T-Mobile Announces LG F3Q Android Smartphone With Sliding Keyboard

With the homogeneity of Android devices owing to the popularity of the slate formfactor for smartphones over the years, LG looks to be bucking the trend with the F3Q. The F3Q is a newer version of the Optimus F3 released last year which features a horizontally sliding 5-row keyboard, a rarity for new Android smartphones as Google seems all but determined to snuff out alternative form factors featuring QWERTY keyboards. The phone will launch with an older version of Android in 4.1.2 Jelly Bean.

The phone also features a 4-inch IPS TFT display and 5.0 megapixel camera with LG-exclusive features as QuickMemo, which lets users write or draw on any screen shot or photo using their finger, and the QSlide function which allows users to float and use two apps over the main screen simultaneously. The phone will launch next week on February 5th for $0 down with 24 monthly payments of $13 a month, totaling $312.