New Oppo patent shows smartphone case with a QWERTY keyboard
While many smartphone manufacturers try to make foldable phones a practical reality, others adopt a different approach. Remember the Dual Screen case LG launched with the LG G8X ThinQ? It turns out that Oppo might thread on a similar path but utilizing something completely different – a physical keyboard. The Chinese company has filed an interesting patent, published on April 24 by the World Intellectual Property Organization, LetsGoDigital reports. The document in question describes a smartphone case with an integrated QWERTY keyboard. Physical keyboards belong to the past, but some people still prefer the tactile feedback of a real keyboard to that of a touchscreen. Why not have both then?
Image courtesy of LetsGoDigital
Oppo’s idea isn’t new, though. Keyboard-equipped cases date back to Galaxy Note 5 days, and there were various iterations of that type of accessory through the years. Those designs didn’t stick for some reason, and now Oppo might try its luck too. There are no details of how the case connects to the phone, but Bluetooth technology is the safest bet. Most patents don’t make it to the store shelves, however. If Oppo decides to turn the QWERTY case into a real product, it might breathe new life into smartphone keyboard cases. Would you buy such an accessory?