Keyboard Moto Mod for Moto Z series is cancelled

We will get into the reasons why this modular accessory will not see the light of day in a minute. We just wanted to point out first that the Livermorium Slider Keyboard Moto Mod featured five rows, including a dedicated numbers row on top, backlit keys and it resembled the fabulous slide out keyboard found on the Motorola DROID 4. It also was equipped with a 2100mAh battery and allowed the screen to tilt at a 45 degree angle.

According to the company, the Livermorium Slider Keyboard Moto Mod was cancelled for a number of reasons. One problem was the lack of demand from third party retailers. Moto Z handsets do not have a high market share and the number of potential buyers of the accessory was not high enough. Outside of the money raised through Indiegogo, there wasn't any funding for the project, which prevented the company from advertising it.

Another problem was that the company could afford to produce only 3,000 units at first. But the source of a major and unusual component wanted a commitment for 14,000 pieces because it did not have the part in stock. In fact, the Keyboard Moto Mod used a number of "unique" parts that required long lead times. There were also issues with the weight and thickness of the product, and any changes to the layout required an approval from Motorola.

There is possibly some good news if you desire an Android phone with a QWERTY slider. The team behind the Livermorium Slider Keyboard Moto Mod is working on a high-end, premium handset code-named the "Q-device." The handset will be thinner, lighter and more premium than any Moto Z model, and will be offered for sale next quarter, equipped with a built-in sliding QWERTY. It will not be crowdfunded like the QWERTY Moto Mod was. Of course, with the cancellation of the latter, we now file the "Q-device" under W for "We will believe it when we see it."

source: Indiegogo via XDA