Honestly, where do they come up with some of these product names? This one sounds like it came out of a password generator. I get that it’s cool to spell entire words with digits and that it’s also hip to use “i” as a prefix for anything having to do with an Apple device — but there’s got to be a rule somewhere that forbids you to do both in one name.
4iThumbs is plastic overlay for your iPhone’s screen that places ridges above the keyboard keys to help simulate a touch-typing experience. I think it’s definitely a pretty novel approach, and definitely a little more lightweight than the other physical iPhone keyboard enhancment I’ve heard about. That said, I still think the design looks pretty impractical for most users.
First off, like any hardware keyboard add-on for the iPhone, each 4iThumbs sheet can only accommodate one keyboard orientation. This means that you’ve got to choose between a landscape and portrait keyboard or just pay for both.
The other thing is the installation and storage method: it all seems way too convoluted. The ridged sheet is basically clipped in place by plastic stickers, and you’ve also got the option of adding similar clips to the back of your iPhone to store your 4iThumbs when it’s not in use. It’s not a very tidy storage solution, and as some Engadget commenters mentioned, it would definitely drive me crazy to feel (or accidentally remove) the plastic pieces and my 4iThumb on the back of my phone.
For all I know, my words-per-minute could skyrocket by touch typing with 4iThumbs, but I’m just not willing to make the cosmetic sacrifice. There are plenty of other accessories out there (macro lenses for pre-3GS iPhones, for example) that sound cool up until the point you actually see them in action, and I think the 4iThumbs just joined their ranks.
Continue reading:
- Everything New Apple Just Announced (Septembe
- Apple Watch Pre-Order
- Apple Research Kit launches with 5 Apps
- Apple TV now only $69
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