SNAP-ON KEYBOARD IMAGINED FOR IPHONE 4

While MobileMechanics has had their iTwinge line out for the 3G(S) for a while now, a blogger/tech enthusiast thought he could come out and produce something better for the iPhone 4.

Altamash Jiwani, an "industrial designer" by claim, has come out with a prototype of what his detachable keyboard for the iPhone 4 would look like.

Similar to the iTwinge, Jiwani's design is based on clipping to the base of the iPhone from the main dock--I imagine this is the only way you could do it--and sliding it on. Unlike the MMs' design, though, Jiwani's keyboard doubles as a bumper, too: The casing surrounds the outside of the iPhone. I imagine this arises from the fact that you wouldn't be able to have a case on the phone while the keyboard is attached.

While I haven't seen iTwinge's line of snap-ons blowing up, and don't foresee it happening any time soon, I can kind of see where the demand for this would come from. Apple's pop-up letters and click noise provide something of a "feedback" for succesful letters struck, but nothing can compare with a physical keyboard.

I personally can't see myself using it, and there are definitely an overwhelming number of people who are incredibly fast on a tactile mobile keyboard, but don't count out good ol' practice and habit just yet.