Nokia patent app suggests N97's form factor isn't complicated enough

Combining huge screens with usable keyboards in a pocketable package is the challenge phone manufacturers are eternally doomed to try to solve, leading to an endless stream of (mostly comical) patent applications for ridiculous form factors that will never see the light of day. That's where we think -- well, we hope -- Nokia's latest app comes into play, combining a portrait-oriented QWERTY keyboard with a wide display that somehow swivels behind the body of the phone when you only need a little bit of screen real estate. Looks cool on paper, but realistically, we think this thing would be the most unwieldy Frankenstein of a handset since the MPx were it ever to be produced. Tilt-slide on the N97 looks fine, guys. Seriously.

[Via Cellpassion]

[Abdel @ Dec 14th 2008 12:16AM]

I dont want my cellphone to look like a mirror.

[KilgoreTrout @ Dec 14th 2008 5:43PM]

There are worse things your cell phone could look like.
If you think about it a mirror is not so bad.

[Thorgeir @ Dec 14th 2008 7:01PM]

so.. you don't like looking at mirrors?

[YpoCaramel @ Dec 13th 2008 8:23PM]

But the N97 isn't anything new at all, right Tilt / Kaiser owners?

I can't see anything that this form factor does that a slider can't do except for constant access to the physical keyboard, which isn't that vital - software keyboards suffice in a vertical orientation for me.

[FILA @ Dec 13th 2008 8:23PM]

now thats just weird, hard to interpret, but a good use in space limitations, i gotta see how its done thou

[max @ Dec 14th 2008 1:41AM]

come on engadget lemmings, as long as you cant easily crush the keyboard down after opening (unfolding?) it that's a pretty cool concept.

and if the developers take anything from engadget comments they'll make sure it makes the transformers sound when it opens

[Hung @ Dec 13th 2008 8:27PM]

Leak of Nokia's next patent for household stairs.

http://www.algana.co.uk/Brainteasers/stairs.jpg

[holycow @ Dec 13th 2008 8:30PM]

Probably one of the new E series phones will look like that..

[SupaYoYoMan @ Dec 13th 2008 8:31PM]

what would be interesting, and probably impossible, is if the screen rotated a full 180, and came back around on the other side of the keyboard.

[Sofunnytom @ Dec 14th 2008 12:48AM]

not impossible, but the keyboard would be floating for 90% of the time and would proabably bend and prove to be unsturdy

[Cycomachead @ Dec 14th 2008 3:15AM]

Or if it folded some how.

However, I hope the swivel mechanism keeps the phone slim.

[Sublimewulf @ Dec 13th 2008 8:33PM]

Thats pretty fugly, I think i will just stick wit a sidekick or similar

[Eleazar @ Dec 13th 2008 8:37PM]

Yeah pretty fugly but isn't that the one Tony Stark uses?

zomg I want one!

[who? @ Dec 13th 2008 9:13PM]

I believe his was reasonably smaller than the above photo suggests. Not that it mattered after those terrorists stole it from him... :p

[Major4Play @ Dec 13th 2008 9:20PM]

The phone in Iron man is an LG VX9400 TV http://www.mobiletechreview.com/phones/LG-VX9400.htm

If this design could be made without any quality issues I thnk it would be a nice phone. Browsing the web on a screen that size would be very nice.

[y3k.nik @ Dec 13th 2008 8:37PM]

Kinda looks like the phone in Ironman. I am not sure what it was, but the concept looks similar.

[who? @ Dec 13th 2008 9:14PM]

I think it was this one: http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/LGVX9400_open-small.jpg

[bill cant fart @ Dec 13th 2008 8:41PM]

This thing hurts my head!

[Pguard @ Dec 13th 2008 8:44PM]

That's brilliant, we're talking about fitting a 4'5 inch display on a small device like the E71, very smart.

[Ray @ Dec 13th 2008 9:47PM]

I disagree. I foresee a humongous and deep circular scratch around that screen. I dont see how they plan to stabilize the front so that it doesnt put pressure on the lcd while you type or dial.

[Jarek @ Dec 13th 2008 8:59PM]

What's with the hate? If they can pull it off at 15 mm or thinner, sign me up.

[KarlW @ Dec 13th 2008 9:05PM]

Seriously. I like the look of this. It looks odd, but I bet it'd be great to use.

I love the wide aspect ratio, whilst keeping the keyboard upright. You'd have easy access to all keys (instead of having your thumbs poking out of the edges trying to reach keys in the middle), and you'd get the more pleasing widescreen display.

If anything could tempt me to ditch my iPhone, it'd be a phone with this kind of screen/keyboard combination.

[Patriks7 @ Dec 14th 2008 6:21AM]

Well it's not made by Apple so what do you expect?

[medici @ Dec 13th 2008 9:23PM]

This is not so crazy: it combines the crackberry thumb keyboard with IPhone type screen estate. The screen swivels on a backplate and the space behind the keyboard is hollow connected with the backplate at the bottom. Good idea if it is thin.

[KilgoreTrout @ Dec 13th 2008 9:24PM]

It should be made just in the opposite way!
With the big touch screen exposed from which you could swivel out a keybord should you need one.
Personally I prefer the design of the N97 (tilt, kaiser , etc..), it will be the only phone that maybe, if it really turn out as perfect as Nokia claims it will be, may convince me to give up my Samsung Omnia , which after bit of pimping up, is easily and by far the best smartphone to be found in this area of our galaxy.

[Brian @ Dec 13th 2008 9:40PM]

+1 Engadget, for the title.

This is an awesome idea... but I don't believe they could ever warranty a device as complicated as that.

[Leo @ Dec 14th 2008 11:22AM]

As a proud and satisfied E71 owner, I am very very biased. My phone has served me so well so far that I find it absurd how people don't own the E71 and yet, are actually alive.
Exaggerations apart, I don't understand the hate. Quite frankly, I pray to dear God this thing actually happens and I can replace my E71 with this when the time comes. The biggest strength of this design is that it gives you two screen options (the QVGA when you mean business and the wider res. when you want to sit back and relax) while keeping that keyboard layout which is just as easy to use with one hand (ambidextrously, if I may add) as with both, a feat not feasible to talk about with the N97/Tilt/Xperia form factor.
That said, I see how the other way around is possible as well, as KilgoreTrout suggests, but this way has more practical implications, without the need for a touchOS (which wouldn't be so bad to add on:)).
The design is definitely odd but that can just translate into cool with the proper treatment. As much as I'm impressed I think the chances of this actually happening are fairly bleak. I WANT.

[Mobius_1 @ Dec 13th 2008 10:03PM]

This probably won't end well...

[Fernando @ Dec 13th 2008 10:08PM]

This is totally plausible, as seen with the LG posted here, and the N97's formfactor is pretty normal actually. HTC did it already and they've seen to have gotten it right.

[Joe H @ Dec 13th 2008 10:33PM]

That's so much better than the rotating form factor that some are suggesting is the newest Palm. I'd much rather have the keyboard always visible and have the option of the large screen, rather than the large screen always visible and the option of a keyboard.

[Gad Get @ Dec 14th 2008 1:15AM]

Agreed.

[max @ Dec 14th 2008 3:05AM]

definitely

we just might want to wait for a better design to that effect

[Johan S @ Dec 13th 2008 10:39PM]

They needed to make the N97 have a swappable keyboard or swappable keypad/gamepad. The keyboard should be such that it can be slid into place and snapped or locked in easily. Underneath the keypad/keyboard there should have been a touchscreen display that is the same size as the main display. Yeah it would be slightly thicker but it would be awesome for gaming. Also they third parties could make keyboards/gamepads .. maybe with see thru areas so that some stuff from the display underneath it can be seen. It should be possible to turn off that display obviously so it won't consume too much power.

[richard bae @ Dec 13th 2008 11:17PM]

dude wtf thats so fake....

[Soulsaber @ Dec 13th 2008 11:42PM]

Err...it's a patent so it is not necessarily a real object.

[Andrew @ Dec 13th 2008 11:20PM]

I want a holographically-projected display, or a bluetooth-enabled OLED display that's embedded in the lenses of a pair of sunglasses.

What? I can dream can't I?

[Gad Get @ Dec 14th 2008 12:47AM]

Cool concept! If Apple had come up with this, Engadget would be all over it, begging for it to be manufactured!

[Chris Ziegler @ Dec 14th 2008 12:58AM]

Zing!

[Gad Get @ Dec 14th 2008 1:06AM]

You got that right!

[Mitch @ Dec 14th 2008 1:04AM]

clearly if it isnt by apple it sucks

[Chris @ Dec 14th 2008 1:29AM]

@ Holycow: I'm Guessing the same thing. Probably the new E series since the keyboard is similar....

[Aditya @ Dec 14th 2008 1:56AM]

I saw an actual phone like this a couple of days ago on this very blog. cant remember what it was though

[shugg @ Dec 14th 2008 2:51AM]

this phone clearly not going anywhere as far as sales ,who gonna subsidize it verizon sprint.tmobil.,nokia is losing ground in the smartphone US market.

[Pdexter @ Dec 14th 2008 5:41AM]

Heh. Nokia dosen't have any market share in US to start with as there's no carrier support for world biggest cell phone manufacturer in states by some reason. Canadiens are getting more and more Nokias like E71 for example.

Idea of this concept is sweet and kind of clever actually. Wouldn't mind to see this in E series.

[Information Central @ Dec 14th 2008 2:24AM]

OK, it's time for this stupid "form factor" term to DIE.

[Chris Ziegler @ Dec 14th 2008 2:29AM]

You know that's not like a buzzword, right? It's an actual term. What alternative do you suggest?

[maxmcd @ Dec 14th 2008 3:11AM]

huggability?

[Gad Get @ Dec 14th 2008 3:11AM]

"Shape aspect" would be pretty killer!

[Information Central @ Dec 15th 2008 2:18AM]

Well, first: What is the "factor" exactly? What does it add to "form" in this context? Nothing. The word "factor" doesn't make sense here.

"Form" by itself isn't that bad, really. "Design" is appropriate, but "form" might be even better.

[hustler @ Dec 14th 2008 3:06AM]

Go Nokia Go.