Physical Numeric Keypads for Phones, Do They Exist?

rover on 05/10/2016 - 17:19

I know you can an app for a virtual keypad to go your mobile phone screen. I also know you can Bluetooth keypads for PCs.

But is there a physical device that you can use with a phone that lets tap out SMSs using T9 non-predictive input like a demon boss from the year 2000 with a Nokia 3310?

Specifically, Mrs Rover hates her new Android touchscreen phone but has moved on from the Nokia 301 as she wants to check emails on the go. Mrs Rover can't stand typing on the onscreen T9 keypad and refuses to go QWERTY.

Can I get an add on device (Bluetooth I suppose)to do this or should I look for a flip smart phone with a numeric pad?

Mobile

Comments

  • kywst on 05/10/2016 - 18:01

    Address the root cause of the problem. Is it the lack of any tactile response? Have you tried haptic feedback?

    • rover on 05/10/2016 - 20:45

      The root cause is lack of buttons. But, thanks, I'll give that a go, it might train Mrs Rover the right rythym for typing.

  • Kangal on 05/10/2016 - 18:49
    -1

    As usual… the iPhone has one of the largest accessory markets.
    If you can find one for it, there's a chance the same company might make one for Android/your choice of device.

    I did a quick Google and only saw Touch-Screen apps for T9 for iPhones, but plenty of qwerty clip-ons.
    Not sure if that means this could be a fruitless endeavour:
    https://duckduckgo.com/?q=T9+iphone&t=h_&iax=1&ia=images

    • fruit on 05/10/2016 - 18:58
      -3

      Nice try fanboy but Apple is locked (read: limited) down hard.

      • Kangal on 05/10/2016 - 19:06

        Let's say Belkin makes a Bluetooth T9-keypad for iPhones.

        Once you find the company, and the product details… from there its actually easy to check if Belkin makes another keypad for Android/Windows/etc etc.
        And also to even check out the iPhone accessory, to see if its natively compatible for other devices.

        By using this searching technique, you can find a needle-in-a-haystack… in this ocean full of mobile phone accessories that are out there.
        I did so for my Nexus 5X, got zero hits… but the iPhone yielded some results.

        This doesn't make me condone iPhones, or make me a fanboy.
        It just shows my intelligence, and how the OP can use alternative means to find what he is looking for.

        I'm guess the reason why you were triggered was because of my use of the word "fruitless"… right?? ; )

    • rover on 05/10/2016 - 20:44
      +1

      <punny>fruitless</punny>

      Noice :)

  • fruit on 05/10/2016 - 18:58
    +1

    Bluetooth Numpad + https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.nyanya.and…

    • Kangal on 05/10/2016 - 19:27

      Great suggestion.
      I couldn't see many small-number-pads.
      There's this though:
      http://us.aving.net/news/view.php?articleId=146111
      http://twiddler.tekgear.com

      @Rover, has the missus tried Predictive typing or even Swype ??
      Or maybe you can convince here to get a larger phone/phablet to make touch-typing bearable?
      Flip smartphones are few and far… its more about slabs and accessories these days.
      There is the new Moto Z, which might get an accessory as you described in the future (doubt it)
      And there is also the Blackberry Priv (or Passport if you're into it)… this seems like the best bet.

      • rover on 05/10/2016 - 20:50

        Nice finds!

        Mrs R does not even want to try QWERTY or swiping :(

        • [Deactivated] on 05/10/2016 - 21:54
          +2

          Tell her to suck eggs and join the 21st century

        • Kangal on 05/10/2016 - 22:36
          +1

          @Drew22:

          This made me laugh more than it should've, hahaha

  • Axelstrife on 05/10/2016 - 19:29

    Ive never seen any such thing. Nor do i understand why anyone would want the old style over qwerty.

    If you can get here to qwerty samsung has physical keyboards http://www.mobilezap.com.au/search/?s=Samsung+keyboard

  • scrimshaw on 05/10/2016 - 19:45
    +2

    Maybe buy her a Samsung Galaxy Folder 2
    http://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/mobile-phones/sams…

    there's also the Gionee W909
    http://www.androidauthority.com/gionee-w909-specs-price-rele…

    and the low-end LG Wine Smart 2015
    http://www.notebookcheck.net/LG-Wine-Smart-Smartphone-Review…
    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/LG-Wine-Smart-H410-3MP-3-2-Flip-C…

    and the very, very low end Lenovo A588T (it only has 512mb of RAM, perhaps unusable in this day and age)
    http://www.dx.com/p/lenovo-a588t-android-4-4-quad-core-3g-ph…

    All of the above are 2000-era Flip-style phones, giving you both a touch display and a traditional keypad.

    • scrimshaw on 05/10/2016 - 21:14

      Edit- the Lenovo will not be usable in Australia due to it's lack of WCDMA

  • [Deactivated] on 05/10/2016 - 20:43

    Don't be an enabler.
    Everyone dislikes change but change is good.

    She'll get used to it soon enough just like the rest of us.

    After that you won't be able to pry the touchscreen from her hands to save your life.

    Just get her Pintrest and Instagram to speed up the adoption process.

  • slow on 05/10/2016 - 20:49

    I had the same issue 8 years ago. After a frustrating week of using the new technology I got used to it and never looked back.

    I am sure she can do the same….

    • lainey13 on 06/10/2016 - 13:25

      Same, hung onto my T-Mobile G1 for so long the space bar stopped working on every second press but still insisted on physical keyboard. But then I left it in the back of a taxi in 2011 and haven't looked back…

      • the-mal on 06/10/2016 - 14:16

        The G1 was awesome! It was like having a tiny laptop. I loved that phone so much.

  • PVA on 05/10/2016 - 22:45

    My mum is in aged care, very frail and hates tech. She had a flip phone and was fine sending texts but the phone was no good for us kids and grand kids sending her photos.
    We got her a 5 inch Boost phone. It took her a little while but she can use it ok now for texts and calls.
    I think she was scared that it was like a computer and she might do something wrong.
    Let your mum use the phones keyboard for a while, even put the phone on the side so the keyboard is bigger.

  • [Deactivated] on 06/10/2016 - 13:13

    obviously too old to deal with modern technology. tell her to go back to carrier pigeon or smoke signals

  • Ryanek on 06/10/2016 - 14:42
    +2

    Time to get a new wife.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/10/2016 - 06:05

    Alcatel 20.45 is a candybar 3g handset with numerical keypad.

    Nokia i think 201 is the same as the alcatel.

    Worse case you can look for a second hand nokia touch and type candybar but yeag shit out of luck these days for that configuration to do smart phone capabilities.

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