Unsurprisingly, one of the most difficult aspects of switching to a touchscreen phone from a QWERTY is adapting to the virtual keyboard. Even today, months after purchasing my Nexus One, I still have trouble with the keyboard. In fact, I’ve completely given up typing in portrait mode and go exclusively with landscape. Even then I make more than my share of mistakes. Maybe I’ll get better with time, but I’m not sure how much I’m going to improve after over two months of more or less constantly using the thing. If only there were a better option…
This, of course, leads to a discussion of a new Android app, Swype. It provides a supposedly superior typing experience, letting you drag your finger across the keyboard, stopping at the desired letters along the way. If you saw the Samsung commercials where the actor broke the texting speed record, well, that’s Swype. It seems like a decent option for people who have trouble typing — and also for people like me who have large thumbs.
Swype is making the beta version of their Android app available for a limited time — a few days, according to them. It is not, however, available through the Android Market. You have to go to http://beta.swype.com/ and register using an email address that delivers to your Android handset. Then you can install the release. It comes with limited features, and there isn’t any support for it beyond forums. But them’s the breaks when it comes to beta applications. It seems like a decent idea to at least try. That way you’ll be prepared when they release the full version.
Because the app isn’t in the Market, you’ll have to make sure that your handset is able to download apps from other sources. To do this go to your main settings, click on Applications, and then check the Unknown sources box. Then you can download the app and check it out.
If you’re interested in a little preview, here’s a demo, similar to the one you probably saw on that Samsung commercial:
Via MobileCrunch.
