# Keyboard-Free Technology TechCrunch Claims Keyboards Will Be Obsolete by 2010 By Jessica Marcel | Published 2009-10-03 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/touchscreen-technology References: [techcrunch](http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/09/29/touching-all-rumors-point-to-the-end-of-keysbuttons/) & [gizmodo](http://gizmodo.com/319299/apple-ipad-touch-tablet-mock) Touchscreen technology is gaining rapid ground. The end is near—the end of keyboards, that is. Advances in the technology have obviously made it more common; most high end phones now come with varying touch capabilities. [TechCrunch](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rocket-launches) takes it a step further, though, and says that touchscreen technology will not only become more common, it’ll eliminate actual keyboards--even going so far as saying next year may be the end of the keyboard as we know it. The popularity of the [iPhone](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/qwerty-keyboard-iphone-case) has obviously made this a more likely reality. People won’t be unfamiliar with the touchscreen technology when the inevitably keyboardless laptops come out. Touchscreen technology will take over, and cleaning between keys on a keyboard will be a distant memory. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.4/10 - Popularity: 57% | Activity: 96% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 90% men, 10% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Gadgets](https://www.trendhunter.com/gadgets) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Touchscreen Technology:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore the development of advanced touchscreen technology for various industries, from smartphones to laptops. - **Keyboard-free Devices:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create innovative devices that eliminate the need for physical keyboards, revolutionizing the way people interact with technology. - **User-friendly Interfaces:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop intuitive and user-friendly interfaces that leverage touchscreen technology, enhancing the overall user experience. ### Who This Affects Most - **Smartphone Industry:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate advanced touchscreen technology into smartphones to provide a more immersive and seamless user experience. - **Laptop Industry:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Design and manufacture keyboard-less laptops that rely solely on touchscreen technology for input, increasing portability and simplicity. - **Consumer Electronics Industry:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Exploit the growing demand for touchscreen devices in the consumer electronics industry, creating new products and experiences for consumers. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Intelligent Touchscreen Keyboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/keygo-touchscreen-keyboard.md) - [Touch Interface Keyboard Peripherals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/touch-keyboard.md) - [Screen-Accented Keyboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/touchscreen-mechanical-keyboard.md) - [Gesture Control Keyboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/clvx-1-keyboard.md) - [Multifunctional Hidden Display Keyboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/scroom-keyboard.md) - [Touch Panel Space-Saving Keyboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/am-compact-touch.md) - [Keyboard PC Hybrids](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/1999-keyboard-pc.md) - [Touch Display Keyboard Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lumo-x700.md) - [Multitouch OLED Keyboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/glyph-keyboard.md)