Looks, however, are deceiving.
Concealed within its chassis is a full QWERTY keyboard, which slides out with a push of ones thumb.
In the US, itll go for $699.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
But is it worth your hard-earned money?
Yeah, its quirky.
But its also ridiculously slick and well-built.
While it wont be everyones cup of tea, itll certainly make a lot of email-crunching power users happy.
Here are the highlights:
The F(x)tec Pro 1 runs Android 9.0 pie.
Thats not much of a surprise, given Android 10 only just (just!)
came out, and is still gradually running out.
But is the keyboard any good?
The keyboard on the F(x)tec Pro 1 is an interesting beast.
Therefore, read this section with a healthy pinch of salt.
The actual keypress mechanism is solid.
The keys are just too small and narrow, forcing you to concentrate when using it.
One complaint is that the keyboard is rather wide.
This is a consequence of the decision to accommodate a large screen with a conventional aspect ratio.
That notwithstanding, I really had to stretch to reach the middle section of the keyboard with my thumbs.
When the keyboard pops out, the phones display locks into place at a fixed angle.
This was comfortable for reading and watching videos.
Where the F(x)tec Pro 1s physical keyboard really shines is when it comes to multitasking.
With this handset, I was able to watch a YouTube video while working on a Google document.
One feature cribbed from the keyboard on the BlackBerry Key2 is the ability to assign shortcuts to individual keys.
What about the rest of the phone?
Again, I want to emphasize here that this isnt a review.
I only got to use the F(x)tec Pro 1 for a relatively short spell.
But overall, my first impressions were good.
As youd expect from a phone with its specs, using this rig was delightfully fluid.
Its also amazingly well-built.
The chassis is reinforced with aluminium, which is also a nice touch.
Ultimately, this is a gear thatll cater to power users.
Those who want a physical keyboard.
Those who want to customize their gear to their hearts content.
For a deeper dive into this intriguing handset, keep an eye out for our coverage.
