08 November 2011

Swype App For Symbian Gets Last
Updated Before Graduating To Nokia Store

If you've been trying out Swype for Symbian, then you'll be happy to know that last beta release (app is likely to graduate to a commercial product with next version) of the patented interface that enables users to create words with one continuous finger motion across an on-screen keyboard is now available for Symbian devices from Nokia Beta Labs.

Most of the critical issues identified by the Nokia Beta Labs community have been addresses over the last 8 weeks. There are also number of key improvements that should make the whole experience from download, to install, to uninstall much more enjoyable.

Also, according to Dev Team this will our last beta release before graduating to Nokia Store.

Installing is quite simple and only requires a valid Nokia account to get access to beta Labs download servers but you should keep in mind that installing the wrong version of Swype can cause unwanted behavior so be sure to select the correct Symbian version on the download page.

All S60 5th Edition and Symbian^3 devices are supported. Swype comes preloaded with English US, English UK, Spanish, Portuguese BR, and French CA. If you want to Swype in a different language, download one of our 30 additional language packs.

Download Swype for Symbian 2.0 Beta now to check out these exciting new features:

• Portrait and split-screen support for devices with Symbian Anna
• Cutting-edge predictive tap auto-correction engine
• 30 downloadable language dictionaries
• Many incremental UX changes based on Nokia and Android Beta Labs feedback
• Hundreds of bug fixes. Too many to list

After downloading and installation you'll need to reboot your device to get the swype as default input method and test it out. Once you get past the swype learning curve, it is pretty fast and awesome experience and the only thing I don't like is need to reboot phone every time you want to change the input method from Swype to classic tap and vice versa.

Anyway, just in case you've been living under a rock for the past year or so, Swype provides a faster and easier way to input text on any screen. With one continuous finger or stylus motion across the screen keyboard, the patented technology enables users to input words faster and easier than other data input methods—at over 40 words per minute.

The application is designed to work across a variety of devices such as phones, tablets, game consoles, kiosks, televisions, virtual screens and more.

Swype and Nokia have been hard at work to deliver a limited beta release to Nokia S60 5th edition device owners. Your feedback will be valuable to us in the coming weeks, and we are especially interested in how well Swype interfaces with the many types of applications you use every day.

Check out the official Swype for Symbian page for download information as well as Swypeinc.com for news, tips and instructional videos.

With the 12-key numeric keypad appearing on 95% of all handsets shipped, it is easy to take input interface technologies on the mobile phones for granted but popularity of new keyless handset signals that mobile phones as we know them may soon be a thing of the past?

As the touch-sensitive screens are becoming ever more popular in the high-end market and as the handsets feature-set continues to expand, and the number and variety of applications on phones grows, the mechanisms for interacting and controlling them are put under ever-greater strain and the user demand for ease of use has never been greater!

Interfaces, such as motion sensing, haptics, multitouch, advanced voice recognition capabilities and evolutions to predictive text functionality are set to boost data entry efficiencies and introduce a level of multimodality never before experienced on a mobile phones!

T9 technology has set the bar for mobile usability, creating mobile user experiences that help drive consumer demand for and use of mobile communications devices and services but now we need something similar for the touchscreen based phones.

Cliff Kushler, the co-inventor of the T9 predictive text input which is used on most of the today’s phones is back in game with ‘Swype’ a new alphanumeric entry technology for touch-screen devices.

Swype provides a faster and easier way to input text on any screen. With one continuous finger or stylus motion across the screen keyboard, the patented technology enables users to input words faster and easier than other data input methods—at over 50 words per minute.

The application is designed to work across a variety of devices such as phones, tablets, game consoles, kiosks, televisions, virtual screens and more.

Swype is faster than existing text entry methods because it has built-in intelligence that does not require users to hit each letter accurately. Also, tracing a smooth, continuous path is much faster than “target-tap-lift-target-tap...”. Even novice users can quickly achieve sustained data entry speeds of over 40 words per minute.