Telus introducing world's first cellphone with Fastap keyboard

So back in March, Canadian wireless carrier Telus Mobility was all set to introduce the world's first cellphone using Digit Wireless' Fastap cellphone keyboard, a modified LG 5450 handset. Fastap squeezes a full alphabetical keyboard onto a cellphone keypad by interspersing lowered number keys between raised letter keys, but it must not have been quite ready yet or something, because the phone never materialized and we didn't hear a peep from Telus (or anyone else) about it again. Anyway, now eight months later Telus is back with another LG cellphone with a Fastap keyboard, the LG 6190, and this time they swear it really is for sale.

[Joey Geraci @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

cool

[010111 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

who the hell types on an ABCDEF layout? 3 year olds?

[Permanent4 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

I might, if LG would come up with a phone like this for Verizon. Typing on a keypad, even with T9, is a pain in the ass.

[kev @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

YUP It is forsale I just saw it in a flyer for staples.

[HeyMopuM @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

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[jet_star @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

010111:

this is not a full keyboard where you are using all your fingers to type. Plus its been in that ABCD...configuration for years. The difference is that now you don't have to tap the 1 key 3 times to type the letter C.

I just went by a Telus store tonite and checked it out. Fairly nice phone. Has a camera with flash although its only 300K pixel res. It also has voice recognition for the menus. Unfortunately it has no Bluetooth. And its only CDMA.

[Steven Fisher @ Dec 19th 2005 12:07AM]

Isn't the Telus network CDMA-only?