Apple Could Be Considering an iPhone with a Sliding Keyboard

One of the designs Apple is thinking about for its next-generation iPhone would be the first with a physical keyboard, according to an unconfirmed report.

This would please many potential customers, who have asked for an iPhone with hardware keyboard since 2007, but is something the company -- and CEO Steve Jobs -- has always rejected before.

The source for this report is the Korean website tw.apple.pro, who generally has a very good record for getting inside information that turns out to be correct.

A Trio of Possibilities
Apple has supposedly created three possible smartphone designs, and only one of these has a physical keyboard.

The second has the same basic design as the current iPhone 4, but with a better camera and battery.

This source has information on the third design. It's possible that this one will be the smaller version that has been the subject of other unconfirmed reports and that has been dubbed either the iPhone Mini or the iPhone Nano.

Apple is supposedly planning to offer the smaller version as a second option, alongside a larger version. The company could be planning to offer a third version with a keyboard.

Whatever the design, the next-generation iPhone is widely expected to be released early this summer.

Source