It looks like the second of two Huawei-made Android smartphones for T-Mobile USA’s myTouch consumer line is now ready for FCC approval. The smartphone, model Huawei Ascend G312, comes with a physical hardware QWERTY keyboard and is expected to launch as the T-Mobile myTouch Q.

The consumer smartphone will launch with a 4-inch WVGA display, 1.4 GHz processor. and 4 GB of built-in storage along with a microSD card so users can increase the storage capabilities. The phone will also have 1 GB RAM for multitasking.

The FCC documents for the smartphone was discovered by Engadget. 

The myTouch Q would join the myTouch on T-Mobile USA and both devices are similar except that the Q supports a sliding hardware keyboard. A physical hardware keyboard is becoming more rare in the Android smartphone world and the myTouch Q would likely compete against Sprint’s recently leaked LG Cayenne Android smartphone and the higher end Motorola Droid 4.

FCC documents did not confirm pricing or launch date for the T-Mobile myTouch Q by Huawei.

T-Mobile myTouch Q Getting FCC Approval is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

It looks like Sprint has another 4G LTE device lined up in the works in the form of the LG LS860, which is codenamed Cayenne. The LG Cayenne, unlike most of Sprint’s Android smartphones, will debut with what appears to be a very capacious and well-spaced 5-row keyboard with a staggered key arrangement.

The device is rumored to launch with Sprint’s 4G LTE network and support Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich platform. It will have a 4-inch WVGA resolution IPS LCD display and will be powered by a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processor clocked at 1.2 GHz according to intel obtained by Brief Mobile.

The Cayenne is described as a keyboarded variant of the recently launched LG Viper 4G LTE, a mid-range smartphone on Sprint’s LTE network.

It’s too bad that this device won’t be a high-end device with better specs–like a higher resolution display or an S4 processor rather than an S3–as it could very well compete with Verizon’s Motorola Droid 4, a device that has one of the best hardware keyboards on the market.

This would be LG’s third smartphone for Sprint’s LTE network following the launch of the Viper. The second rumored phone is a very high-end candy bar touchscreen phone in the form of the LG Eclipse.

With a growing collection of 4G LTE smartphones in its lineup and pipeline, hopefully Sprint will deploy its LTE network soon so early adopters can take advantage of the faster LTE mobile broadband speeds.

So far this phone is unannounced and we do not know when it will be coming to market.

LG ‘Cayenne’ LS860 Photos Leaked for Sprint’s 4G LTE Network is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

Though manufacturers like HTC may be giving up on physical keyboards on smartphones in favor of thin and light designs, Google’s recent patent application may suggest that the Android OS-maker is still not giving up in that form factor and we may potentially see a Nexus smartphone in the future with a physical sliding keyboard. The patent application was originally filed in January and was recently made public by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last week. Listed as its chief inventor is Android head Andy Rubin.

If Google does use its patent in a commercial product, it would mark the first time that its Nexus-branded smartphones will come with a keyboard.

Keyboards have been a hallmark of the Android lineup in the past. The very first Android smartphone in the form of the HTC G1 launched on T-Mobile USA came with a landscape-oriented slide out keyboard. A few years later, Motorola had released the Motorola Droid on Verizon Wireless with an off-centered slide-out mechanism as well and there are now four generations of Droid Android smartphones that bear the hallmark keyboard; the most recent Droid 4 release is said to have the best keyboard of any smartphone. And we’ve also learned recently that Apple was said to have considered a smartphone design with a physical keyboard on the rival iPhone.

According to CNet, Google’s patent application would allow for the keyboard to have a larger surface area, meaning that there could either be larger physical keys or room for a trackpad or a navigation pad on the keyboard itself. On the Samsung-made Sidekick 4G for T-Mobile USA, there is a trackpad on the side of the keyboard, but that isn’t on the keyboard surface itself.

Additionally, it looks like that the Google patent would allow for a design where the screen slides further upward in landscape orientation than anything we’ve seen currently on the market. It’s unclear if such a sliding mechanism would lead to a weaker structure for the overall phone.

Google Patent Application Hints at Nexus Slider is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

When it comes to the iPad the only things more ubiquitous than Twitter clients are keyboard covers or cases. I won’t say they are a dime a dozen because these keyboard case/covers  are a little more expensive than that, but there are certainly a number of varieties for you to choose from from makers like Logitech, Kensington, Zagg, Belkin, and others. With the launch of the new iPad there was quite a bit of consternation over whether or not these accessories designed for the iPad 2 would work with the slightly bulkier new iPad. In some instances that consternation proved a moot point for those who had made investments. Certainly, though, for those who had not yet picked up a keyboard case, all you needed to do was wait for versions targeted towards the new iPad.

I spent some time with the new Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover over the weekend. Do note that you can use this easily with either the new iPad or iPad 2. Let me state up front that though I’ve tried out a few keyboard cases in the past, I haven’t been a big fan. My reason is that I like to use my iPad as a slate mostly, and some of the models I’ve tried attach to the iPad in ways that make this more cumbersome than I like. I prefer a detachable keyboard cover. Now, that’s a personal preference, and as you can see from the reviews and roundups we’ve done here on GBM, just how much a personal preference that can be. But, hey, that’s the beauty of these personal devices called Tablets.

That said, with few exceptions, I very much like the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard. It is indeed ultra thin. In fact, it is thinner than the new iPad. When attached to the iPad as a cover (using magnets in that Smart Cover like way), it doesn’t add a lot of bulk at all. The aluminum finish matches up nicely with the iPad’s back cover, and when closed up it gives you a look not unlike the Byrdge keyboard that everyone got so excited about last week.

The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is built for folks like me who have don’t like a keyboard that is more permanently attached to the iPad. There is a magnetic strip that attaches to your iPad when you use the keyboard as a cover, again, using the Smart Cover method we’re all familiar with.  But when you want to use the keyboard as a keyboard, you detach the iPad, stick it into the white slot, and off you go. There are audible clicks to let you know when things are aligned properly and if you wish to remove the iPad from the keyboard, there is an audible click that happens when you grab the iPad and tilt it towards you. This lets you know when you can slide the iPad out of the slot.

You can say that the keyboard is designed for you to use your iPad in landscape mode, but it also works with the iPad in portrait mode, although the magnetic mechanism only secures the iPad when you have it aligned in landscape mode. As a matter of fact if your iPad is in the slot in landscape you can pick up the entire assembly from the iPad and the keyboard won’t drop off.

So, to be clear, don’t think of this as a case where you can fold the keyboard over behind your iPad when you are using your Tablet as a slate. Think of this as a detachable cover and keyboard.

The keyboard connects via Bluetooth and comes with a micro-USB cable to charge up the keyboard separately. There is an on/off switch for the keyboard, although the keyboard will go into standby mode if it isn’t in use. Although the keys do not have a glossy finish, the areas surrounding the keyboard does an that can attract fingerprints, but we’re all used to that with Tablets by now.

One of the prickly issues with any keyboard case/cover is how well you can type on the keys. In order for the hybrid case/cover keyboard concept to work the keys need to be squeezed into the dimensions of the iPad horizontally, and for those who have large hands this can be an issue. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting a good experience with the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard cover, but I was pleasantly surprised. I was able to type satisfactorily and without a long learning curve. If fact, I was up to speed pretty quickly and I’m typing this review on the keyboard right now.

There are some iPad-specific function keys that require you to hit the Fn key to access them, including copy, paste, volume,) and there is a dedicated Home key that takes you back to the iPad’s home screen. One nice Fn keyboard combination allows you to select one word to the left or right with a single key press. That comes in handy for doing some editing.

At $99 the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is priced in a range that we see similar products. Depending on how or if you want or need a keyboard for your iPad, the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is worth consideration. If you’re heading away for a trip, and like me, prefer a detachable keyboard cover, the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is both a good looking and a practical option.

Review: The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is a post by Warner Crocker from Gotta Be Mobile.

A recently unearthed patent filed by Sony in late 2010 reveals that the company had been considering an Xperia smartphone design with multiple slide-out keyboards–similar to the idea of a Swiss Army knife–so that users can slide up the keypads that they don’t need to reveal a keypad that they do like. The versatility of this design would allow Sony Mobile Communications–then known as Sony Ericsson–to release one Xperia smartphone that could be targeted to business professionals and messaging types with a full QWERTY keyboard and also to teens and gamers with a gaming keypad, for example.

News of Sony’s patent filing was uncovered by Unwired View. The patent application pre-dates Sony Ericsson’s release of the Xperia Play smartphone, which was largely hyped due to the inclusion of the Android operating system with the Playstation engine and certification, and the fact that the device is the first gaming smartphone with a hardware keypad design that contained gaming controls.

The patent, if Sony ever commercializes on the idea, would have two sliding panels to reveal two different types of keypads. First, the screen would slide up in landscape orientation–similar to what Motorola does with the Motorola Droid, for example–to reveal the gaming keypad. This part of the invention was commercialized with the Xperia Play. The next sliding mechanism would be the gaming keypad. Like the screen, this panel could slide out and be concealed just underneath the screen to expose a hardware QWERTY keyboard.

While this design would give the Xperia smartphone a lot of flexibility and versatility, such a design with multiple keyboards and multiple sliding panels would mean that the smartphone would inherit a thicker, rather than slimmer, profile. More recently, rival HTC had said that it would be abandoning phone designs with physical hardware keyboards in an effort to fulfill customers’ needs to have a slim and thin design.

Sony Patent Reveals One Xperia Smartphone Housing Multiple Keypads is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

Before the launch of the original iPhone in the summer of 2007, Apple had at one point in the design stages of its flagship and debut smartphone considered a physical keyboard for the iOS–at the time it was called the iPhone OS–smartphone. Revelation of the physical keyboard design consideration was revealed by famed iPod and iPhone designer Tony Fadell, who had since left Apple to start his own company called Nest.

According to Fadell in an interview on The Verge, Apple had considered three final prototype versions before settling on the aluminum-clad design that we saw in 2007, and one of those three prototypes contained a physical keyboard. AppleInsider reports that the three designs included:

He notes that when Apple was readying its first handset, the final three designs were an iPod-phone hybrid, an undisclosed version also called “iPhone” and the final model that reached customers’ hands.

Ultimately, in the end, Apple went with the iconic touchscreen-dominated keyboard-less design and opted to use a more intuitive multitouch software keyboard with the autocorrection feature that we see today rather than rely on physical hardware keys. Fadell says that at the time, he saw the potential for a software keyboard, and his early intuition was supported by late CEO Steve Jobs.

When the iPhone debuted, many smartphones at the time were trending towards designs with either a front-facing physical keyboard or ones with slide-out keyboards. Both the Palm Treo–including designs that operated on Windows Mobile and Palm OS–as well as Research in Motion’s BlackBerry smartphones relied on quick messaging as a key selling point with well developed front-facing keyboards. HTC and a few others relied on landscape-oriented slide-out keyboards. The success with the touchscreen keyboard was aided in no small part by Apple’s capacitive touchscreen technology, which allowed users to merely touch the touchscreen, rather than have to press down on the touchscreen as with the resistive touchscreen technology that was employed by the smartphone industry prior to Apple’s arrival.

Ironically, it was with the launch of Android–which Steve Jobs believed to be in violation of Apple’s intellectual property–the keyboard was resurrected. The very first Android smartphone, the HTC G1, which debuted on T-Mobile USA’s network had come out with a skewed landscape-oriented sliding keyboard design. The Motorola Droid popularized the physical keyboard with its design and that keyboard has since evolved over four generations of the Android flagship line. In more recent memory, HTC had boldly proclaimed that it will no longer release phones with keyboards, citing that consumers wanted thin and and light smartphone designs as the major reason.

Apple Had Considered iPhone Design With Physical Keyboard is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

As part of the company’s re-design and new mantra, thin is very in at HTC. After having announced that the company will be designing its future smartphone lineup to feature slim profiles, HTC had also announced that it would be abandoning physical QWERTY keyboards on its smartphones. While the news makes sense given Android’s and Windows Phone’s–both platforms HTC supports–offer excellent software auto-correction and Windows Phone’s auto-correct engine is among the best in the industry, it is a definite shame for those who may favor a physical keyboard over a touchscreen-only experience on a smartphone.

Pocket-lint reported that HTC had announced at a Seattle, WA event that hardware keyboards are on their way out. The move may seem surprising for HTC, which had numerous phone models equipped with keyboards in the past, but makes sense as Apple had announced in 2007 that keyboards are no longer needed with the iPhone.

When HTC was a Windows Mobile–then Palm PC and Pocket PC–exclusive house, the company had built a name for itself with some great devices with physical QWERTY keyboards. The first smartphone device with a keyboard–the HTC Blue Angel–had a mushy membrane keyboard that slid in portrait mode similar to the webOS-powered Palm Pre. After that, HTC had shrunk down the size of its smartphone from the rather large 3.5-inch display of the Blue Angel at the time and implemented landscape-oriented keyboards which became increasingly popular.

However, since the Windows Mobile era, more modern OSes–like iOS, Android, and Windows Phone–have better touch support and great auto-correct and predictive text engine that may negate the need for a physical keyboard for many users. As such, even the HTC 7 Pro, which was released on Sprint’s 3G Now Network as the HTC Arrive–a phone that ran Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 platform–became a niche device compared to touchscreen-only devices, like the HTC Trophy and the Nokia Lumia series.

In addition to abandoning sliding landscape-oriented keyboard, portrait-oriented keyboards and front-facing keyboards such as that on the HTC Status on AT&T may also be a thing of the past as well.

In the past, keyboards–as a result of the BlackBerry dominance–are a thing that enterprise consumers look forward to for messaging and emailing. Are we finally at an inflection point where enterprise customers and consumers are beginning to seek the same things in a mobile computing device and experience?

HTC to Ditch Physical QWERTY Keyboards on Smartphones in Favor of Thin Design is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

After reviewing six new iPad keyboard cases and solutions, we wanted to shares the best iPad accessories to increase productivity on the iPad.

These iPad keyboard cases are perfect for users who bristle at using the onscreen keyboard for anything more than short Facebook posts.

From cases that protect the iPad to minimalist keyboard only outfits, we have a keyboard solution for every iPad user.

All but one of these solutions will work with the new iPad 3rd gen and the iPad 2. Some even fit the original iPad.

Why Use an iPad and Keyboard Instead of a Notebook

Some people ask why we bother with a keyboard and iPad when a notebook is available. Here are a few reasons I like to use my iPad and a keyboard instead of my notebook.

1. The iPad and keyboard are lighter than anything other than a netbook or MacBook Air.
2. Not many notebooks offer ten hours of battery life.
3. I can remove the iPad and use it in tablet mode.
4. Some iPad apps don’t have notebook counterparts.

(Read: Top 10 iPad Apps for Writing)

Kensington KeyFolio Pro 2

Our editor Josh Smith reviewed this excellent keyboard case and really liked that you can remove the keyboard to adjust the distance between your keyboard and the iPad. Here’s a quote from his review:

I’ve had iPad keyboard cases before, but the KeyFolio Pro 2 has a unique feature that drastically enhances the usefulness to me — you can remove the keyboard from the case.

This means that I can move further away form the screen while typing, and that I don’t have to worry about my heavy typing shaking the iPad.

He did say it’s a little bulky, but he liked the angles you get and long battery life.

You can get the Kensington KeyFolio Pro 2 for $69 at Amazon. It works with the iPad 2 and the new iPad.

ZAGGfolio for New iPad

When it comes to folio style cases, I prefer the ZAGGfolio for my iPad keyboard case.

The ZAGGfolio feels good when you type on the keyboard. The case is bulky and doubles the iPad’s width, but its more compact than other keyboard cases I’ve used. It also has great battery life and lets you remove the keyboard just like you can with the above Kensington case. It has a channel that holds your iPad while out of the case.

The external carbon fiber pattern on the case looks and feels good in your hands. Get it at Amazon for about $95. It fits both the new iPad and the iPad 2.

Kensington KeyFolio Pro Performance

While I wasn’t crazy about this case in my review, I include it because it does one trick the others don’t. You can put the iPad in portrait mode and type using the case without removing the iPad from the keyboard case. If that’s important to you, this is your case.

Aside from the portrait mode it offers the same keyboard used in the first Kensington case Josh reviewed. It has some strange key positions that make for a cramped keyboard.

You can find the Kensington KeyFolio Pro Performance case on Amazon for $62, much less than the suggested retail price of $99.99 from the company. It will fit on the iPad 2 and new iPad.

Crux 360 Keyboard Case

Our own K.T. Bradford called this one of her favorite iPad accessories. Recently CruxCase dropped the price to $99 from $150. Sadly, it won’t work with the new iPad yet.

If you have an older original iPad, then this case might be a great option since they make one for it as well. New iPad users can wait for the updated version. It looks like a really nice option.

Here’s K.T.’s description:

Unlike the Transformer laptop dock, the Crux 360 does not include a trackpad and there’s no extended battery in the case to charge your iPad at the same time, but with lengthy 10-hour battery life on the iPad that should not be too big of a concern for many users.

You can also angle the iPad in the case and use the Crux 360 as a stand to watch movies and display pictures as well.

Get it direct form CruxCase for $99.

Logitech Tablet Bluetooth Keyboard for iPad

While I really like the ZAGGfolio above, the Logitech Tablet Bluetooth Keyboard for iPad is my favorite typing solution for the iPad. It comes with a nice carrying case that doubles as a stand for your iPad. The keyboard isn’t cramped like iPad keyboard cases because it’s wider than the iPad. You get a great typing experience.

The cases above force you to carry around the keyboard all the time. However, with the Logitech, there’s no need to carry a thick case when there’s no need for a keyboard. I keep it handy in my computer bag and only take it out when I need it. If I’m out running around I’ll just grab my iPad and the case when I go into a restaurant for lunch. If I know I don’t need my laptop but might want to do some writing, then I’ll grab the keyboard and my iPad.

If you use Android tablets or phones, you can get the Android version. This one also works with the iPhone too.

Get one for s $62.28 at Amazon.

Apple Bluetooth Keyboard and Incase Origami Workstation

Our own Warner Crocker prefers the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard along with his Incase Origami Workstation. The accessory folds up for easy portability. When you’re ready to type, assemble it so you can hold your iPad and rest the keyboard right in front of the tablet.

I use the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard at my desktop and love the feel of the small aluminum keyboard. You can take it on the road with you using this solution. If you have another preferred Bluetooth keyboard, then the Incase Origami Workstation should work.

The Incase Origami Workstation sells for $29.99 direct or other retailers. Pick up an Apple Bluetooth Keyboard for $69 at Apple. Together they aren’t the cheapest solution, but, for the typing purist, this might offer the best choices.

Recommendation

Picking a perfect iPad keyboard case is incredibly personal, but I have a few suggestions to help you pick a case that fits your needs.

• Need a keyboard all the time? –  The ZAGGfolio or the Kensington KeyFolio Pro 2 are the best choices
• Need to type in portrait mode? – The Kensington KeyFolio Pro Performance case works, as will the ZAGGfolio.
• Occasional Keyboard User? – The Logitech keyboard is a light solution and the Apple and Origami combo is another option.
• iPad 2 User? – The CruxCase may be a good solution.

What type of iPad keyboard case do you prefer? Let us know why in the comments.

iPad Keyboard Case Buying Guide is a post by Kevin Purcell from Gotta Be Mobile.

With the right accessories, the iPad is a great productivity tool.

I discovered just how much work I could do on the iPad while I reviewed the Kensington KeyFolio Pro 2 Keyboard Case for new iPad.

I’ve had iPad keyboard cases before, but the KeyFolio Pro 2 has a unique feature that drastically enhances the usefulness to me — you can remove the keyboard from the case.

This means that I can move further away form the screen while typing, and that I don’t have to worry about my heavy typing shaking the iPad.

(Read: 35 New iPad Cases Roundup)

Kensington KeyFolio Pro 2 - An Excellent iPad Keyboard Case

I composed this entire review on the Keyfolio keyboard, using iAwriter and have used it to get work done throughout the past week. There are still areas where an iPad is slower, but typing posts, using IM to talk to other writers and responding to emails are all very fast thanks to this keyboard case.

Design

The Kensington KeyFolio Pro 2 is a somewhat bulky iPad case that fits the new iPad as well as the iPad 2. The case stays closed with an elastic band, and the removable keyboard is held in place with magnets.

The edge of the iPad side has velcro, which allows you to move the iPad to the perfect angle for you. This is one place the case shines over competition like the ZaggFolio.

The removable keyboard and velcro offers multiple viewing angles.

When I remove the keyboard, I am able to position the case so that the iPad is just write for me to get work done without finding a new angle to sit at.

This also allows me to move around at a table with the keyboard, without bringing the iPad with me. If you’ve ever adjusted your desktop keyboard while working in front of your display for a long time, you know why I like this feature so much. This is one place the iPad beats out a traditional laptop.

(Read: Can an iPad Replace a Laptop?)

The exterior is made of a soft vinyl material, part of which has a crosshatch texture that looks decent and adds to the grip.

The inner section of the folio is made of a soft material, and there are raised areas on both sides to prevent your iPad’s display from touching the keys while closed. With enough pressure they may touch, but I wasn’t concerned about damage while carrying the case in my hands or in my backpack — just don’t try shoving it into an overhead compartment on your next flight.

There is also a small stylus holder inside the case and a hole for the camera, though I wouldn’t recommend trying to take photos with this setup.

Keyboard

Because I am able to place the display how I want and move the keyboard around, I am faster than with a standard keyboard case, and leagues faster than using the virtual keyboard on the iPad.

Unfortunately, using an external keyboard means you can’t take advantage of autocorrect for misspelled words or for punctuation on words like “I’m”, which is annoying.

When it comes to typing speed, I was able to type almost as fast as on laptop. This took some time to adjust to, and the keys are very flat, but the spacing is good. It helps that the there is a slight give in the center of the keyboard. Combined with OK travel on the keys, this delivers a comfortable typing experience.

The key placement is very good on the removable keyboard. The only real complaint is the small right shift key, which means you might end up hitting the up arrow if you rely on right shift.

I really liked the inclusion of command, option and control, which allows you to use the same text selection and command shortcuts as you can on a Mac. This saves tons of time, and prevents the need to tap the screen all the time.

There are also extra keys which allow you to control the iPad’s special functions. There is a home button that will take you to the home screen, or when double tapped show you recent running apps to multitask.

Additionally, there are keys to show the on-screen keyboard, control your media and lock your screen.

Recommendation

If you need to type long emails or documents on your iPad, the Kensington KeyFolio Pro 2 is a great keyboard case to pick up.

The battery life has been very good, though I haven’t reached the 100 hours of use that Kensington claims!

Because you are able to remove the keyboard and move it around as well as put the display at almost any angle, it is very conducive to long typing sessions.

(Read: ZaggFolio for New iPad Review)

Having tried the ZaggFolio, I would pick the KeyFolio Pro 2 over it any day of the week, which is easy considering that you can buy the Kensington KeyFolio Pro 2 for $69 at Amazon.

Gallery

Kensington KeyFolio Pro 2 Review: Excellent New iPad Keyboard Case is a post by Josh Smith from Gotta Be Mobile.

Archos may have a winner on its hand with the G10 X5 Android slate, which the company is now teasing in some blurry videos depicting a tablet with a thin steel frame and convertible design with a keyboard dock. The Archos G10 is aiming squarely at rival Asus’s Transformer Pad series tablets. If priced–and aggressively marketed–Archos may have a solid Android challenger to Asus.

The released promotional video for the tablet does not reveal any details about the specs for the G10, except that it will have an extremely thin form factor. Blog Ubergizmo notes that the device is made of ‘paper-thin’ steel to accomplish a thinness of 7.6 mm. While thin is in, Archos’ video–and perhaps the showcase of the tablet–is the keyboard dock, which utilizes chicklet-style keys.

The dock is also thin and nice, but it looks appears that unlike the Transformer Pad docks, this one lacks a trackpad. Without a trackpad, or touchpad, the utility of the keyboard is mainly used for typing as maneuvering around the Android operating system, which is designed to be touched and interacted with, may prove to be difficult. With the trackpad, users would be able to avoid having to move their hands from the keyboard to the screen to tap and make selections, and the trackpad makes for a more convenient operation.

As it stands, other than the thin form factor, the package itself can be recreated with any number of tablets and off-the-shelf third-party keyboard docks. One example would be either the Apple iPad or the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with a Zagg keyboard case.

Pricing wasn’t given, but it is anticipated that the G10 could be priced between $250-$500. Given its price and attractive design, Archos may have a winner for budget-conscious consumers.

Ultra-Thin Archos G10 X5 Android Tablet to Challenge Transformer Pad is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

Virgin Mobile had unveiled a new Android smartphone with a candy bar QWERTY form factor in the form of the Alcatel-made Virgin Mobile Venture. The Venture, which will appeal to those who are enterprise-geared and coming from a BlackBerry, or for those who prefer a front-facing QWERTY keyboard for quick and easy messaging, will be priced at just $99.99 on the prepaid Sprint-owned carrier. The device isn’t quite available yet, and Virgin Mobile is taking pre-orders right now. The Virgin Mobile Venture is expected to ship on March 15.

In addition to the basic Android OS that’s found on the Venture, the device boasts a 2.8-inch touchscreen just above the QWERTY keyboard. The Venture is powered by a 600 MHz processor and has a rear-facing 2-megapixel camera with LED flash. Users can add a micro SDHC card to the device to augment storage capabilities.

As Virgin Mobile is a Sprint-owned prepaid carrier, the Venture will work on Sprint’s 3G CDMA Now Network.

The Venture uses Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The phone features Mobile ID, which is Virgin Mobile’s version of Sprint ID. Mobile ID and Sprint ID allows users to download customizable packs that cater to their lifestyles. These packs bundle together apps, wallpapers, widgets, ringtones, and other features to allow users to easily customize their devices.

In addition to the Venture, Virgin Mobile USA also offers other affordable Android smartphones on its prepaid network, including the Samsung Intercept, the LG Optimus V, the Motorola Triumph, the HTC Wildfire S, and the LG Optimus Slider. Both the LG Optimus Slider ($199) and the Samsung Intercept ($99) offer landscape-oriented slide out keyboards whereas the rest of the phones listed have a traditional slate form factor.

Virgin Mobile Appeals to Business-Minded Android Users with QWERTY Alcatel Venture is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

Whether the timing of the news is coincidental or not to come just as Apple announced its third-generation flagship tablet, Research in Motion has also made an announcement for an accessory for its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The accessory comes in the form of a folio-style case that could hold the PlayBook tablet on one side and a keyboard with a trackpad on the other side to create an instant mobile work station.

Though the package is not as elegant as Android rival Asus’s Transformer Pad series laptop dock, the BlackBerry keyboard case serves a similar purpose. The case, however, unlike the Transformer, will not add additional USB or media ports, and will not extend the battery life of the tablet with its own built-in battery.

According to online Canadian retailer The Source, which will be the exclusive distributor in Canada for the keyboard case, “Unfold the case quickly and easily to create a workstation anywhere. The wireless connection is easy to set up and encrypted to protect every keystroke and swipe.” Though not listed as a Bluetooth accessory, the keyboard, along with the trackpad, will most likely connect with the PlayBook over a secure Bluetooth connection, much in the same way that the tablet connects and pairs with Blackberry smartphones over BlackBerry Bridge.

The case will debut at a specila pre-order price of $100 through April 11. After that, the case will retail for $120. The case is expected to ship by March 23, 2012 for all the corporate-minded BlackBerry PlayBook users.

As RIM has promoted its tablet as an enterprise-class tablet, this should help users be more productive on the road. However, the $99 price tag may appear a bit steep as the base 16 GB PlayBook tablet itself only costs $200 after heavy discounting by RIM. The price of the accessory, however, is on-par with what Zagg is charging for its Bluetooth iPhone keyboard case, though the Zagg accessory lacks a trackpad.

Via: Mobile Syrup

RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook Keyboard Folio Case Now Available for Pre-Order is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

The Droid 4 is Motorola’s latest entry into the smartphone arena, bringing 4G LTE to the legendary Droid lineup and a keyboard that blows the competition out of the water.

You can’t buy the Droid 4 until Friday, but Verizon has hooked us up with the Droid 4 early and I am already working on my review of the Droid 4.

We first saw the Droid 4, which is the Droid you are looking for, at CES 2012 where we gave it the Best of CES 2012 award thanks to the design, laser cut keyboard and Motorola Build quality.

Droid 4 - $G LTE and an Awesome Keyboard

Now that I have had more time to play with the Droid 4 I am already impressed with the build quality. This phone feels really good in the hand, and the slider action for the keyboard has no wobble, like I found on the Samsung Stratosphere.

Users will appreciate the 1.2GHz dual core processor that gives this phone enough power to handle the MotoBlur overlay and games like Madden 12 without issue. The phone runs Android 2.3.5, but Moto has promised an upgrade to Android 4.0. No timetable yet, but it is, “Coming Soon”.

Droid 4 Coverage

• Droid 4 Announced
• Droid 4 Hands On Video
• Droid 4 Best of CES 2012 Award
• Droid 4 vs. Droid RAZR MAXX

The Droid 4 will be released on Friday February 10th, and will retail for $199 at Verizon. This price is less than we had anticipated, and based on my initial impressions a good value.

For now, check out these quick photos of the Droid 4, and come back soon for a Droid 4 unboxing and our full Droid 4 review later this week.

Droid 4 in for Review: Photos and Impressions is a post by Josh Smith from Gotta Be Mobile.

The iPad’s split keyboard is a little more flexible than it appears. Tap in the blank area immediately next to each half of the keyboard and you’ll see letters from the other side of the screen appear.

The hidden keys allow iPad typists to eek out three more letters per thumb. Why does this matter?  Typing on a touch screen is quite different than hammering away on a physical keyboard. Touch typists are accustomed to tapping on certain keys with specific fingers. That’s not the case when typing with your thumbs, which have to cover all the letters and special keys when using split keyboard mode.

Here’s the real layout of the iPad’s split keyboard, with the hidden keys sketched in. Apple hasn’t bothered to document the hidden keys anywhere and even those of us who’ve used the split keyboard layout since the introduction of iOS 5 have been missing out.

The hidden keys aren’t just there when using the standard letter layout. The hidden keys remain when switching to the numbers and special characters layouts. Users can tap out “6″ by hitting the blank area next to the number 5 key, for example.

Apple’s been criticized for not allowing alternative keyboards. While its iPad keyboard does meet many users’ needs, iOS users are left with few options. Android users can choose from countless keyboards, many of which have features that allow users to type faster.

The hidden keys aren’t going to make or break or iPad experience, but it will make it a little easier to tap out certain words with one thumb.

via Life Hacker

iPad’s Split Keyboard Has Hidden Buttons is a post by Xavier Lanier from Gotta Be Mobile.

The best Android phones are arguably the Nexus devices which get special treatment from Google. These phones have the latest software, the best features and often the best looks.

The Galaxy Nexus continues this tradition on Verizon’s fast 4G LTE network, bringing an HD display and Android 4.0 to the table.

Read: Galaxy Nexus Review

While the iPhone 4S has a number of nice features, the Galaxy Nexus bests Apple’s latest iPhone in a number of ways.

4G LTE

The Galaxy Nexus on Verizon comes complete with 4G LTE connectivity for blazing fast download an upload speeds, up to 10 times faster than 3G on the iPhone 4S. These speeds range between 5-12 Mbps down and 2-5Mbps up.

This is fast enough to play Onlive games, download huge apps like Grand Theft Auto III, stream Hulu Plus, Netflix and much more. Connect your laptop to the Galaxy Nexus with a personal hotspot and you’ll be able to work almost anywhere.

Below you can see a video of 4G LTE vs. 3G on the iPhone 4S. While the phone shown is not the Galaxy Nexus, you can expect similar speeds.

Large HD Widescreen Display

The Galaxy Nexus adds an inch of screen size to your mobile phone, and brings a 720P HD resolution that makes watching HD videos or gaming a real treat.

Even browsing the web, reading email and reading eBooks is a nicer on the large screen. The higher resolution means you can see more on the screen without constantly scrolling.

The software buttons at the bottom of the display will disappear in compatible apps, giving you a larger widescreen viewing experience.

Google Voice Integration

Google Voice is the best way to manage your phone calls, texts and voicemail. I love the service because I use multiple phones, but even if you have one phone it is worth using. You can block callers just like you block spam emails, and you can set do not disturb hours so that calls don’t wake you up late at night or interrupt you.

Google Voice is ten times better on Android than on the iPhone. After installing the free Google Voice app, you can set the phone up so that every call is routed through your Google Voice account, or if you prefer you can se it only for international calls.

On the iPhone, you have to open up the Google Voice app to use the service, which means extra taps and no easy way to return calls from the history section of your iPhone.

Google Maps Navigation

Once again, Android beats the iPhone when it comes to using a Google service. This time it is Google Maps. Unlike the iPhone 4S, you don’t need to find an app to get turn by turn directions with spoken street names on your Galaxy Nexus.

Having the built-in Google Maps Navigation makes it easy to get where you are going, and it is simple to open up addresses from the browser or your contacts into Google Maps so you don’t waste time typing an address.

NFC for Sharing and Paying

The Galaxy Nexus also includes NFC, or NEar Field Communication, which allows you to use the phone to share information and files with other Galaxy Nexus owners using Android Beam. This tool is pretty cool, but the real promise is in the form of making payments.

Google Wallet is not officially supported, but you can install Google Wallet on your Galaxy Nexus and get $10 to try out the service. With NFC and Google Wallet, you can make payments at PayPass locations by holding your phone up to the card reader.

The closest you can get on the iPhone is using a special case that adds NFC abilities, and those aren’t available for the average user.

Open Platform

The Android platform is more open than the iPhone, and this is very evident on the Galaxy Nexus running Ice Cream Sandwich.

At a high level, this phone can be unlocked, rooted and customized with a new ROM to completely change the user experience. Unlike the iPhone and some locked down Android devices this is relatively easy to do.

The other great thing about this open platform is the ability to sideload apps that aren’t purchased from the official Android Market. This means you can find apps on the GetJar or Amazon app stores at lower prices.

Additionally, Google is more open to letting apps on to the Android Market. While Apple rejects many apps, Google allows almost any app on the Market. The downside is that you can run into malware, but if you exercise smart downloading and installing this isn’t a major issue.

Choose Your Own Keyboard

If you don’t like the iPhone 4S keyboard you don’t have any other options, but if you don’t like the default Android 4.0 keyboard, you have te freedom to choose your own keyboard.

Going back and forth between the two devices I find that the ability to use SwiftKey X on the Galaxy Nexus is much nicer than the iPhone 4S keyboard, even with the autocorrection.

With SwiftKey X, you can do many things not possible on the iPhone including

• Long press for a symbol.
• Swipe right to left to delete a full word.
• Predictions from Gmail, Facebook, text messages and Twitter.
• Prediction that knows what you plan to type next.
• Swipe down to hide the keyboard.

There are many other keyboards available such as Swype, SlideIT and TouchPal.

Flash Support

While you may not love Flash, there are still a number of websites that rely on Flash. When it comes down to it, the ability to watch a video or load a website beats getting a “please download the latest flash player.” message on the iPhone.

On some sites, you can stream network TV shows and in others you can watch clips that wouldn’t be available on the iPhone without a dedicated app and a cable subscription with a participating .

Better Gmail

Android phones have always handled Gmail better than the iPhone competition, but with the Android 4.0 update that comes standard on the Galaxy Nexus, the iPhone is left int eh dust. The new Gmail app is designed to handle multiple accounts with ease, and makes great use of the large screen.

Some of my favorite features of Gmail on the Galaxy Nexus include;

• Great handling of multiple accounts.
• Priority Inbox support.
• 2-line preview shows first line of your message
• Support for Priority Inbox notifications
• and more.

If you rely on Gmail, and want the best experience around, Android is still the best game in town. With Android 4.0 on the Galaxy Nexus it’s even better.

Home Screen

The Galaxy nexus also wins out in home screen layout and customization. Two features standout to me on the Galaxy Nexus — Widgets and Folders on the Favorites Tray.

Android still has a leg up on the iPhone when it comes to widgets, and the Galaxy Nexus takes advantage of new Ice Cream Sandwich features to make widgets even better. In addition to smarter built-in Gmail and Calendar widgets, you can customize the layout of most widgets with a drag and drop to fit the way you want your home screen to look. This is much nicer than looking for the right 4×1 widget in settings. Widgets provide fast access to information like weather, traffic, your inbox and much more.

The new Favorites Tray may look like the iPhone’s dock, but it is much nicer in my opinion. In addition to your four favorite apps, that can include a folder, you have one touch access to your app screen.

Conclusion

While the Galaxy Nexus is a great phone, and does many things better than the iPhone 4S, it isn’t perfect. There are still a number of things the iPhone 4S does better than the Galaxy Nexus. Stay tuned for a followup of reasons I think the iPhone 4S is better than the Galaxy Nexus and still earns a spot in my pocket when I leave the house.

Right now I carry both an iPhone and a Galaxy Nexus when I leave the house, but sooner or later I’ll choose one phone as my primary device. Android 4.0 and the Galaxy Nexus are giving the iPhone 4S a run for its money.

Review: 10 Reasons the Galaxy Nexus is Better Than the iPhone 4S is a post by Josh Smith from Gotta Be Mobile.

Verizon’s Droid 4 leaks get better every time. After an anticipated, yet still unofficial, launch date of December 8, we are now seeing some of the compatible accessories that will be available for this Webtop-enabled smartphone. The first accessory is a Lapdock 100, which is a more compact and lighter accessory that converts your smartphone into a lightweight laptop, thanks to the Webtop OS and full Firefox browser. That device has a 10.1-inch display. The larger and more fully-featured laptop accessory, the Lapdock 500, will also be compatible with the Droid 4.

Additionally, there are two HD dock accessories. There’s a standard HD Dock and an HD Dstation that also has several USB ports on the back so you can connect additional accessories, like a USB-enabled keyboard or mouse to use with the Webtop OS.

A vehicle dock will also be forthcoming as is a wireless keyboard with trackpad, which would be a great companion accessory to your HD Dock or HD Station to use your phone on an HDTV.

The Droid 4 is essentially a Droid RAZR with a full sliding 5-row keyboard in landscape orientation.

Via: Droid-life

Verizon Motorola Droid 4 Accessories Leak Ahead of Launch is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

Sprint, which now has a number of Android messaging phones with a physical hardware keyboard, is getting ready to release an inexpensive addition according to a leak called the Sprint Express. The new phone, which so far remains unbranded so its manufacturer is currently unknown, will cost around $20 after a $50 mail-in-rebate and a two-year service agreement. The phone will run on the Android operating system, have a touchscreen display, and full physical BlackBerry-style front-facing keyboard for quick messaging.

The Express will join Sprint’s lineup of Android messaging phones that have the same form factor, including the Samsung Replenish–Sprint’s green and eco-friendly number–the Motorola Titanium, the Motorola XPRT, and the latest Motorola Admiral. You can check back on GottaBeMobile for a forthcoming review of the Motorola Admiral and how it stacks up against the BlackBerry Bold 9930 on Sprint’s 3G Now Network soon.

The $20 Express on-contract will come with more conservative specs to keep the price low. The device will have a 600 MHz processor, 3.2-megapixel camera, and 2.6-inch touchscreen display. Given the price, the touchscreen may be of QVGA resolution.

Interestingly, in addition to four physical Android navigation buttons, the device will also have a call send and end button. Also, it appears that there is a center directional pad for navigating through the phone’s UI without having to touch the display, a key feature that BlackBerry has with its optical trackpad and the Motorola devices lack.

According to Android Central, the new device will go for $250 without a contract and would not be available in retail stores. Instead, this device will be available through Sprint Direct Ship.

Though un-branded, given the entry-level price point, the Sprint Express may be made by either Huawei or ZTE; both manufacturers so far have helped U.S. carriers create carrier-branded devices, such as the T-Mobile Springboard, which is branded by T-Mobile but manufactured by Huawei.

Sprint Gearing Up to Release Inexpensive Android QWERTY Messaging Phone is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

If you have switched from Android to iPhone, you may be missing the familiar Android autocorrect bar.

The iPhone 4S does a good job of picking the right word even with multiple misspellings, but this bar is a handy way to pick the second most likely word, which is the one you really want.

The iPhone autocorrect bar shows you a number of word choices, instead of correcting to a single word choice. This tweak comes from Sonny Dickson, who shares the screenshot below on Twitter.

The new Android-like auto correct bar can be enabled on your iPhone and iPad right now, even the iPhone 4S without a jailbreak.

As an Android and iPhone user, constantly looking for a new way to do more with the iPhone 4S keyboard, I’m going to give this a shot right now. It will be interesting to see how smart the auto correct options are in this hidden feature. I’d hope they are as good as the Swiftkey keyboard, but I’m not holding my breath.

How to Enable Android Style Autocorrect on the iPhone

(from Sonny Dickson)

1. Download iBackupBot

2. Backup your iPhone/iPod in iTunes

3. Open iBackupBot and find the backup, then load it.

4. Find Library/Preferences/com.apple.keyboard.plist and open the file. (if your software isn’t registered you’ll have to press cancel and then it will open)

5. Add in the following code: <key>KeyboardAutocorrectionLists</key><string>YES</string>

6. Save your modifications, and then restore from backup from within iBackupbot.

Via 9to5Mac

Get the Android Keyboard Autocorrect Bar on iPhone Without a Jailbreak is a post by Josh Smith from Gotta Be Mobile.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich may open the doors to even further customizing the software keyboard on your smartphone with native keyboard theme capabilities. Right now, the guys over at Android Central were able to load Android 4.0 on their Nexus S and discovered that there are 6 pre-loaded themes that offer varying degree of contrasts, as well as a theme engine that would allow for third-party themes to be managed. This would also open up doors to more themed keyboards to come out on Android Market.

Themed keyboards are just different skins that are applied on the default keyboard and can change the fonts rendered on each key, the color of the keys, and other aspects of the keyboard, but wouldn’t necessarily add on new functionality or provide different functionality like third-party keyboards such as Swype. The option does provide for a way for users to further customize their devices.

Ice Cream Sandwich Comes With Native Keyboard Themes is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

Though Asus had flashed the new, second-generation Eee Pad Transformer, called the Transformer Prime, earlier this month in Asia on stage at AsiaD, we are now finally seeing photos of the tablet’s laptop dock up close. The Laptop Dock borrows its visual cues from the company’s new Zenbook ultrabook notebook, with an aluminum colored shell and black keys, which has the same look as Apple’s MacBook Air. The new dock features island-style keys arrangement and a large trackpad.

The laptop dock was a unique and attractive accessory for the original Transformer, which brought about a novel idea of utilizing the Honeycomb tablet’s display to convert the dock accessory into a laptop form factor. The dock itself comes with a keyboard and a trackpad to control the tablet, alongside some ports for memory card and more USB ports. Additionally, when docked, the tablet also gets charged and battery life is extended.

At this point, the leaked images have since been pulled from the original source. It’s still unclear if the Laptop dock for the Transformer Prime will be constructed from aluminum or if it is plastic made to look like metal.

Via: Phandroid

MacBook-esque Laptop Dock for Transformer Prime Spotted is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.