# Malleable Mobile Keypads The SmartKeyboard Offers the World's Thinnest Physical Smartphon Keyboard By Matt Ho | Published 2011-09-07 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smartkeyboard References: [dvice](http://dvice.com/archives/2011/09/ipad-inspired-s.php) & [mobiflip.de](http://www.mobiflip.de/2011/08/smartkeyboard-iphone-tastatur-mal-anders-konzept/) The iPhone may be popular, but there are those who wish that it had a physical keypad on it -- this is where the SmartKeyboard comes into play. Jing Yang of the eico Motion Lab in China decided to tackle the challenge of incorporating a physical keypad on the iPhone. Yes, there are add-ons on the market, but most are too bulky. The SmartKeyboard is a concept that's supposed to offer users the world's thinnest physical keypad for a mobile phone. The item will have a malleable magnetic surface that attaches itself to the mobile. The benefit is that it slips on and off easily and the keypad actually provides a lot more space in between the keys that makes typing way easier. Hopefully this will come into fruition for those who aren't keen on touchscreens. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.3/10 - Popularity: 60% | Activity: 61% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Malleable Mobile Keypads:** The SmartKeyboard concept offers a malleable magnetic surface that attaches to mobile phones, providing a thin physical keypad for easier typing. ### Who This Affects Most - **Mobile Accessories:** The SmartKeyboard concept presents an opportunity for mobile accessories companies to create innovative and thin physical keypads for smartphones. - **Consumer Electronics:** The development of malleable mobile keypads opens up opportunities for consumer electronics companies to create smartphones with physical keypads that appeal to users who prefer tactile typing. - **Smartphone Manufacturing:** Manufacturers in the smartphone industry can explore the implementation of malleable mobile keypads to offer a unique selling point and attract a new segment of customers who desire physical keypads on smartphones. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Portable Clamshell Phone Keyboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/amber-kb-1.md) - [Aftermarket Smartphone Keyboard Cases](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/qwerty-keyboard-iphone-case.md) - [Smartphone Keyboard Accessories](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/clicks.md) - [Tactile Smartphone Keyboard Cases](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/akko-metakey-case.md) - [Mobile Physical Keyboard Accessories](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/clicks-creator-keyboard.md) - [Magnetic Mobile Device Keyboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/clicks-power-keyboard.md) - [Tactile Productivity Smartphones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/unihertz-titan-2-elite.md) - [Keyboard-Intact E-Ink Smartphones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-minimalist-phone.md) - [Angular Keyboard-Accented Smartphones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/unihertz-titan-2.md)