iTwinge: The Physical Keyboard for iPhone

iTwinge - Physical Keyboard for iPhone When iPhone was first debut in Jun 2007, some users criticized the lack of physical keyboard is a big drawback. Personally, I do not find any problem with the virtual keyboard. I already get used to it and can type quite fast. If you’re not using iPhone for typing your thesis or lengthy article, the touch keyboard should be good enough for most commonly used applications such as email, text message and instant messaging.

However, some purists still prefer to have a Blackberry-style keyboard. Mobile Mechatronics has come up with the world’s first iPhone keyboard to fulfill the need for those physical keyboard enthusiasts. It’s called iTwinge – a lightweight keyboard sleeve that attaches to the bottom of the iPhone. Yes, iTwinge is not an external keyboard. It’s just a typing “skin” that covers the on-screen keyboard with the iTwinge keys right over the virtual key. When you type a key on iTwinge, it actually transfers the key press to the underlying virtual keyboard. But it provides a better typing experience by offering tactile feedback of a “real” keyboard.

The company claimed iTwinge enables you to type faster and with less typos. In reference to the company’s studies, it mentioned an average user can improve the typing speed by 30 to 40 percent with typing errors reduced by 70 to 80 percent.

No installation is required for iTwinge and it works on both iPhone 3G & 3GS. As advertised, you can simply plug it into iPhone, turn it on and type. When you do not need iTwinge keyboard, just slide off of the iPhone which will only take you merely 1 second to do it.

The iTwinge is now available for pre-order at US$29.99 and it is scheduled to ship on November 19. I do not have any hand-on experience on the product. My first impression of iTwinge, however, is it’s designed for heavy email and note users. Just not for me. Further, the physical keyboard covers a good portion of the iPhone screen. Obviously, it doesn’t suit every iPhone application (e.g. Maps). That means, you’ll need to slide on and off of the iPhone when you switch between different iPhone applications.

What do you think about iTwinge? Do you need a physical keyboard for iPhone? For me, the touch keyboard is fairly enough for my daily use. If I really need a physical keyboard, the dream keyboard is a lightweight wireless keyboard connected via Bluetooth. As always, leave us comment and share your view.

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Tagged as: iPhone, iPhone Keyboard

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Ndricim September 18, 2009 at 11:13 am: this is absolutely useless, covers a lot of screen, iPhone is not for heavy note users – there are other things for that

2 SDHall September 28, 2009 at 1:28 am: I would love to see a case with a slide type keyboard for the iphone/itouch; and if they can add a SD slot would be wonderful.

Shoot add a 6mp camera too.