Keyboard showdown: Droid 2 vs. Epic 4G vs. BlackBerry Torch
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Droid 2 (top), Epic 4G (bottom), and BlackBerry Torch (right)
Droid 2 (top), Epic 4G (bottom), and BlackBerry Torch (right)
For those who still prefer a hardware keyboard on their smartphone, here are comparison photos of three great devices: Motorola Droid 2, Samsung Epic 4G, and BlackBerry Torch 9800.
Check out the close-up photos at the end of the gallery for a description and critique of each of the three keyboards. You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Boxes: Epic 4G, Droid 2, and BlackBerry Torch
Boxes: Epic 4G, Droid 2, and BlackBerry Torch
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Samsung Epic 4G box (top)
Samsung Epic 4G box (top)
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Samsung Epic 4G box (bottom)
Samsung Epic 4G box (bottom)
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
BlackBerry Torch 9800 box (top)
BlackBerry Torch 9800 box (top)
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
BlackBerry Torch 9800 box (bottom)
BlackBerry Torch 9800 box (bottom)
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
BlackBerry Torch 9800 box (contents)
BlackBerry Torch 9800 box (contents)
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Motorola Droid 2 box (bottom)
Motorola Droid 2 box (bottom)
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Motorola Droid 2 box (contents)
Motorola Droid 2 box (contents)
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Boxes: Droid 2 vs. Droid X
Boxes: Droid 2 vs. Droid X
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Boxes: Droid 2 vs. Original Droid
Boxes: Droid 2 vs. Original Droid
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Powered off: Droid 2, Epic 4G, and BlackBerry Torch
Powered off: Droid 2, Epic 4G, and BlackBerry Torch
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Backplate: Droid 2, Epic 4G, and BlackBerry Torch
Backplate: Droid 2, Epic 4G, and BlackBerry Torch
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Powered on: Droid 2, Epic 4G, and BlackBerry Torch
Powered on: Droid 2, Epic 4G, and BlackBerry Torch
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Keyboard out: Droid 2, Epic 4G, and BlackBerry Torch
Keyboard out: Droid 2, Epic 4G, and BlackBerry Torch
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Back: Droid 2, Epic 4G, and BlackBerry Torch
Back: Droid 2, Epic 4G, and BlackBerry Torch
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Droid 2 and Epic 4G keyboards
Droid 2 and Epic 4G keyboards
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Droid 2 and BlackBerry Torch keyboards
Droid 2 and BlackBerry Torch keyboards
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Epic 4G vs BlackBerry Torch keyboards
Epic 4G vs BlackBerry Torch keyboards
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Keyboards: Droid 2 (top) vs. Original Droid (bottom)
Keyboards: Droid 2 (top) vs. Original Droid (bottom)
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Samsung Epic 4G, powered off
Samsung Epic 4G, powered off
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Samsung Epic 4G, powered on
Samsung Epic 4G, powered on
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Samsung Epic 4G, QWERTY keyboard
Samsung Epic 4G, QWERTY keyboard
The Epic 4G has the most versatile keyboard of the three. It has a dedicated row for numbers and several special keys (search, back, home, smiley, etc.). The keys themselves are chicklet-style, reminiscent of Apple Macbooks and Sony Vaio laptops.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
BlackBerry Torch 9800, powered off
BlackBerry Torch 9800, powered off
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
BlackBerry Torch 9800, powered on
BlackBerry Torch 9800, powered on
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
BlackBerry Torch 9800, QWERTY keyboard
BlackBerry Torch 9800, QWERTY keyboard
The BlackBerry Torch has the traditional BlackBerry qwerty that has been around on high-end devices since the BlackBerry 8800 World Edition. It is a top quality keyboard with a nice weight to it and typically has a low error rate. Those who are already familiar with BlackBerry will love the standard feel.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Motorola Droid 2, powered off
Motorola Droid 2, powered off
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Motorola Droid 2, powered on
Motorola Droid 2, powered on
You can also read the companion blog post.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
Motorola Droid 2, QWERTY keyboard
Motorola Droid 2, QWERTY keyboard
The Droid 2 keyboard is the worst of the three. The keys are too flat and non-distinct and there are no special keys other than the arrow keys. The Droid 2 keyboard is better than the original Droid keyboard, but that’s not saying much. Most of the people I know who have a Droid bought it at least partly because of the physical keyboard. But those same people report that 90% of the time they never use it, since it’s so bad.
Photo credit: Jason Hiner / TechRepublic
