Anyone who works from their phone knows the struggle of having to type out long texts on slow keyboards with limited finger space. But Samsung might just have a solution to this problem.
Officially being demonstrated at CES 2020 in Las Vegas this week, the AI-powered invisible keyboard dubbed as "SelfieType" will eliminate the need for laser-projected and Bluetooth-enabled keyboards.
What Is the SelfieType?
SelfieType is among the five C-Lab Inside Projects that Samsung will show off during the world's largest consumer electronics convention. One their website, the South Korean tech giant described C-Lab as a sort of an incubation program where their employees can pitch and nurture innovative ideas.
How Does the Invisible Keyboard Work?
The prototype uses your device's camera to track your hands' movements as you type on an invisible keyboard in front of you. Using your handset's AI features, your fingers' movements will then be converted into QWERTY keyboard inputs.
The unlisted demo video makes the prototype look like something straight from a sci-fi film. In the short promo, we see people tapping on a desk at an office, in a conference room, and at a café to write an email, write down meeting notes, and text someone, respectively. All of them are using Samsung devices.
Is the SelfieType Compatible With Non-Samsung Devices?
In the video, we see the models using a Samsung Galaxy Fold phone and a Samsung tablet. But the tech giant announced on their website that SelfieType is "highly adaptable to various mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops." Since they didn't explicitly say that the keyboard works exclusively on their devices, we can assume that it's also compatible with other brands.
What Makes It Different From Other Virtual Keyboards?
Samsung's conceptual take on the visual keyboard is interesting, but not revolutionary. Over the years, we have seen both tech startups and giants produce varieties of virtual keyboards, some of these foldable and others ergonomic.
But a standout feature of the SelfieType is that you don't need additional hardware or accessories to use it. Also, if we're talking about convenience, the product has so much potential in making virtual keyboards highly portable.
When Is the Release Date?
The full demonstration of the prototype will take place this week at CES 2020. As for its official market release, we'll have to wait until after the conference is done to see if some entrepreneurs are willing to fund and bring the project to life.
Where Can You Buy a SelfieType?
There's no official news yet as to whether the magic keyboard will be available to the public. But since the Samsung Newsroom reported that 40 of C-Lab's concepts have gone on to be fully-fledged startups and commercial products, there's a high chance we'll be seeing SelfieType in the market in the near future.
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