New Google Nexus P3 concept includes a QWERTY keyboard, gamepad, and extended battery

posted by Florin T. / Feb 16, 2014, 5:37 PM

New Google Nexus P3 concept includes a QWERTY keyboard, gamepad, and extended battery

If we revisit the designs of Google’s Nexus smartphones released over the years - Nexus One, Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 5 - it’s not that hard to try and imagine what the next-generation Nexus handset will look like. Whether it’s going to be called Nexus 6 or not, the new smartphone will probably resemble the current model a lot, offering a screen-size to phone-size ratio of over 70%.

But what if Google wants to take a new, more complicated approach? Student designers Giuseppe Avanzato and Enrico Vicari are answering this question with a concept called Nexus P3.

The P3 is not that different from the Nexus 5 when viewed from the front. However, it comes with three interchangeable modules (a QWERTY keyboard, a gamepad à la Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, and a secondary 4,700 mAh battery) which fit in a slide-out slot. Thus, you can have three distinct Nexus handsets, suitable for various situations. The rest of this made-up Nexus’ features include a 5-inch display, stereo speakers, 12MP rear camera, and a 2MP front-facing camera.

Google Nexus P3 concept by Giuseppe Avanzato and Enrico Vicari

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Sure enough, Google will likely never make such a Nexus handset. But would you want it to? Is the Nexus P3 a dream phone, or just an unnecessary concept?

source: DeviantArt

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27 Comments

1. Pancholo

Posts: 380; Member since: Feb 27, 2012

This specific idea seems really, really nice! I can dig it. The most popular could be either the extended battery or the game pad!

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 5:40 PM 8

9. brrunopt

Posts: 742; Member since: Aug 15, 2013

Microsoft has the patent for this concept, since more than 2y ago.. http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/microsoft-patents-smartphone-keyboard-thats-swappable-for-2nd-battery-or-game-controller/

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 7:07 PM 7

12. VZWuser76

Posts: 4974; Member since: Mar 04, 2010

First, the article states that it is a patent application, in other words, at that time they didn't have a lock on that patent. It's very possible that they didn't get it due to prior art. Second, if it currently is indeed their patent now, this illustrates a big problem with the patent system. Where is a working model for this phone? Do they even have any plans to produce such a device? If the only reason they applied for the patent was to keep others from producing it, then it shouldn't have been granted in the first place. Third, they appear to be trying to patent a concept, not the actual process to make it happen. By that I mean, what they should be patenting is everything that makes it happen, like how the swappable modules attach and communicate with the phone. That way you have the ability for multiple iterations to achieve the same thing, and not give one company a monopoly on the concept. For instance, maybe one version has it attach magnetically and communicate via Bluetooth, another slides into a track and connects through a hardware port. To patent this concept is the same as patenting the concept of a touchscreen smartphone, it would be too overly broad, and not allow the existence of anything similar, and therefore give the patent holder a monopoly on it.

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 7:41 PM 5

26. sgodsell

Posts: 7190; Member since: Mar 16, 2013

Isn't this getting into the project Ara territory. Only project Ara does more. Swap batteries, camera, screen, storage and more. Motorola is working on this right now.

posted on Feb 17, 2014, 9:14 AM 0

2. grahaman27

Posts: 364; Member since: Apr 05, 2013

why..

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 5:58 PM 0

4. ckruthoff

Posts: 2; Member since: Feb 16, 2014

Why not m8?

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 5:58 PM 4

3. ckruthoff

Posts: 2; Member since: Feb 16, 2014

Sheit mate, I registered only to say this is frikin awesome and i hope (notice the hope part) they make this real, looks dope as Fukc!

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 5:58 PM 1

5. apple4never

Posts: 1064; Member since: May 08, 2013

yea bro think about, if you need more battery just swap in the battery, if u wanna game, swap in the game pad the possibilities are endless i hope google takes note of it

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 6:06 PM 1

6. X.E.R.O. unregistered

Cool! Google should fund this.

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 6:10 PM 5

10. brrunopt

Posts: 742; Member since: Aug 15, 2013

Microsfot already patented this concept years ago http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/microsoft-patents-smartphone-keyboard-thats-swappable-for-2nd-battery-or-game-controller/

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 7:08 PM 1

22. protozeloz

Posts: 5396; Member since: Sep 16, 2010

Your point is? They have yet to produce such device, just like a patent troll would

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 10:19 PM 4

7. uchihakurtz

Posts: 427; Member since: Nov 12, 2012

Why not a second screen that can host virtual keyboard? Not only can you change the keyboard layout and the default keyboard, imagine making a virtual gamepad there. LOL, but battery is gonna kill though.

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 6:58 PM 0

8. chocowii

Posts: 478; Member since: Jan 30, 2014

Finally, a Nexus messenger!

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 7:05 PM 1

11. kaikuheadhunterz

Posts: 1157; Member since: Jul 18, 2013

I think it'll only be popular among average users if Samsung or Apple made it (not a fanboy [well, a Nokia fanboy actually] but this is truth. Deal with it)

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 7:10 PM 0

13. alrightihatepickingusernames

Posts: 474; Member since: Dec 29, 2013

I would love it for the most part, not a huge fan of physical keyboards though.

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 8:11 PM 0

14. noteseries

Posts: 80; Member since: Oct 29, 2013

the gamepad are wellcome, but i dont think i need physical keyboard anymore

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 8:17 PM 0

15. TerryCrowley

Posts: 194; Member since: Jul 31, 2011

The Nexus line can't revive physical keyboards. They're already dead.

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 8:31 PM 1

16. apple4never

Posts: 1064; Member since: May 08, 2013

4700 additional Mah battery??!?!?!?! YES please lol

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 8:50 PM 0

17. GeekMovement unregistered

What a very nice concept!

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 8:55 PM 0

19. eman99

Posts: 409; Member since: Aug 03, 2010

Please let HTC make the next nexus

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 9:33 PM 0

20. g2a5b0e unregistered

I agree with Crowley on this. Also, while these concept renderings look fairly thin, in actuality, this thing would be a brick.

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 9:37 PM 0

21. Fuego84

Posts: 357; Member since: May 13, 2012

Wow nice concept, but I already see that there is barely any space for a big internal battery. I would totally buy this and with the game pad. I would stick the game pad in there and leave it on forever since I'm OK with on screen keyboards but the battery must last a bit more than average, If I want to get any gaming done on this device, since it doesn't seem that you can put the extended battery and the game pad on at the same time.

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 9:37 PM 0

23. hadi_fotovati

Posts: 7; Member since: Dec 11, 2013

What's the benefit of a having a gamepad when you have to remove the extended battery and thus, you can play for about 1 hour? From the looks of it, it can sport only a small primary battery!

posted on Feb 16, 2014, 11:30 PM 0

24. Krjal

Posts: 425; Member since: Dec 19, 2013

I know 3 people personally who would instantly ditch their current phones for this. Especially with the keyboard. I like the idea a lot though I'd probably just be someone who kept the battery in it :p

posted on Feb 17, 2014, 12:42 AM 0

25. ryan5609

Posts: 107; Member since: Nov 01, 2011

I certainly would not mind the option of a permanent keyboard or gaming pad. But usually that means a bulkier phone. There is nothing I hate more than touch screen FPS games and having to carry around a portable controller in-order to play those 3D (GTA included) games. We need a better Xperia Play like device to come about.

posted on Feb 17, 2014, 8:37 AM 0

27. Stuntman

Posts: 843; Member since: Aug 01, 2011

Just take my money. I've been waiting years for a landscape keyboard slider phone that doesn't suck. I'm so tired of the massive amounts of keying errors I make on a touch screen keyboard. Before using touch screen keyboards, I never had to resort to using the dreaded auto-correct features which totally suck if you accidentally press the space bar instead of a letter.

posted on Feb 17, 2014, 2:47 PM 0

28. gotenks22

Posts: 5; Member since: Feb 06, 2014

Dear google please come to this page you retards and make this phone right now and i will sell my nexus 5 and buy the sh*t out of this phone RIGHT NOW! PLEASE GOOGLE MAKE THIS.

posted on Feb 20, 2014, 10:23 AM 0

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