“Sometimes we have to go backwards to go forwards,” or so the motto says to describe the Typo Keyboard, a new gadget created for iPhone users who prefer a physical keyboard to the rise of touch-only screen smartphones.
This Ryan Seacrest-founded technology is perfect for ex-Blackberry users who want to explore the accessibility and design of the of the iPhone, but are wary of losing the speed and ease of a physical keyboard.
Typo’s keyboard slips over the iPhone 5 or 5S just like a protective case, and connects wirelessly to the iPhone via Bluetooth. It has smooth angled keys for precision thumb-typing, and the back light can be toggled on and off for darker environments. Since the keyboard covers the iPhone’s home button, it has a button with the same function on the bottom right of the case.
According to Typo’s website, the gadget was initially invented to “avoid making typos,” which contradicts its inability to automatically correct misspelled words. The misspelled words, underlined in red, have to be tapped on the screen to fix. As for folks with the iPhone 5S, the fingerprint censor is covered up, so those users will have to resort to entering their passcode manually.
Typo can be pre-ordered for $99 and is set to ship out on Monday.