Redesigned Typo 2 physical keyboard for Apple's iPhone 5 & 5s now available for preorder
After being slapped with an injunction because of similarities to BlackBerry keyboards, the Typo physical keyboard for iPhone has been redesigned in a new second-generation model that will begin shipping in mid-September.
In what was likely a bid to avoid future litigation, the new Typo 2, which is now available for preorder, is redesigned with a look that further differentiates it from the keyboards on BlackBerry smartphones. The product is backed by celebrity presenter and radio host Ryan Seacrest, who helped drum up hype for the first -- now banned -- product earlier this year.
The Typo 2 is now available from its official website for $99, with the first orders shipping in mid-September.
"Typo 2 was born out of a desire for efficiency," the product description reads. "For several years, many of our friends and colleagues carried two phones: one for typing and correspondence and an iPhone for virtually everything else."
The people behind Typo believe that physical keyboards are superior to the virtual buttons featured on Apple's iPhone. Their product was in development for two years, and the company calls it "an indespensible business tool that people simply can't live without."
The original Typo Bluetooth keyboard launched for iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s early this year, but was quickly met with a lawsuit from BlackBerry which alleged the design too closely represented its own popular physical keyboards. BlackBerry quickly won an injunction and barred sales of the Typo in the U.S.
In what was likely a bid to avoid future litigation, the new Typo 2, which is now available for preorder, is redesigned with a look that further differentiates it from the keyboards on BlackBerry smartphones. The product is backed by celebrity presenter and radio host Ryan Seacrest, who helped drum up hype for the first -- now banned -- product earlier this year.
The Typo 2 is now available from its official website for $99, with the first orders shipping in mid-September.
"Typo 2 was born out of a desire for efficiency," the product description reads. "For several years, many of our friends and colleagues carried two phones: one for typing and correspondence and an iPhone for virtually everything else."
The people behind Typo believe that physical keyboards are superior to the virtual buttons featured on Apple's iPhone. Their product was in development for two years, and the company calls it "an indespensible business tool that people simply can't live without."
The original Typo Bluetooth keyboard launched for iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s early this year, but was quickly met with a lawsuit from BlackBerry which alleged the design too closely represented its own popular physical keyboards. BlackBerry quickly won an injunction and barred sales of the Typo in the U.S.
Comments
Just in time for the iPhone 6. Well planned.
No thanks. I've used the predictive typing in iOS 8 beta. I'll stick with that.
How do you access home button?
You hit alt-cmd-delete on the keyboard ;;-)
Just kidding... it appears like it slides down (note the way the keyboard dovetails into the case)
But then they were run over by a delivery truck taking a load of sanity to Stupidville.
The five adults in my immediate family that have iPhones are all business types. None of them appears to have any trouble using the touch screen keyboard. Some people refuse to change just because. They don’t even want to try. A minority of squawkers is making a bunch of noise about physical keyboards as the world moves on. Where have we heard that mantra before? Why the “matte screen” MacBook squawkers who, to this very day, rage on about their glossy screens and how they can’t see anything. Screw ‘em all. Where they gonna go anyway?
Their website is a bit short of details like battery life. Hopefully that'll come later.
Who are care about stupid blackberry physical keyboard
I are care!.. I are baboon!
How do you access home button?
Bottom-left key.
It was a simple singular product, a keyboard, and it wasn't hard to see the similarities. Open and shut case. Is that really difficult to comprehend?
It won’t fit it now.