A new patent listing from Sony Mobile, the division of Sony in charge of smartphones, tablets and VAIO computers under new CEO Kunimasa Suzuki points towards a new keyboard concept. The PlayStation Phone which ultimately ended up as the Sony Xperia Play was an Android smartphone with an emphasis on gaming with a slide out gamepad. This meant that users could use the phones touchscreen for everyday use like texting and navigating the phone while saving the gamepad for just a game session. With a new patent, Sony aims to take the concept one step further by having a dual keyboard accompany what looks like the next generation Xperia Play. Tucked behind the gamepad, a second full QWERTY keyboard awaits, giving you yet another option to interact with your phone. Of course, a new patent listing should never be taken as an indication for product release but it does help stir the imagination.

Discuss:

Would a next generation Xperia Play benefit from a QWERTY keyboard?

[Via USPTO]