Swype has become a verb associated with Android phones as a way to type that is not your traditional method. Since its appearance in 2009 Swype has made headlines as being a revolution to how we text or email on our Android phones. Even the world texting record was made on a Swype keyboard by Melissa Thompson, a 27 year old woman from Britain. The problem is that Swype was not made available for all Android platforms and had to be installed from hacks or ports that other more advanced users had created.
Swype allows the user to draw words across the keyboard without the requirement of lifting a finger. The keyboard then inserts the word you drew, if for some reason it is not able to get the correct word you would be greeted bya popup box with selections that closest match the drawn word. The system has been ported to other android phones such as my original DROID, but has not been developed to much, that is until today. An announcement was made that the Swype Beta has opened up on Swype.com. The sign up process is ridiculously simple. You register at the website they will automatically detect your screen size and send you an email with installation instructions. If there is a problem with the installation follow the step-by-step install details link.
I have been using the new Swype keyboard for a couple hours and based off my initial tests, I like it. The keyboard "feels" a little more responsive and more forgiving on errors. Also, the pop up menu for suggested words has been tweaked which I find easier to interface with. Before when I would tilt my phone for a landscape mode the keyboard would not display correctly which I assume was a resolution issue. At this current time I find the new Swype Beta improved from the previous version and not "nerfed" in any way.
*Note* If you already have Swype installed you will need to uninstall the old version before installing the new beta.
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