Comments on: Bluetooth Keyboards for iPhone 3.0 Still Speculation – Is there a market?

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:18:32 +0000

Other reasons that we won’t likely see bluetooth keyboards…

The phone companies don’t want ‘em. Right now, you pay extra fees to use smart phones with unlimited data and then charge extra fees for when they let you tether to your computer (with 5gb caps on data)… well, a keyboard could conceivably increase your data usage with a smart phone without generating more revenue for them.

Also, cell companies want you to pay for a cellphone plan AND also want you to pay for a separate/additional plan for things like netbooks/laptops. If you use a bluetooth keyboard and existing cellphone, they lose a possible additional revenue stream.

I was hoping that Android would help break open the restrictive policies of American cellphone companies, but apparently, it hasn’t helped much. I’m just hoping that Sprint (in third place and losing marketshare fast) decides to take a lead role and try more progressive actions.

By: Justin C

Justin C — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:54:57 +0000

Ha! My using Tom reasoning towards the beginning was supposed to say “wouldn’t have to carry a laptop”!!! That’s pretty important for my argument. WOULDN’T!

By: Justin C

Justin C — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:52:18 +0000

Also a lover of the keyboard idea, I will plainly tell you guys why there is no Bluetooth keyboard. The heart of the reason for our wanting a keyboard is also the heart of the reason for Apple not wanting a keyboard. Tom’s post highlights this fact, writing in effect:

If only I had a keyboard I would have to (***ding ding ding!!! say it with me now) carry my laptop.

BUT Apple wants you to carry your laptop!!! Why? Apple makes the vast majority of it’s money from, you guessed it, laptops (and desktops!) So millions of iPhone users not having to carry their laptops amounts to fewer laptops sold. Keyboards good for us; bad for Apple

you’re saying, “but people will still need a REAL computer for normal computing etc,” an that’s true. Just because I have an iPhone keyboard wouldn’t necessarily mean that I won’t by next years MacBook model. However, that is threatening possibility than Apple faces. It would hurt sales at least some. Could they make it up with keyboard sales? Probably not. Why? Because if they were going to make more money by introducing a keyboard, then guess what? They would have already.

Know what they’d much rather do and are going to do instead? Sell you one of the huge iPhone-like-netbook-ish thingy for $750 , I’m guessing. What does that equal? A lot more than a $50 Bluetooth keyboard. And now they have a whole new market, too.

Bluetooth keybaords. I’d love one too. it’d be great for me. Bad for apple. That’s why we haven’t seen one yet.

All about the benjamins, gentlemen. Goodnight

(and I anguishingly typed this message on my on-screen keyboard!!! Haha. I meant for it to be short!)

By: Darren

Darren — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:36:40 +0000

I need a keyboard and a terminal window and 90% of my work can be done on the phone.

By: chodemastur117

chodemastur117 — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:27:42 +0000

For crying out loud, why are phone manufacturers so scared of letting people actually use a real keyboard?!? There are a million reasons to allow it, and I can’t think of a single reason not to. WTF? Come on Apple, pony up and enable the iPhone bluetooth keyboard pairing – and don’t wimp out on this Apple. Make ANY bluetooth keyboard work with the iPhone. That way people can buy what suits them. I had a Stowaway Shasta keyboard for my Blackberry and it was fantastic. I could write real emails (whole sentences and ideas and everything!) not just several word vagueries. Having an iPhone is about communication isn’t it? Then let people communicate! There are A LOT of professionals out there who love their iPhones, but still have to carry a laptop around with them. Some of them even buy tiny netbook computers because they’re tired of lugging all this junk around. But if I could have a full size keyboard (even one the same size and in a netbook) that would fold in half and fit in a coat pocket or my glove box, that would be fabulous! I could write real emails, I could do school work, I could SSH into servers and routers, I could be SOOOO much more efficient.

By: Hy

Hy — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:07:08 +0000

Andre,

Have you checked out TouchTerm Pro?

An external keyboard will be a great addition, but the gesture engine
in the ssh client TouchTerm Pro helps the iPod Touch become a real work tool.

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:42:45 +0000

What are they waiting for?

By: Andre

Andre — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:12:01 +0000

One of the things stopping me from by an iPhone is that it doesn’t support an external keyboard. i want to be able to use it for work – not just as a phone, but also to SSH onto devices.
i think it has great potential for system and network administrators who use CLI based platforms.

By: justin

justin — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:53:55 +0000

For the love of God, YES!!! I want/need an external keyboard!!! I am a graduate student who dreams of leaving his laptop at home because I might someday have the ability to actually take notes on my iPhone in class–a task that requires a close-to-regular-sized keyboard. MacAlly has already developed a bluetooth keyboard for the iPhone, from my understanding. See here http://www.avalive.com/MacAlly/BTKeyMini/43579/productDetail.php
I MacAlly is just waiting for Apple to get off their a$$es and un-cripple the bluetooth capability.

I have zero problems with the virtual keyboard regarding average cellphone input. I can actually blaze around the screen faster than I could with the physical qwerty keyboard on my old phone. BUT for Apple and manufactures to not recognize the need for a serious input method (ie, bloggers, traveling business folks, students, etc) is a horrendous mistake and oversight.

Dreaming of legitimate bluetooth functionality,
–JC

By: Duma (Sara)

Duma (Sara) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 05:28:41 +0000

[BLOG-Henshalls] Bluetooth Keyboards for iPhone 3.0 Still Speculation – Is there a market?:

.. http://tinyurl.com/dzlmuz