iPhone with hardware keyboard on the horizon?

According to The Register, Apple has sent working prototypes of iPhones sporting hardware keyboards to senior executives at some wireless operators to garner their feedback. Undeniably, the lack of a hardware keyboard has made it a harder sell to certain groups of users, such as those hooked on to text messaging, as well as a fair portion of businessmen. Of course, there are those who are skeptical that Apple will ever come out with a hardware keyboard for the iPhone. Explaining, Tom Krazit over at CNET wrote, "But Apple has invested so much in the software that runs the iPhone that I would be surprised if it changed the game so early in the life of the product."  What about you; what do you think?

For more on Apple's iPhone:
- check out this article from The Register