes me sad…
with a snapdragon id wait for that, looks very interesting
but with such a creep oldfashioned crapcpu …
i even liked the outer hardware of the backflip…
Yeah, I’m kinda unsure myself of the form factor. The whole keyboard concept is pretty interesting. Seems similar to how the moto rokr e8 works… I had this phone before I jumped to android and I thought the concept was amazing… now combining that with android will be even more amazing.
I think its a lie that it uses that same old 528Mhz processor. This looks like a Droid and to me, it looks like a high-end phone. No way would Moto use such a weak-powered processor for this.
Not every idea should make it to production and that’s all I have to say about that, fooorest!
These pics look like a totally different form factor than the other MOTOSPLIT render. These pics seem to be of a phone that slides both vertically and to the side, which the screen-keys described would make a lot of sense with. I think the keyboard described is similar to the samsung alias 2 with e-ink screens in its keys, which also “goes both ways” but flips instead of slides.
It sure seems like Motorola mis labeled the “rejected designs” folder. The backflip now this? They need to focus on two or three well designed phones and stop with the novelty phones.
suck
maybeit slides to both sides, and the two halves of the keyboard can connect and slide down.
Love the buttons concept! i’ve thought about such a thing too. touchpad keyboard with changing layouts, with tactile feedback.. brilliant!