14 DAY TRIAL // The functionality of a smartphone is most often limited due to the small space it can offer when it comes to keyboard layout, either it’s a physical or an on-screen one. Not too long ago, Optimus came up with a rather interesting keyboard design, one that sported small OLED screens built into each key, thus offering the possibility for the entire layout to be re-represented and reprogrammed.
Billy May has taken the design and applied it to a BlackBerry 7130, this way turning the device into a futuristic handset with web browsing capabilities and much more. The handset was called the Mozilla Phone and, although it does not look very pretty, it comes with a series of features that are not present in other devices.
The OLED keys allow users to change their appearance and functionality according to their needs. For those who need straight-up text entry, there is a SureType QWERTY keyboard displayed, with the letters that are most likely to be used highlighted, while those who do a lot of browsing over the Internet will have shortcut keys to use with the websites and web services they need the most.
According to the designer, the major problem that mobile phones are facing today is their limited capability to send and receive information, which would translate into the need of taking advantage of every square inch the device has to offer. He also says that having a predictive keyboard instead of predictive text to show the expected characters can somehow prove more useful.
“Another interesting way of looking at this solution is how the content is separated from the interface. No screen real estate is sacrificed for “New Tab” or “Back” buttons, each channel of communication perfectly tailored for the purpose it serves best. It takes what was a maddeningly soft interface and makes it hard,” says Billy May in a post on MozPhone.
The concept in itself looks more than interesting, mainly due to the fact that users will be able to adjust the functionality of the keyboard the way it would suit them best. What remains to be seen is whether the idea will come to life in the near future or not.
