The First iPhone Almost Had a Physical Keyboard

[Maura]

The Verge reports that according to an interview with ex-Apple executive and iPod creator Tony Fadell, Apple was seriously considering using a physical keyboard for the first iPhone, before deciding to go for the touchscreen keyboard. Fadell told The Verge that Apple had three different versions of the iPhone that they were working on before it was eventually released – an iPod + iPhone, a version that was just called the iPhone, and the version that went on to be the final, released version. Fadell, who was with Apple until the release of the iPhone 3GS, said that he always thought that a phone with a virtual keyboard would have huge potential, and that he wanted to give that a try first before the hardware keyboard. Makes you wonder if the iPhone would still have been as successful with a hardware keyboard. The Verge says that Fadell was also responsible for overseeing 18 generations of iPod before leaving to create the Nest Learning Thermostat.

Source: Tony Fadell: Apple seriously considered hardware keyboard for iPhone | The Verge via AppleInsider

 

[tomcolgan]

Touchscreen all the way