Ironic naming aside, Typo is somewhat of a revolutionary keyboard case for the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s in that it's one of the slimmest, minimalist cases to offer a physical QWERTY backlit keyboard with a built-in rechargeable battery that instead of using a mechanical sliding undercarriage that would otherwise make your iPhone much more bulkier, seamlessly overlays right below the touchscreen offering immediate typing access as if you were using one of your favorite BlackBerry device. It's a brilliant, albeit respectfully unoriginal concept that is an actual product which will start to ship next month. Though you can pre-order yours right now for a whopping $100.
Typo's BlackBerry Q10-style keyboard completely overlays on top of the iPhone's home button or Touch ID home button on the iPhone 5s, and while iPhone 5s users will sadly have to live without using their fingerprint sensor as a quick passcode entry, the Typo does indeed offer a home button function key on the far bottom right corner. Because Typo's keyboard wirelessly pairs with your iPhone using Bluetooth, you gain 40% more screen real estate when typing. Unfortunately the Typo will use Bluetooth 3.0 instead of the updated 4.1 version which should consume less power and yield superior battery life. The guys behind the Typo aren't saying anything about battery life other than being able to fully recharge the Typo's small 180mAh internal battery in less than an hour.
The slider-style plastic case itself doesn't seem to impress as much as the backlit keyboard though, and it could use some more refinement around the where the two parts connect. But hopefully the Typo keyboard case will live up to its incredible potential. The Typo will have a matte soft-touch rubberized black finish that should give the case a smooth and comfortable to hold feel. Did we mention Ryan Seacrest is one of Typo's founders? Be sure to hop past the break to see the Typo in action!
