Most notable is the QWERTY keyboard that slides out to the right of the display if you're holding the Rise in portrait orientation, or the bottom if the display is in landscape orientation. Sliding the keyboard out automatically signals the display to switch to landscape view, as that's how the keyboard is designed to be used.

I usually like using QWERTY keyboards, but this one is cramped: The keys are a little small, and the top row is positioned too close to the top section of the phone, which makes typing uncomfortable. I have small hands and fingers, so I was still able to manage typing despite the challenging layout, but I'd definitely recommend trying the keyboard before buying the phone, as it won't be a good fit for everyone.

If you prefer, you can opt to use the Rise's touchscreen keyboard instead. Swype is preloaded as the phone's default touch keyboard, but you can switch to a standard Android 4.0 keyboard by accessing the phone's settings. Much like the slide-out keyboard, the touch keyboard feels cramped and is hard to use on the Rise's diminutive screen. If you're familiar with Swype, however, you'll probably find that to be the most comfortable typing option.

The Rise packs a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8655 single-core processor, which (for the most part) keeps the phone running smoothly. General navigation, app launching, and switching between apps all work seamlessly, but there are moments where the processor seemed to have trouble keeping up.