Abstract: An improved touch display input device for incorporation into a portable electronic device is described. In exemplary embodiments, the touch display includes a smart glass layer that selectively blocks and transmits light from a light source to a transparent touch input surface. As a result of the selectivity of the smart glass, a particular set of characters and/or symbols may become visible to the user through the transparent touch surface. The user may select a visible character or symbol by touching the character or symbol on the touch display. The selective blocking and transmission of light by the smart glass may be altered to display different sets of input characters and/or symbols depending upon the operational state of the portable electronic device.