This story first appeared in Vegas Seven
The Swype typing method is arriving on more smartphones.
In the age of smartphones, two methods of typing have come to dominate: touch (iPhone) or physical keyboard (BlackBerry).
Now there’s a third option, and it may just revolutionize how we use smartphones. It’s called Swype, and the typing technique is a key feature of the Motorola Droid X, a new Android-based phone that goes on sale Thursday (July 15) at Verizon for $200 (after contract). Swype is also available on the MyTouch 3G at T-Mobile and the Samsung Omnia II (Verizon), and there is hope that an iPhone app will be introduced.
The Droid X has put a bright light on Swype, and it should. I’ve been using Swype for about three weeks, and I dread going back to standard touch-typing when I return my review unit. (Here’s my first review of the Motorola Droid X.)
(A how to Swype video is after the jump.)
With Swype, you simply drag your finger across the keyboard, connecting letters to spell a word. When you spell a word, lift your finger and a space is inserted. Then put your finger down and spell the next word. After a while, you’ll be messaging at a very fast pace.
The amazing thing about Swype is how intuitive the software is; as a user, you do your best to “swype” words accurately, but we are a nation of poor spellers. No worries: As long as you’re close, Swype has an uncanny ability to get the right words. When it is confused, a list of possible choices pop up on the screen.
The more you Swype, the better you become. I’ve become pretty fast. More impressively, my wife, a dedicated BlackBerry user who hates the iPhone’s touch screen, is seriously considering the Droid X for her next phone because she loves to Swype.
I don’t like swyping when I use the Droid X as GPS unit. I found inserting addresses more difficult than touch-typing. (You can use voice commands on the Droid X for directions, as well, a better option.)
If you haven’t seen how it works, go to You Tube and put Swype in the search box. You can watch several videos, but the real impact comes when you try it yourself. It takes getting used to, but once you figure it out, you’ll be surprised at how long-winded your messages have become.
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Motorola Droid X features Swype, a fantastic new typing tool http://bit.ly/9gyEVX How to Swype video at end of post
RT @ericbendy: Motorola Droid X features Swype, a fantastic new typing tool http://bit.ly/9gyEVX How to Swype video at end of post
RT @ericbendy: Motorola Droid X features Swype, a fantastic new typing tool http://bit.ly/9gyEVX How to Swype video at end of post
@angwe Interesting. My wife loves her BlackBerry hard keys yet adores Swype on Droid X. I mentioned in this post: http://bit.ly/9gyEVX
RT @ericbendy: Motorola Droid X features Swype, a fantastic new typing tool http://bit.ly/9gyEVX How to Swype video at end of post
RT @ericbendy: Motorola Droid X features Swype, a fantastic new typing tool http://bit.ly/9gyEVX How to Swype video at end of post
Bendable Media › Motorola Droid X features Swype, a fantastic new typing tool http://bit.ly/9gyEVX
Bendable Media › Motorola Droid X features Swype, a fantastic new typing tool http://bit.ly/9gyEVX Swype video included
RT @ericbendy: Bendable Media › Motorola Droid X features Swype, a fantastic new typing tool http://bit.ly/9gyEVX Swype video included
[...] sure hopes a Swype app is entrance for a iPhone. The brand brand brand brand new typing record is a pass underline of a Motorola Droid X, a top-notch Android phone which went upon sale Thursday during Verizon (VZ). Once we begin [...]
[...] after the mid-point of 2010, a year marked by the re-emergence of Motorola and design savvy of HTC, we are witnessing notable hardware departures from Microsoft and, gasp, [...]
I just might be convinced to trade my BlackBerry for the Droid X. http://bit.ly/dsQFzw
RT @ericbendy: Motorola Droid X features Swype, a fantastic new typing tool http://bit.ly/9gyEVX How to Swype video at end of post
RT @ericbendy: Motorola Droid X features Swype, a fantastic new typing tool http://bit.ly/9gyEVX How to Swype video at end of post
[...] Droid or a large-screen wonder like the Droid X. rather, it reminds one of the BlackBerry Torch [...]
@amysimons Yeah! I think Swype is fantastic, so glad it's working for you. (My review: http://bit.ly/9gyEVX – Swype video included)
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