Anyone else concerned about the angle between keyboard and screen?

[Craig 1,435]

I haven't seen anyone discuss this.

 

It just seems odd to me to have the screen at an angle. I've tried holding my PQ a little flatter to see how it feels and it feels weird to me.

 

Of course, until I actually try it, I won't know. But I certainly don't intend to put my phone down on a flat surface to use it, I hold it in front of me facing me, but with this pro1 I'm gunna have to hold it differently.

 

Probably a non issue. Wait til I hold one and see. Which makes me wonder, will these be in any retail stores, or direct order only?

[Noir 112]

I have only used non-angled sliders so far aswell, just played with a n97 from time to time. i am sure they thought about the angled screen on the pro1 and decided very well. I am open to this concept, maybe i will prefer it more than a flat slider.

At first it will only available here. No other contracts so far. Time will tell if that changes.

[EskeRahn 5,427]

Let me put it this way, have you tried using a laptop opened flat? ;-)

 

I for one LOVED the tilted screens of the Nokias over the flat slide of the SonyEriccsons.

On a device with the keyboard in the 'wrong' direction like the BB Priv, a tilt would be odd though..

 

As a benefit, the mechanism with two 'arms' of different length of the Nokias was much easier to blow clean from pocket lint and the like than the straight sliders, that are quite hard to clean if dirt gets into the rails. So I for one is VERY pleased that it is the approach they have chosen for the Pro¹.

 

The only minus is that the flip to push to open (on the old Nokias) took a few tries to get used to (ten perhaps?), if a friend wants to borrow it (s)he might find it problematic to open at first. But it is not complicated, see the XDA video linked to here

[michael.bosscha 142]

I've worked with this angle for some time; trust me, you'll get used to it soon enough. Then again, a complete horizontal slider might be an idea for the Pro2.

[bob3k 0]

Let me put it this way, have you tried using a laptop opened flat? ;-)

I haven't....I've also never used a laptop held upright only by my hands. Like ever.

This is not a laptop, it's a handheld device with a qwerty keyboard. I've used droids for the past 10 years and never once wished the screen was angled toward me a little. What I do do sometimes is hold my droid in my hands relatively close to my face while typing. Straight up.

 

So, yes, I am a little worried about the angled screen.

 

It does look like just a little angle, so hopefully it won't be too bad to get used to.

[david 921]

Coming from a Relay 4G, I would have preferred a flat slider too. I'm hoping it won't affect holding it well and won't make me have to hold the keyboard at a odd angle to view the screen perpendicular to my line of sight.

 

As bob3k wrote, it does look like a minor angle, so hopefully it won't be a big issue. I'm trying to remember if the sidekicks had a slight tilt to the screen. For some reason I'm thinking my Sidekick 3 and Sidekick 2008 phones had a slight tilt. Those had *the* best keyboard of any phone I've ever owned or tested. The way they were rounded up and the spacing between the keys was perfect. Very glad that the keyboard on the Pro 1 phone appears to not have completely flat keys.

[aznfantasystar 5]

The angle tilt looks like 45°

 

If you take a protractor and see it visually, you can decide if it's concerning. I believe it's something you will get used to over time and the advantage of OLED screens makes the viewing distance a non-issue.

[kashif 350]

Hi Everyone

I have just joined here because I am interested in this device. I still use nokia E7-00 which is very similar to this and that's the reason I am interested in it.

I would give my opinion that this angle is great when its sitting on a table and very easy to use. its not the best if you are holding it in your hands.

 

 

 

[EskeRahn 5,427]

Steven, It is a perspective thing of the photo. From the engadget hands on here, we have this

And Venturebeat have this here

I haven't measured, but the 25° tilt does not seem far off...

(Why it is labeled 155° in the description is beyond me, as 0° would thus be display facing down, but luckily this is NOT a clamshell)

[david 921]

Has the designer ever stated that the angle is so the phone can be used like a computer keyboard when sitting on a table? Is that what the were aiming for with the angled screen?

 

Thanks for the pictures, EskeRahn. I missed the 155 degree information at the top of the specifications page. It does look like about 25 degrees and that would match with the 155 degrees that they mention. Not as bad as 45 degrees. Not as good as 10-15 degrees would have been (or flat for those of us who prefer that).

[EskeRahn 5,427]

Just tried to compare with the widely praised E7. The tilt of the Pro¹ seems almost identical, maybe 1-2° more flat than the E7.

 

I for one started with a tilted one, and considered it a step back with the flat Xperia Pro and BB Priv. Especially the cleaning of the 'rails' of the flat sliders is a nightmare, as it is almost impossible to get to. I usually tried to fiddle with sticking in a somewhat stiff piece of paper like an old ticket, and a lot of blowing. The N97min was MUCH easier to clean.

 

I think that it was designed to ALSO be able to be used comfortably on a table.

[david 921]

I agree that it is difficult to clean a true slider in the part that is hidden. I just don't clean the part that isn't seen. :-)

[EskeRahn 5,427]

Oh I'm not talking cosmetic clean, but when dirt gets into the rails, and gives an uneven movement

[abowers 0]

I've used three physical keyboard phones in the past, one clamshell and two sliders. The slider was my favorite form factor.

 

Let's try out one of my old parallel slider phones, shall we? How about the LG Enlighten, it's the first that fell to hand.

 

GRIP: When the phone is turned horizontally and slid open, your index finger(s) tend to rest on the edge of the keyboard half and on the back of the screen half, quite securely gripping the phone. I'm concerned that having the screen angled up would make the phone more difficult to hold as it would no longer rest on your index knuckles.

 

HOLDING UNSUPPORTED: When standing up or otherwise holding the phone with my arms resting on nothing, I find a comfortable viewing posture to be about 9-12 inches from my face, about level with my chin. In this posture, my forearms are tilted about 45 degrees to the horizontal, and my wrists are basically straight. In this posture, the screen is tangent to my eyes. With the screen angled up, to align the screen with my field of view would require an unergonomic adjustment to this posture, such as rolling the wrists in that would somewhat constrain the thumbs.

 

HOLDING SUPPORTED: When resting my hands on a table or my lap, the phone is much farther away from my face, I have to bend my neck a lot farther downward to see it. Still, the screen remains angled properly with my hands relaxed until my forearms tilt down below 90" to the horizontal/the phone passes below my navel line, at which point both the screen and keyboard are more difficult to see.

 

PLACING PHONE ON TABLE: A simple slider phone is useless for resting on a table to read or watch video. The screen will be angled significantly away from your field of view no matter what configuration the phone is in. In this case, however, I feel that the tilt provided by the Pro1 is insufficient. For the angle to be sufficient, it would have to be resting low and close. In most cases, I don't see the "putting it on a table and watching a movie" as solved.

 

There's also another problem: This phone is mighty thick these days. Logitech and others make keyboards that have slots or rails for resting a tablet or smart phone for productivity use. This phone is so thick that it likely wouldn't fit in many of those slots. It would when open, and it would raise the screen to a comfortable viewing height, but the angled hinge will tilt it forward, probably throwing it off balance and putting it at a poor angle for viewing.

 

I'm not really concerned with cleaning the slider rails; both of my slider phones were in service for over 3 years, they're both around ten or twelve years old now, neither were ever cleaned, and both still run smoothly. If anything, I see the swinging link mechanism in use as inelegant, the screen swings high above the keyboard and "lands" vertically. I see things forever getting caught in it.

 

Overall, I think I'd rather have a simple slider.

[EskeRahn 5,427]

I suggest you have a look at what people said on the E7. e.g.

from 3:14 in and the next about 2 minutes. or

from 2:23 in.

 

The above was the two first searching youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=nokia+e7

 

But of course we will need reviews on the Pro¹ it self to say something on the actual device.

e.g.

1:04 in you can see actual usage of a pre-production unit.

[ahunter 108]

I’ve used three physical keyboard phones in the past, one clamshell and two sliders. The slider was my favorite form factor.

 

Let’s try out one of my old parallel slider phones, shall we? How about the LG Enlighten, it’s the first that fell to hand.

 

GRIP: When the phone is turned horizontally and slid open, your index finger(s) tend to rest on the edge of the keyboard half and on the back of the screen half, quite securely gripping the phone. I’m concerned that having the screen angled up would make the phone more difficult to hold as it would no longer rest on your index knuckles.

 

HOLDING UNSUPPORTED: When standing up or otherwise holding the phone with my arms resting on nothing, I find a comfortable viewing posture to be about 9-12 inches from my face, about level with my chin. In this posture, my forearms are tilted about 45 degrees to the horizontal, and my wrists are basically straight. In this posture, the screen is tangent to my eyes. With the screen angled up, to align the screen with my field of view would require an unergonomic adjustment to this posture, such as rolling the wrists in that would somewhat constrain the thumbs.

 

HOLDING SUPPORTED: When resting my hands on a table or my lap, the phone is much farther away from my face, I have to bend my neck a lot farther downward to see it. Still, the screen remains angled properly with my hands relaxed until my forearms tilt down below 90″ to the horizontal/the phone passes below my navel line, at which point both the screen and keyboard are more difficult to see.

 

PLACING PHONE ON TABLE: A simple slider phone is useless for resting on a table to read or watch video. The screen will be angled significantly away from your field of view no matter what configuration the phone is in. In this case, however, I feel that the tilt provided by the Pro1 is insufficient. For the angle to be sufficient, it would have to be resting low and close. In most cases, I don’t see the “putting it on a table and watching a movie” as solved.

 

There’s also another problem: This phone is mighty thick these days. Logitech and others make keyboards that have slots or rails for resting a tablet or smart phone for productivity use. This phone is so thick that it likely wouldn’t fit in many of those slots. It would when open, and it would raise the screen to a comfortable viewing height, but the angled hinge will tilt it forward, probably throwing it off balance and putting it at a poor angle for viewing.

 

I’m not really concerned with cleaning the slider rails; both of my slider phones were in service for over 3 years, they’re both around ten or twelve years old now, neither were ever cleaned, and both still run smoothly. If anything, I see the swinging link mechanism in use as inelegant, the screen swings high above the keyboard and “lands” vertically. I see things forever getting caught in it.

 

Overall, I think I’d rather have a simple slider.

 

I have been nursing a Motorola Photon Q since 2012. This Device is a flat Slider. (Actually fully rebuilding buying spare phones as spare parts, only original part is the motherboard.)

 

I much preferred my HTC Touch Pro2 for ergonomics. This Device is a Flat or Tilt adjustable.

 

GRIP: The HTC Touch Pro 2 with it's angled screen was much more secure to hold that the Motorola Photon Q. Your Index fingers wrap around behind the screen providing better grip.

 

HOLDING SUPPORTED or UNSUPPORTED: Put simply The HTC Touch Pro2 did not hurt my wrists at all, where I found the flat slider of the Motorola Photon Q tends to hurt. The Angled screen provides a much more relaxed posture in all cases and index finger are wrapped behind the screen.

 

PLACING PHONE ON TABLE: The Tilt provided is much better than having a flat slider. The tilt on Touch Pro2 was adjustable to allow you to adjust for glare. I feel that the tilt provided by the Pro1 is sufficient adjustability could be a bonus, rather than what looks like a snap between two positions.

 

There’s also another problem: NOT A PROBLEM AT ALL... Use your phone as your phone and use your Tablet/Laptop/Ultrabook for that sort of work. Use a fit for purpose device. Also don't use the slot on the logitech keyboard, that is designed for phones without a keyboard. You can place the Pro1 wherever you like so you can see the screen and type.

 

My personal opinion is that the flat Droid Style Sliders were inferior compared to a Tilt.

[kashif 350]

I would say that using Nokia E7 for ten years continuously everyday, i didn't saw any problem with dirt causing any issue to slider mechanism. only thing i remember is few times that its usb port broke and i gave it for fixing the repair guy said there was a bit of dirt there that he had to clean.

 

But as for using it, i really used it in two ways, if i am holding it in my hands i don't slide the keyboard out and just use the on screen keyboard. when its sitting on the table the best way is using slide keyboard that makes it sit like a laptop. that's what i love about E7. All the other flat phones its hard to do anything with them when lying flat while E7 sits like a laptop and the angle is so great to look at notes on it while working on you pc. you can play music while working and without the need of touching the screen to wake it up (usually have to put the pin to unlock) E7 is so easy where you dont need to wake up or touch the screen, just press the arrow keys to move to next song or previous.

[kashif 350]

Another feature i love about E7 is how it behaves when keyboard is slides out and slides in (closed). Of course we all want to keep our phones password protected so others can access it. E7 is kept lock and needs pin to unlock it but once you unlock it and slide-out the keyboard it remains unlocked sitting on the desk. screen does times out but you just touch the screen and its on. and then once you are finished you just slide in (close) the keyboard and it goes back to lock mode where you have to put pin to unlock it.

 

I have Pro1 will have similar settings since its has this keyboard hardware.

[ahunter 108]

I’ve used three physical keyboard phones in the past, one clamshell and two sliders. The slider was my favorite form factor.

 

Let’s try out one of my old parallel slider phones, shall we? How about the LG Enlighten, it’s the first that fell to hand.

 

GRIP: When the phone is turned horizontally and slid open, your index finger(s) tend to rest on the edge of the keyboard half and on the back of the screen half, quite securely gripping the phone. I’m concerned that having the screen angled up would make the phone more difficult to hold as it would no longer rest on your index knuckles.

 

HOLDING UNSUPPORTED: When standing up or otherwise holding the phone with my arms resting on nothing, I find a comfortable viewing posture to be about 9-12 inches from my face, about level with my chin. In this posture, my forearms are tilted about 45 degrees to the horizontal, and my wrists are basically straight. In this posture, the screen is tangent to my eyes. With the screen angled up, to align the screen with my field of view would require an unergonomic adjustment to this posture, such as rolling the wrists in that would somewhat constrain the thumbs.

 

HOLDING SUPPORTED: When resting my hands on a table or my lap, the phone is much farther away from my face, I have to bend my neck a lot farther downward to see it. Still, the screen remains angled properly with my hands relaxed until my forearms tilt down below 90″ to the horizontal/the phone passes below my navel line, at which point both the screen and keyboard are more difficult to see.

 

PLACING PHONE ON TABLE: A simple slider phone is useless for resting on a table to read or watch video. The screen will be angled significantly away from your field of view no matter what configuration the phone is in. In this case, however, I feel that the tilt provided by the Pro1 is insufficient. For the angle to be sufficient, it would have to be resting low and close. In most cases, I don’t see the “putting it on a table and watching a movie” as solved.

 

There’s also another problem: This phone is mighty thick these days. Logitech and others make keyboards that have slots or rails for resting a tablet or smart phone for productivity use. This phone is so thick that it likely wouldn’t fit in many of those slots. It would when open, and it would raise the screen to a comfortable viewing height, but the angled hinge will tilt it forward, probably throwing it off balance and putting it at a poor angle for viewing.

 

I’m not really concerned with cleaning the slider rails; both of my slider phones were in service for over 3 years, they’re both around ten or twelve years old now, neither were ever cleaned, and both still run smoothly. If anything, I see the swinging link mechanism in use as inelegant, the screen swings high above the keyboard and “lands” vertically. I see things forever getting caught in it.

 

Overall, I think I’d rather have a simple slider.

 

I have been nursing a Motorola Photon Q since 2012. This Device is a flat Slider. (Actually fully rebuilding buying spare phones as spare parts, only original part is the motherboard.)

 

I much preferred my HTC Touch Pro2 for ergonomics. This Device is a Flat or Tilt adjustable.

 

GRIP: The HTC Touch Pro 2 with it's angled screen was much more secure to hold that the Motorola Photon Q. Your Index fingers wrap around behind the screen providing better grip.

 

HOLDING SUPPORTED or UNSUPPORTED: Put simply The HTC Touch Pro2 did not hurt my wrists at all, where I found the flat slider of the Motorola Photon Q tends to hurt. The Angled screen provides a much more relaxed posture in all cases and index finger are wrapped behind the screen.

 

PLACING PHONE ON TABLE: The Tilt provided is much better than having a flat slider. The tilt on Touch Pro2 was adjustable to allow you to adjust for glare. I feel that the tilt provided by the Pro1 is sufficient adjustability could be a bonus, rather than what looks like a snap between two positions.

 

There’s also another problem: NOT A PROBLEM AT ALL... Use your phone as your phone and use your Tablet/Laptop/Ultrabook for that sort of work. Use a fit for purpose device. Also don't use the slot on the logitech keyboard, that is designed for phones without a keyboard. You can place the Pro1 wherever you like so you can see the screen and type.

 

My personal opinion is that the flat Droid Style Sliders were inferior compared to a Tilt.

 

[attachment file=13574]

 

[attachment file=Touchpro 2.jpg]

 

 

[EskeRahn 5,427]

I feel that the tilt provided by the Pro1 is sufficient adjustability could be a bonus, rather than what looks like a snap between two positions.

The whole idea behind this mechanism is two arms of different lengths, so the angle is going to be completely fixed at a specific point in the extend.

From 0° when closed, to 25° raised fully opened. (Or as F(x)tec oddly count: 180° when closed to 155° open)

 

This keeps the mechanism rather simple, and thus stable over time, compared to the double motion ones with the slide and tilt as two independent mechanisms.

 

In my experience, the double arm system is also MUCH easier to blow free of pocket lint or the like. My N97mini only occasionally needed you to blow at it. Both the SE Xperia Pro and the BB Pris was quite complex to clean, whenever the sliding was no longer a smooth motion, due to collected dirt.

(The cheap slide(&tilt) cases I experimented with for an Ip6- also had cleaning issues for the sliding rails)

 

Here a gif from Venturebeat

[ahunter 108]

From 0° when closed, to 25° raised fully opened. (Or as F(x)tec oddly count: 180° when closed to 155° open)

 

This is great. I am just happy that I finally get a new model QWERTY phone, with Android and the screen tilts up.

Flat sliders really are awkward, not ergonomic and a bit of a pain when you want to sit it on a table and watch something with mates.

This phone can be used how I like to use a phone, mainly sitting on my desk, table or arm-rest.

Also while laying in bed easier on the hands and wrists.

 

Back in the days when heaps of these QWERTY devices were available I remember the mechanisms, angles and key layouts were the big items for comparison and choosing a device.

 

As for the cleaning I have a habit of pulling my phones apart and putting them back together again, generally get a good clean there. This mechanism does look user friendly to clean without doing that. lol

[EskeRahn 5,427]

This is great. I am just happy that I finally get a new model QWERTY phone, with Android and the screen tilts up.

Flat sliders really are awkward, not ergonomic and a bit of a pain when you want to sit it on a table and watch something with mates.

This phone can be used how I like to use a phone, mainly sitting on my desk, table or arm-rest.

Also while laying in bed easier on the hands and wrists.

 

I'm totally with you, I saw it as an annoying back step when going from N97mini to Xperia Pro. (The N97 was on the other hand utterly useless outdoors except at night, due to very very poor contrast, I actually used a Samsung Wave when outdoors...)

 

I do recall that the N97mini was not intuitive to open though. That you needed to press slightly 'downwards' with the slide, meant that when you showed it to new people, they were usually unable to open it. Not a big deal today when everyone got a phone, but back then it was not uncommon that someone borrowed my phone, and could not open it.

 

Can not wait to get my hands on the Pro¹ and have this feeling in my fingers again - and the sound....

Here is a tiny video from XDA https://www.xda-developers.com/fxtec-pro-1-initial-review/ (shortened)

 

 

[attachment file=13595]

 

(though I expect to open it with a thumb)

[damion 60]

I used the Nokia 9000 in 1998 and I don't know if it would even go flat. After that the 9210 for a few years, then 9500. As the years went by, I then got the 9300(i) which IIRC was the 1st to open fully flat. I didn't do this much as it was easier to use when slightly angled. The n97 was awesome but I then got an n900 and loved how UNIXy it was but didn't like the flat slide out as much. I then got my precious n950 developer device, which I believe the F(X)tec Pro1 is based. The slight angle is definitely superior IMO.

 

As time moved on and I got too busy with work to faff about compiling fancy stuff for my device, I reluctantly realised I needed to move to the functionality Android provided, so switched to the more consumer orientated Galaxy S Relay. This did feel like a step down in aesthetics and UX.

 

I'm very much looking forward to the F(X)tec Pro1 to see if it rekindles my love of keyboarded phones.

[damion 60]

I used the Nokia 9000 in 1998 and I don’t know if it would even go flat. After that the 9210 for a few years, then 9500. As the years went by, I then got the 9300(i) which IIRC was the 1st to open fully flat. I didn’t do this much as it was easier to use when slightly angled. The n97 was awesome but I then got an n900 and loved how UNIXy it was but didn’t like the flat slide out as much. I then got my precious n950 developer device, which I believe the F(X)tec Pro1 is based. The slight angle is definitely superior IMO.

 

As time moved on and I got too busy with work to faff about compiling fancy stuff for my device, I reluctantly realised I needed to move to the functionality Android provided, so switched to the more consumer orientated Galaxy S Relay. This did feel like a step down in aesthetics and UX.

 

I’m very much looking forward to the F(X)tec Pro1 to see if it rekindles my love of keyboarded phones.

 

Not that it's important but I missed out the 9110 which was an truly awesome improvement of the ugly brick of the 9000 and lasted for years as one of the best smartphones* available.