Why is there no iPhone Bluetooth keyboard?
I got an e-mail over the weekend from a reader who read my earlier post, "Does the iPhone need a real keyboard?"
Ed writes:
What I would like to see is a portable keyboard for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This would be very helpful in meetings and/or traveling.
For what's essentially a minicomputer, a compact external keyboard would seem like a simple and logical accessory and would be especially appealing to those who haven't mastered--or aren't comfortable--typing on the iPhone's virtual keyboard, as good as it is. Travel-friendly, fold-up keyboards are available for the old Palm Pilots and Treos, but a quick search on Google reveals precious little on iPhone keyboards.
The $100 BTKeyMini is still in limbo.
(Credit: MacAlly)Way back in January 2008, Macworld wrote up some notes from the now-defunct Macworld Expo under the headline, "A Bluetooth keyboard for the iPhone?" The article referenced the small MacAlly BTKeyMini Bluetooth keyboard ($100). At the time, MacAlly reps claimed that when the BTKeyMini arrived in March of 2008, it would be compatible with the iPhone. But alas, Apple has never provided Bluetooth keyboard drivers for the iPhone and the BTKeyMini has never shipped. A note on the Web site AValive, which sells the BTKeyMini, says:
The BTKey Mini for the Apple iPhone will not ship until Apple updates the iPhone to accept Bluetooth input. No date has been given as of yet. THE iPhone 3.0 UPDATE DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS PRODUCT.
Of course, the lack of Apple support hasn't stopped hackers from getting Bluetooth keyboards to work with the iPhone. Back in January of this year, Ars Technica had a report on the Bluetooth keyboard hacking efforts of iPhone expert Ralf Ackermann. And more recently, in March of this year, a couple engineers at Perceptive Development managed to connect an infrared keyboard to an iPhone using a 1,200-baud modem via the headphone port. iPhone Central called it, "One of the most unnecessarily complicated hacks in iPhone history." Ars Technica described it as "clever," partially because it didn't require a jailbroken iPhone.
So, there you have it, Ed. Yes, it would be nice if there was an external keyboard option for the iPhone--wireless or wired--but it looks like you're going to have to wait for Apple to decide it's ready to supply the drivers for it. (Some have suggested that by enabling external keyboards Apple would be admitting that its virtual keyboard is less than perfect, but that seems too silly and vain to be true.)
Personally, I'm at a loss as to why Apple wouldn't serve up a compact, Apple-branded $50 Bluetooth keyboard for the iPhone. I think there's enough demand out there for this type of accessory that Apple could sell hundreds of thousands of them. In fact, it wouldn't shock me if it sold more iPhone Bluetooth keyboards than Apple TV units.
Am I wrong?
As always, feel free to comment.
Additional reading: Does the iPhone need a real keyboard?
Video extra: Perceptive Development's iPhone keyboard hack
Hunkered down in New York City, Executive Editor David Carnoy covers the gamut of gadgets and writes his Fully Equipped column, which carries the tag line "The electronics you lust for." He's also the author of "Knife Music," a novel. E-mail David. Follow David on Twitter. 
For those of us who touch-type there is no way the soft keyboard is ever going to be as fast as a bluetooth keyboard.
I did a test. I've got used to my iphone onscreen keyboard and can type quite fast on it. I timed myself with a test sentence. 20 words per minute with 2 errors.
That's quite impressive for an onscreen keyboard but I can do 50wpm with no errors MINIMUM on a standard keyboard. I find most people who say there's no need for a bluetooth keyboard are those who never learned to touchtype. A friend of mine types at 150wpm (her fingers are just a blur!). I bet there's no way she'd get anywhere near that speed on an iphone keyboard.
Also having a bluetooth keyboard linked when it's docked would mean being able to answer texts easily without undocking it.
No, you don't.
Just tap the space bar twice.
Inserts a period and a space.
to the key (period, apostrophe, etc.) that you want, and release. The special character will be inserted, but
you will be auto-magically back in the default (alphabetic) keyboard.
Or, as others have suggested, you could use double spaces, to insert periods.
Apple is not "silly and vane [sic]". They charge a fair price for great products.
There are those who think "All computers are the same -- so buy the cheapest one."
But I notice those same people don't act that way for their cars or TVs. Funny that.
All depends on ones perspective, I suppose. ...
Sunny Guy
ok, apple is definitely a little vain. I don't think there's much argument there. they do make great products I agree with you there.
and yeah there's a simple fix to the period problem. but come on. wouldn't it just be easier to let developers make bluetooth keyboards and keep everybody happy? couldn't hurt, right?
I cannot think of a good business reason not to have the BT drivers. The only reason that seems remotely plausible is that the perception that the keyboard would cast negative light on on the touch screen keyboard.
I'd love to hear if others have more P&L related reasons they can think of.
I can only imagine what you'd have to say if the situation were changed and Microsoft was the company doing it. Evil, terrible Micro$oft, being greedy and shafting its customers by crippling a phone, "forcing" you to buy their notebooks, etc ad nauseam.
A nifty little folding keyboard like Palm used to make (or maybe still does?) that also holds the phone up in view and collapses to the same footprint is a great idea as smart phones become more powerful. That's true for the iPhone, and it's even more true for more business-oriented phones like the Blackberry models. Actually, Palm making one for the Pre would be another great selling point...
I def. think the next big move is going to be an iphone like tabled, that would seemlesly fit between iphone and macbook, just a tad under the macbook air. I think though that it would not have a keyboard since that will cannibalize the air itselft, maybe a bigger screen than an iphone with os x in it. Thats what my magic balls show
I would love a folding Palmesq keyboard for my iPhone. It would eliminate the need for a laptop. I could easily write on it just like I did with my Palm III, Clie, and iPaq. The fact that you couldn't get a keyboard was almost a deal breaker for me -- if the iPhone wasn't just so darn sexy! Dammit, techno-lust got me again.
~Trav
There is only one reason I can think of why Apple doesn't want one. An external keyboard + an iPhone equals cannibalize Macbook sales. Especially if you add in the ability to connect to an external monitor.
http://golfism.org/2009/03/18/review-of-nokia-n810-an-iphone-users-view/
I'm leaning more towards a T-Mobile G2 or a Blackberry Storm now.
I think all the hype about the iPhone is just nonsense. Apple doesn't care about what the customer wants.
I'm glad i learned this before I signed up for AT&T and got stuck with a retard-phone.
A sincere Mac Evangelist that is starting to worry about the policies of our beloved Apple.
I would encourage everyone reading this article to go to: www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html and submit a request for bluetooth keyboard support. There is no rational reason for the input to be limited to the touchscreen.
Please everyone do the same.
We need to get the word out.
- by miranda974 August 3, 2009 12:30 AM PDT
- I already am getting carpel tunnel in my finger. Please apple, enough already.
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