@Richard: The Sony Ericsson P910i (I have one) has a qwerty keyboard on the back of a flip-down numeric keyboard, which normally half-covers the screen. The numeric keyboard is there on the P800 and P900 as well (but no qwerty); the P990 has the qwerty keyboard below the screen on the main device. The problem with qwerty on a flip is that, in the P910i's case, the phone is really top-heavy, because the flip is necessarily a minor component (it can be completely removed, and one can rely on the touch screen). For a full clamshell smart phone, see any of the Nokia Communicator series. In order for the keyboard to be a reasonable size, the clamshell is huge, and the main screen is landscape format (but not touch screen).
The smart phones with a touch screen usually want the touch screen to be available without having to open anything - the keyboard is optional, and you use the touch screen for normal phone operations. Hence several Windows Mobile devices (from HTC, the aforementioned G900, et al.) have the touch screen facing out, and a full size keyboard which slides from under it; you don't have to have the keyboard if you want to use the phone one handed. A vertical clamshell, which would still allow the phone to be used one handed, would necessarily have less space for the keyboard. Having a touch screen on the upper half of the clamshell would also make it a bit unstable (barring a clever arrangement like the Psion 5's).
The problem with an exposed touch screen, of course, is that the phone really needs to sit in a case. At least, it does if you have half as much junk in your pockets as I do - I'd have an iPhone in a case as well, no matter how solid the screen is supposed to be. I'd feel less bad about risking a clamshell or slider (although my 8850 is in a case too).
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Re: Flip phone needed!
@Richard: The Sony Ericsson P910i (I have one) has a qwerty keyboard on the back of a flip-down numeric keyboard, which normally half-covers the screen. The numeric keyboard is there on the P800 and P900 as well (but no qwerty); the P990 has the qwerty keyboard below the screen on the main device. The problem with qwerty on a flip is that, in the P910i's case, the phone is really top-heavy, because the flip is necessarily a minor component (it can be completely removed, and one can rely on the touch screen). For a full clamshell smart phone, see any of the Nokia Communicator series. In order for the keyboard to be a reasonable size, the clamshell is huge, and the main screen is landscape format (but not touch screen).
The smart phones with a touch screen usually want the touch screen to be available without having to open anything - the keyboard is optional, and you use the touch screen for normal phone operations. Hence several Windows Mobile devices (from HTC, the aforementioned G900, et al.) have the touch screen facing out, and a full size keyboard which slides from under it; you don't have to have the keyboard if you want to use the phone one handed. A vertical clamshell, which would still allow the phone to be used one handed, would necessarily have less space for the keyboard. Having a touch screen on the upper half of the clamshell would also make it a bit unstable (barring a clever arrangement like the Psion 5's).
The problem with an exposed touch screen, of course, is that the phone really needs to sit in a case. At least, it does if you have half as much junk in your pockets as I do - I'd have an iPhone in a case as well, no matter how solid the screen is supposed to be. I'd feel less bad about risking a clamshell or slider (although my 8850 is in a case too).