Android Keyboards

One of the best things about Android phones is that you can use alternate keyboards. The Android API allows app writers to create custom keyboards that improve on the stock keyboard. Some are quite innovative.

My goal with this post is not to advocate one keyboard over another, although I have my favorites. Rather, I want to show that an open platform like Android allows phone vendors and app writers to experiment with other input methods, and this rapidly improves the text input experience. Many people, myself included, have a problem tapping on a tiny software keyboard. There is a reason people love the Blackberry keyboard, and stick with it. But with these aftermarket alternatives, I can honestly say that I don't miss my old Blackberry.

Even if you don't choose an aftermarket keyboard, the stock Android keyboard has improved quite a bit from the early days. In fact, the first releases of Android, if you go back that far, did not even have a software keyboard. Yes, it seems like forever ago, but it was actually just a tad over two years ago.

I happen to be a big believer in Swype. This is a superior input method, in my opinion, where you slide your finger from letter to letter without lifting it up from the keyboard. Easier to use when holding a phone with one hand, and faster than tapping, too. I specifically limited my choices for my work cell phone to phones that had Swype pre-installed.

I am trying FlexT9 at the moment on one of my phones. I really like it. It seems to recognize words while tracing better than Swype does, and it doesn't suffer (as much) from Swype's main infuriating problems:
1. Swype insists NOT allowing making the actual letters you trace the default word choice (particularly bad when it inserts crap like "2moro" when you just wanted to type "2.")
2. Swype constantly adds misspelled words to your dictionary so you're likely to make more mistakes over time.

FlexT9 also adds very solid voice input (I haven't compared against Google's voice input, but others seem to think that it is as good or better) AND handwritten letter inputs, which is very handy in some situations. Very flexible.

Some feel that FlexT9 is better than Swype. From Internet2go:
"Nuance's FlexT9: Most Complete Android Keyboard Replacement" by Greg Sterling
http://internet2go.net/news/hardware/nuances-launches-most-complete-android-keyboard

"Best known for speech solutions, Nuance has introduced 'FlexT9.' It's an Android replacement keyboard that offers four diverse methods to input text: speech, 'trace,' write and 'tap' text prediction. The app costs $4.99 but is well worth the money. I've been using it for the past two weeks and find that it's highly accurate and provides more flexibility -- hence the name -- than other, competing keyboards.

"A novel feature of T9 is the capacity to draw letters or symbols directly on the touchscreen."

"The built-in Android keyboard is considerably weaker than these replacements and one of the major weaknesses of the user experience (vs. the iPhone for example). Going back to the native keyboard after using T9 (or SwiftKey, Swype) feels like a step backward. But replacing the keyboard dramatically improves the Android handset experience."


Swiftkey is another aftermarket keyboard, which is praised in the above article as better than FlexT9 at predictive capability when "tapping" input. I've not used it because I'm sold on the "trace" method of text input but I have heard others praise it.


How many of you had Palm Pilots back in the day? Remember the "Graffiti" text input that you used with those? If you do, you'll be happy to hear that there is a Graffiti app available for Android. You can use that method of input if you like!


Keypurr is a keyboard that is fairly conventional but uses some tricks to make the keys as large as possible. Keyboard layout is somewhat standard (letters are in the normal QWERTY keyboard layout) but some letters and symbols are combined on the same key. The software figures out which letter you wanted automatically based on subsequent letters you type and the possible words that develop. Or you can "flick" your finger in the direction of the raised letters to choose something other than the main letter for a given key.


Finally, there are text input methods that are really ... different. The promise of methods like this is that they will be easier to use once you figure them out and really memorize them. Once you do, you'll be able to compose messages without looking at your keyboard at all. These methods are called MessageEase and 8pen.

Of the two I think 8pen has more promise, but I admit that I haven't gotten comfortable with it yet. I'm just happy to see that Android is where the innovation is taking place. I look forward to the schemes people come up with in the future.

MessageEase

8pen

Any other keyboards that I need to try? Let me know, I'm sure I've missed some.