Best touchscreen phones with keyboards

Phones with physical Qwerty keyboards have pretty much gone the way of the dodo. While once we were all happily tapping at buttons, any phone that doesn't sport a single sheet of glass across its face these days isn't likely to be too popular. There are still some options to consider though, so to help you on your Qwerty quest, I've rounded up some of the current best choices.

The go-to manufacturer for keyboard phones has always been BlackBerry, but even it has turned its back on buttons with the introduction of the Z10. The Q10 however is its latest button-baring blower, sporting the new BlackBerry 10 software. It's due to go on sale in the UK sometime this year, so it's worth holding out for if you're keen.

Touchscreen phones with keyboards aim to combine a comfortable typing experience with all the screen-swiping, app-poking fun of touchscreens. While BlackBerry's phones may have found their way into many a pocket, the draw of big-screen video on phones like the iPhone was too strong.

If you do still want one though, there are a few things to bear in mind. First off, be sure to try before you buy so that you know for certain the keys are large enough for your fingers. The space between the keys and the amount they depress -- called the travel -- can also affect how easy they are to use.

Having the keyboard below the screen without any kind of sliding mechanism will result in a smaller screen. If you really want to use touch-based games and apps, only using the keyboard to send emails, you might want to consider just getting used to a touchscreen -- you'll find the bigger screen much better most of the time.

Even Qwerty keyboards will usually offer some kind of predictive text, since typing on those tiny nubs is death to accuracy. It's horses for courses in terms of what suits your typing style, so again, you should test different designs before you commit.

There are very few Android-based keyboard phones around -- and none that were released recently. Of the two I picked out, the Motorola Milestone 2 is available on Amazon for a ludicrous price of £180, while the HTC Desire Z can be had used from £85.

In terms of operating system, you'll really only need to choose between BlackBerry or Nokia's software on its Asha phones. If you don't want to be left out in the cold with outdated software though, wait for BlackBerry to bring the Q10 to the UK -- it's really the only modern keyboard phone to consider.

Of course, there's also the touchscreen to think about -- check out our round-up of touchscreen phones to find out what to keep in mind there.

Additional writing by Flora Graham.