Your Droid Physical Keyboard

[Jejackson]

I just discovered this post and the fact that other people have raised keyboards. I bought my droid the first day, I got my wife's droid the second day. She has raised keys I have flat keys. We always thought it was because she used her keyboard more than I did (we didn't notice until months later).in terms of the debate between raised or flat, after using both, I am glad my keys are flat. I don't know how her keyboard was at day one but now her keys are harder to push than mine and it is annoying exerting that much extra force to bang out a post on droidforums.net or other amazing forum community

 

[granitemon]

Wow, this phone turns normal people into OCD freaks!

I've been through several phones, 5 to be exact, and I think I have the bubbled key thing figured out.

When I first unboxed my phone this evening, keys were totally flat. But I can already feel them beginning to get contoured.

I think they somehow bubble with us, and the heat prom the phone helps to mold them.

Ill keep my eye on it and post back in a couple weeks.

Oh, and if anyone wants to channel their OCD, you're welcome to come over and wax the **** out of my car...

 

[Shred or Die]

Why are people still trying to tell us that all the keyboards start out flat and some bubble up from use?

My roommate's keyboard was raised (just like the picture and with keys that are hard to press) and it came that way out the box. It didn't bubble over time, it came from the factory with raised keys. He got it around launch day. My keyboard is flat and hasn't bubbled.

 

[MotoCache1]

I was buying a couple phones off someone on Craigslist today just to use for dev/test purposes (and possibly parts). I got lucky and scored an old Droid with the rounded keys. It is soooooo much easier to type when you know your finger is centered on the key (instead of between two keys). I see no reason why the keyboard can't be transplanted, so I may move this keyboard to my daily use Droid. Most of the phone is beat to heck, screen is cracked, etc., but it has a "clean ESN" motherboard and the rounded keyboard (an upgrade in my opinion), so I'm happy. Scored that Droid, plus a beat up Droid Eris with shattered (but perfectly functional) screen, for $45 total - both with clean ESNs. This will let me test the trackball functionality (Eris) on any apps I develop, and provide some good spare internals (and of course upgraded keyboard) for my beloved Droid.

Below: rounded / flat

 

[Ataranine]

The keys on the keyboard from my 3rd Droid are flat. Completely flat.. and the plastic covering the keys is like, cut into perfect squares around the keys. If that makes any sense. Basically you can lift the plastic up around each individual key with your fingernail.

 

[yourname93]

the keyboard coulda been better i have had my droid replaced like three or four times because of the key board messing up and ima bout to have to again. in general the whole phone wasnt what it koulda been

 

[SquintyOS]

I got mine back in the first pr second week of December/ with the keyboard build 39/09. I think that is the raised since when I compared the last two photos Cache posted. I noticed when comparing that my keyboard and the first image have a rounded alt keys showing the flatness of the extra space under the caps key.

I agree. it is easy to type with. I vary my usage of both on screen (potrait0 and physical (landscape) I turned the auto rotate off due to the annoyance of random screen rotations while moving with phone on hand. Crap gets annoying. Anywho. I'm glad for the raised build.

 

[granitemon]

Right now I have 2 droids in front of me. I just got a replacement due to a camera issue, and I've not yet sent the old one in.

On the first droid, the keys are nicely rounded, but I don't recall if they came that way or not.

My new droid has flat keys, which I use the crap out of, and I'm not sure if they're bubbling or not.

The million dollar question is, is it possible to swap keyboards before I send my old one in? Obviously this could void the warranty, but if its possible, I may have a go at it.

Any input would be great!

Mark

 

[Benjamin Crist]

I just got a replacement unit because my headphone jack wasn't working. I got it all setup, then started typing a text and noticed how flat the keys were.... then searched and found this thread and a couple others like it.

I think when I first got my droid I had the flat keyboard and the replacement I got in Dec of 09 was raised, now they send me the flat. I called and asked if I could get one with the same keyboard and they said no, but they could offer me an Eris or a Devour or maybe a non-Android phone, but they wouldn't offer a Droid 2 or Droid X (x has large enough screen that virtual keyboard would be fine).

Anyone else ran into this or have any suggestions? The devour and eris are downgrades, for crying out loud!

One worker at the Verizon store said sell the replacement unit on ebay in a few months when they come out with the newer models this holiday season or Q1 of 2011.

 

[Jimbo47]

I would love a raised one. I can't type on this one with the case Verizon gave me with the phone. Withoit the case, its a tad bit easier, but still horrible.

 

[Benjamin Crist]

Yeah, it's killing me because this replacement unit is all free of scratches and nicks (my old phone is a year old) but the replacement unit also has a flat keyboard....so it's not really a better unit...and I got the replacement because the headset jack on the original was cutting out some...