A reputable Taiwanese website knows for having a decent track record of verified iPhone leaks is claiming that Apple is evaluating 3 different hardware prototypes of the iPhone 5, one of them including a slide-out keyboard. The Google translation of the report on tw.Apple.pro is pretty hard to understand, but seems to indicate that in addition to the slide-out model, there will also be an updated “traditional” iPhone with minor under-the-hood improvements compared to the iPhone 4. The Google translation does not clearly state what the phrase “sliding cover” refers to, but it may suggest a physical keyboard that slides out from the case. In addition to this model, Apple is supposedly testing an iPhone 5 that is styled like the iPhone 4 but with a longer-lasting battery and a better camera. Like the upgrade from the iPhone 3G to the iPhone 3GS, which is in line with recent reports. There is no description at all of the third prototype, though this might refer to the “iPhone Nano/mini” that has generated so much buzz of late. The iPhone’s touchscreen is perhaps its most fundamental element, and so the idea of a slide-out keyboard pretty much flies in the face of Apple’s whole design aesthetic. Steve Jobs explained back in 2007 why Apple decided not to put a keyboard on the iPhone, saying that once you do “it’s there forever and it’s hard to change the buttons to work with different applications.” However, for some users learning to type on a touchscreen is a significant barrier, so it may be that Apple has decided to include this as sort of “training wheels” for those customers. What are your thoughts about three iPhone 5 prototypes? Share them with us in the comments section below, and as usual, stay tuned for more news and info on this topic by following us on Twitter and/or by subscribing to our RSS Feed. You might also like to read: [Source: AppleInsider] Authors:

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