iType keyboard brings a physical keyboard to the iPhone, but there's a catch

Attention iPhone owners that have been praying for a physical keyboard forever: your prayers have been answered... kind of. Ion Audio has debuted its iType iPhone keyboard at CES, and we can confirm that it does indeed work as advertised. Once you pop your iPhone or iPod touch into the dock at the top of the board, you're free to type away to your heart's content -- if you're in the iType app, of course. Unfortunately, because of the closed nature of most of the iPhone platform, you can't just start typing in any iPhone app; you have to type in the iType app and then copy and paste to the app you want. It's surely an annoyance, but if you're sick of the soft keyboard and need some relief, it's your best option for now.

Ion Audio iType hands-on

[jobosapien Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:33PM]

Hmm, seems like a goofy solution.

[geekthree Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:36PM]

@jobosapien

And it's fugly..

[dark star Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:53PM]

@jobosapien
i would think apple would get with the program and let bluetooth kb to be paired with the iphone. its frickin year 2010 already!

[derX Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:55PM]

@jobosapien

Okay, the designer of the product clearly has some intelligence and can contribute to to the greater good of society. With that said, WTF was he or she smoking? So you really think there is a large enough market of people willing to buy this iTypewriter to justify making this?

Not even a good gag gift. Just...just no.

[Ryan Deen Posted Jan 8th 2010 3:02PM]

@jobosapien But will it copy/paste?!

[KAL326 Posted Jan 8th 2010 3:04PM]

@jobosapien So is a sledgehammer flyswatter, but if you put an iPod dock and some speakers on it I'm sure somebody would buy it.

[Charlik Posted Jan 8th 2010 3:16PM]

@dark star.You assume that Apple would agree with the need. If they thought a physical keyboard was that important, they would have gone that way.

as for this device, it's not portable so it's of really limited use. can't really see it going very far.

[scjessey Posted Jan 8th 2010 3:21PM]

@jobosapien
This is the stupidest thing I've ever seen. It almost makes me want to get an iPhone just so that I can parade the stupidity around and make people point and laugh at me.

[Esat Dedezade Posted Jan 8th 2010 3:24PM]

This simply should not need to exist.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 8th 2010 3:44PM]

@jobosapien Anyone seen using this deserves a Tyler Durden ass kicking.

[SeanR Posted Jan 8th 2010 3:49PM]

@scjessey I'll follow you around to point and laugh.

[Canucker Posted Jan 8th 2010 6:17PM]

@Esat Dedezade

Indeed, it actually doesn't need to exist. Just because it does, doesn't mean it will sell. It's like adding wind sails to a car.

[Gas Posted Jan 9th 2010 4:08AM]

@Canucker
Sounds green.

[New Reformation Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:33PM]

I was going to say that this thing looked ridiculous, but then I saw the iphone keyboard dock in the background. T_T

[New Reformation Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:35PM]

@New Reformation
*piano keyboard dock in the background

[bighap Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:33PM]

LMAO

[munir Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:34PM]

actually, your best option is probably to jailbreak, install the bluetooth profile to allow bt keyboards, and get your physical key-action on in a variety of apps

[jon Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:42PM]

@munir

Except jailbreaking is terrorism, Apple said so.

[PyRo1509 Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:59PM]

@jon When the drones come after me i'm holding a GPS enabled tracker...
Al Qaeda has it easy... (Plus their calls don't get dropped)

[Ned Scott Posted Jan 9th 2010 8:18AM]

To all those afraid to jailbreak.. it's worth it for the keyboard BT stack alone!

[IronLantern Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:34PM]

I only had the headline on my screen, and then I scrolled down....

Or could this be the iSlate!!!

[shotta Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:35PM]

iCrapgadget.

[Anonymoose Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:58PM]

@shotta

dude...you gotta stop shoving weird things into your anus. even though it may look like one, the pre is not a suppository.

[hey buddy Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:35PM]

This could also be solved, Apple, if you allowed your bluetooth keyboard to connect to the iPhone...

[BootComp Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:45PM]

@(Unverified) : You do realize its the iPhone your talking about right?

[krn Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:37PM]

Can you use Ctrl+C to Copy or do you have to do goofy gestures to do it? If you can't do a copy from the keyboard than it's completely, absolutely worthless. Otherwise it's just really crappy.

Who comes up with the idea for this product, pitches it, designs it, develops it, produces it and markets it when you can't even use it like you should be able to? Were they expecting Apple to fall in love with it and create support for this in regular apps, just for them... eventually?

Also, what about apps that are designed to be used in portrait orientation? You have to take the iPhone back out of the keyboard to be able to use it.

[krn Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:45PM]

@krn And two more things...

1) Why does their app bring up the soft keyboard... You wouldn't be using their app at all if you wanted the soft keyboard. (Maybe they don't have a choice for an editable text field, but still it highlights the goofiness of it all)?

2) This isn't useful at all in any non-native iPhone apps, since other apps will close when you switch to the iType app, which means you can barely use this device at all.

3) Why does a keyboard that's specifically designed for the iPhone have PrtScrn/SysRq, Scroll Lock, and other keys that barely have a use on the PCs they were originally designed for... They certainly can't be useful on the iPhone! And anyone who wants the convenience of 10-key isn't going to find it convenient to switch apps just to be able to use the 10-key.

[Ned Scott Posted Jan 9th 2010 8:22AM]

@krn
At the very least it is possible to make the keyboard transparent, like some apps do, but they didn't even do that!

[hq Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:37PM]

Douche Award 2010 - First Prize

[derX Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:57PM]

@hq

Idk, that Phubby was pretty damn douchetastic.

[hq Posted Jan 8th 2010 3:00PM]

@derX ok i have found a serious competitor for the first price: http://gizmodo.com/5443241/review-the-as+seen+on+tv-hat-an-iphone+viewing-visor

[derX Posted Jan 8th 2010 3:37PM]

@hq

I fold.

[munir Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:37PM]

and couldnt they at least prop the iphone up so that you're not forced to lean over constantly just to see what you've typed?

[solo99 Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:38PM]

It reminded me of this: http://ganjatron.net/retrocomputing/epson-hx20/creativecomp0183-2a.jpg

[krn Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:47PM]

@solo99 Whoah, I gotta get me one of those... It's so small! Actual size!

[skx Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:38PM]

ok ok ok... here it comes... crapgadget gets a warm up

[ChazClout Posted Jan 8th 2010 3:22PM]

@skx

I can't see why it isn't already labelled as Crapgadget!

[WixosTrix Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:38PM]

@Bill Gates

Here it comes

[EpsilonNot Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:39PM]

Hm, this could actually be useful for taking notes?

[GustavTheLion Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:39PM]

This shows the iPhones major flaw perfectly

[hey buddy Posted Jan 8th 2010 3:00PM]

@GustavTheLion

What's that, it's so insanely popular that companies think even a silly product like this is possibly profitable?

[Rofl Lundgren Posted Jan 8th 2010 3:51PM]

@GustavTheLion

It seems more like a anti-Apple piece of prop-art than an actual gadget. Kudos to them for drawing attention to the ridiculously closed nature of the iPhone.

[Canucker Posted Jan 8th 2010 6:26PM]

@GustavTheLion

Is the Nexus One similarly "flawed"? A lot of people clearly find a limited screen keyboard better than a limited physical one or these devices wouldn't sell. It's personal preference and free country. If you demand a keyboard, get a phone with one.

[derX Posted Jan 9th 2010 12:32PM]

@GustavTheLion

Your user name is awesome. LOL

[GustavTheLion Posted Jan 9th 2010 2:32PM]

@Rofl Lundgren

Thank you, this is exactly what i meant- i'm not saying that the iPhone isn't a good device, just that it is very closed

[GustavTheLion Posted Jan 9th 2010 2:33PM]

@derX

well thank you sir

[IamDefiler Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:41PM]

Well, portability just took a back seat on this one. As well as usability.

[Lare2 Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:41PM]

Why isn't this in the Crapgadget category....... Oh I see... it has to do with the iPhone and this is engadget... Nevermind

[PaultheGeek Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:42PM]

Ion Audio please stick to making audio products for musicians, because you obviously don't get mobile accessories m'kay :)

[ustna Posted Jan 8th 2010 2:43PM]

@Bill Gates

I'd rather type with my nose on a touchscreen, than go back to WM...