Taking inspiration from BlackBerry, Samsung introduced a Keyboard Cover accessory last year for two of its devices: the Galaxy Note 5 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus. The concept allowed users to put on a keyboard and take it off when not needed, thus not permanently sticking to a half-size display. Though the concept was good, it never became popular. But it appears that the Korean firm has not given up on it yet.
BlackBerry-style keyboard cover
Samsung is trying the Keyboard Cover idea again with its Galaxy S7 and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. Samsung’s new Keyboard Cover is very identical to the one introduced last year. It fits on to the “front of the device, nestled at the bottom like a typical BlackBerry” phone and covers about one-third of the display, says Joe Fedewa of Phandroid. The phone automatically recognizes that a keyboard is attached to it and shifts the UI up.
“Underneath the keyboard is where the magic happens,” Fedewa says.
The portion of the display that falls underneath the keyboard recognizes when the keys are being pressed. It means that the Keyboard Cover does not connect with Bluetooth, and for this reason, it does not need to be charged.
The new Keyboard Cover is the perfect accessory for people who love a physical keyboard. It is there when needed, and when not, it clips onto the back without taking up valuable screen space. It provides users all the benefits of a big beautiful display and the classic BlackBerry keyboard. The Samsung Keyboard Cover will be available starting in mid-March for $60 for both Galaxy S7 devices.
BlackBerry moves deeper into security
On Wednesday, BlackBerry informed investors that it has acquired Encription, a U.K.-based cyber security consultancy. The deal closed on Friday, but its terms have not been disclosed.
The one-time smartphone pioneer has lost a huge chunk of its smartphone business to competitors like Samsung and Apple, and now it has diverted its focus away from devices to security software and services. BlackBerry sees massive potential in the area, and the current value of the cyber-security consulting industry is estimated at $16.5 billion a year globally, says Reuters.
