All About Symbian - Symbian, Nokia and S60 unwrapped.
Swype for Symbian^1 now available via Nokia Beta Labs
Published by Rafe Blandford at 12:47 UTC, September 1st 2010
Swype, an alternative text entry system, is now available, via Nokia Beta Labs, for most Nokia S60 5th Edition devices. Swype works by tracing one continuous finger (or stylus) movement, across an on-screen QWERTY keyboard, when entering a word. It provides, potentially, a much faster and more accurate way of entering text on touchscreen devices, albeit with a small initial learning curve.
Swype is relatively simple to use, but also offers a lot of power-user functionality for more advanced users (e.g. custom dictionary, multi-language support). Key features include double tap editing (to correct mistakes), auto-correction (spelling spacing and capitalisation), a 65,000-word 'learning' dictionary (easily add your own words, email addresses, etc. so they become 'Swypable'), and automatic help (detects if you are having problems and offers assistance).
On Symbian^1 (S60 5th Edition) device Swype has been integrated into the existing input system (front end processor). In portrait mode it is available as the mini-QWERTY option; this means the existing alphanumeric keypad (T9) is also retained and you can easily switch between the two. In landscape mode the Swype keyboard replaces the QWERTY (full screen) keyboard, although the Swype keyboard can also be used in traditional hunt-and-peck manner of traditional on-screen QWERTY keyboards.
Swype will not suit everyone, but for many it will go a long way to solve the problem of entering text on a small touchscreen device. We'll take a more detailed look at the Swype system and its Symbian implementation once we have had a few weeks usage, from which to draw an assessment.
Swype say that it is possible, for most people, to achieve speeds of up to 40 words per minute with the system, but this will clearly depend on the individual and their level of familiarity with the system.
Swype is currently available for the Nokia 5800, Nokia 5230, Nokia X6, Nokia N97 and Nokia N97 mini. Swype Beta for Symbian includes support for English US, Spanish, Canadian French and Brazilian Portuguese. However, Nokia and Swype are also planning to broaden support for both devices and languages over the coming months.
Nokia Beta Labs describe the release as a limited beta:
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.
As usual, with beta software, you should only install the software if you're prepared to accepts the odd glitch. During our testing, on an X6, we found there were a few visual glitches, especially in landscape mode, but in general the software was reasonably stable.
Swype Beta Labs video
To help learn some of the additional features of Swype Beta Labs has collated a number of tutorial videos together. Further tutorial videos are available on YouTube.
About Swype
Swype is a Seattle-based company, which was founded in 2003 by Cliff Kushler and Randy Marsden. Initially the company focused on perfecting the technology, but subsequently started targetting OEMs with a view to agreeing integration deals (a business to business approach, rather than the business to consumer approach). Swype has since appeared on a number of devices and on multiple platforms, recent notable additions include shipping pre-installed on the Samsung Galaxy S and Motorola Droid 2 Android handsets.
To facilitate further growth, last year it raised $4.5 million of Series B VC funding from Nokia Growth Partners, Benaroya Capital and Samsung Ventures America. It raised a further $1 million Series B funding from DoCoMo in February of this year.
The participation of Nokia Growth Partners in the funding round was a good indication of Nokia's interest in the company. It remains to be seen whether Nokia will pre-install Swype into any handsets, but for now it is available via Nokia Beta Labs.
See also
Swype demo and interview - from MWC 2010, with CEO Mike McSherry
News Discussion
The last month has been a flow of cool, positive and exciting news. Nice to see, since I would love to stick with Nokia.
I guess better late than never.
Now they need to meet with New York publishers and Hollywood studios to strike some major content deals.
It's good to see it arrive though - especially as an open beta available to most of Nokia's Symbian^1 devices.
I think there'll be more positive news on the way before too long as well. Watch AAS for more!
The above story is effectively a back-port to Symbian 1 from S3, and kudos to Nokia for showing yet again how it supports and improves existing user's purchases and does not default to cynically trying to force everyone to new products to get the new goodies. On which note yes i believe that the N8 will be allowed to upgrade to S4 when it's out.
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Originally Posted by Unregistered
Yet another of many very solid reasons to buy an N8 rather than any Android or iPhone (both of which are looking increasingly weak platforms with every new N8, Symbian or Ovi announcement).
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Sure, the N8 is looking like a good device and a good alternative to the other two platforms you mentioned (though less so for someone Stateside--fewer Ovi services/ less frequent updates/ no customer service or repair centers).
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Originally Posted by nudger
This sounds fun. So it works OK on a resistive touch screen then?
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Originally Posted by Jimmy1
I was with you until the 'weak platforms' thing. Let's not get crazy.
Sure, the N8 is looking like a good device and a good alternative to the other two platforms you mentioned (though less so for someone Stateside--fewer Ovi services/ less frequent updates/ no customer service or repair centers). |
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Originally Posted by malerocks
Unable to download. The betalabs site wont let me login... :(
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Enjoy!
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Originally Posted by Unregistered
The fact that Swype will be integrated with the N8 did the rounds in the last couple of weeks. Yet another of many very solid reasons to buy an N8 rather than any Android or iPhone (both of which are looking increasingly weak platforms with every new N8, Symbian or Ovi announcement).
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N8 and N9 look promising, but there are still plenty of reasons to purchase an Android or iOS device. Nokia has its work cut out for itself.
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Originally Posted by Unregistered
With all the ruckus, can this app be uninstalled?
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Originally Posted by Unregistered
I kind of think swype for resistive phones on any os is kind of a waste of time.
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Originally Posted by afraid to register
Yet another of many very solid reasons to buy an N8
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though i like the keyboard skin of swype.
BTW there's a great method to write on DASUR which i made up myself(sure other people might be doing it already its no rocket science)
try using your both thumbs to type like a regular qwerty except the following thing in mind...
say you want to type "because" then i follow the following little "non-swipe technique"
1.right thumb on b
2. then without removing the right thumb from b put left thumb on e and then remove your right thum from b
3. slide your left thumb to c
4. then slide left thumb to a
5. now without removing the left thumb from a put rt thumb on u and then remove left thumb from a
6. again keeping the rt thumb on u put left thumb on s and remove rt thumb from u
7.slide left thumb to e
it looks a little tedious on reading but its hell fast-combines with the auto-correction feature of DASUR its faster easier more accurate and less tiring than regular QWERTY and the swype method too. may require a little paragraph long worth of practice...
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Originally Posted by Unregistered
Will it kill my phone's memory with this?
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