The Pearl squished the keyboard and split the keys, the Storm went with a touchscreen that was also a giant button and the Torch opted for a sliding mechanism that was old hat for most other manufacturers.

ENGADGET

There are various kinds of keyboards to choose from, including a split keyboard which is nice for a large tablet where you want to thumb type.

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The concept in question is quite simple: a primary LCD would be visible at all times, and when the occasion called for another panel or two, they'd simply slide into view, ready to serve as a number pad, or settings control, predictive text display, or even a full-fledged split keyboard.

ENGADGET

It may also shed light on images of a split-keyboard phone that recently leaked online.

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