Android App Review: Swype for Android (How I got my typing mojo back)

June 17, 2010 - By Alex Miranda

I love my Android phone. When Android first launched I was in awe of it’s awesomeness (akward, but true). I had a long string of phones from your dumbest dumbphone to the BlackBerry, which was the king of the world (minus the standing at the front of the Titanic in the wind part).

Upon its initial release, Android was a fresh alternative in the smartphone market and looked poised to compete with the iPhone. Those were the good old days when you were either a Blackberry fanboy/fangirl or you were an iPhone super user. I finally replaced my Blackberry with the HTC Hero for Sprint and something sad happened. My typing speed went way down, and I felt my phone was no longer a good messaging phone like my Blackberry had proven itself to be over the years.

As time passed, I became a little more accustomed to my touch keypad, and my overall experience began to improve. Thankfully, HTC upgraded the Hero to 2.1, which alleviated some of the lag of the old keyboard, which improved the overall experience. Yet, as much as I hated to say it, the iPhone keypad was still far superior to that of an Android-based device.

Then, my good friend Daryl told me about the Swype Beta for Android. It has been around for some time but has been available by “invitation only.” Though I had heard of it, I never really paid much attention or bothered to find out anything about it. After Daryl enlightened me on the wonders of Swype, I signed up for an invitation. Several days later, I was surprised to receive an invitation via email.

How do you install Swype for Android?

In my case, I downloaded it via invitation, as described above. As of today, the tool has been made available for open download, in its Beta form, from the website. As per the Swype people, “It will be open for a limited time – probably a few days.” So you definitely don’t want to waste any time in downloading it, to test drive for yourself.

Initially, you have to hit the download link from your phone and install the Swype Installer. Once it installs, you can login to the site and actually download Swype. As always, it’s a good idea to review the tutorial in the settings menu, but, if you’re like me, you’ll probably want to jump right into using it.

How does Swype work? What does it do?

The premise for Swype is simple. Instead of tapping each letter individually and using the space key, you simply trace your finger over the letters of each word you want to write. You slow down a bit on each letter of the word, but  you don’t lift your finger up, until the word is completed. To activate Swype, you simply hold your finger down for a few seconds on the soft keyboard.

One of the best features is the allowance for sloppiness (which I am at times). Based on the predictive nature of its design, Swype generally figures out what you’re trying to say, even if you don’t swipe with perfect accuracy. The makers of Swype even have a slider setting, which allows users to configure for Faster Response or Sloppier Entry. With a download size of less than 1Mb, Swype’s footprint is small and doesn’t waste precious processing power, either.

How does it actually work? According to its Wikipedia page, “Swype consists of three major components that contribute to its accuracy and speed: an input path analyzer, word search engine with corresponding database, and a manufacturer customizable interface.” In the case of the Android Beta, English, Spanish, and Italian are all supported. What do you really need to know? It lets you type faster and more accurately.

The premise may sound crazy, but it works surprisingly well. Essentially, it beat the doubts out of me like a baby Grizzly armed with a billy club. If you have an Android phone, I would definitely recommend visiting the Swype website and downloading the Beta, before it reverts back to invitation only or, even worse, becomes unavailable, altogether. In their FAQs, the Swype people mention the possibility of creating versions for the Apple iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. While history tells us it would be tough to sell the idea to Steve Jobs, it has the potential to make users love their devices even more. For now, Apple fanboys (and girls) will have to look on in envy, as the fingers of Android users blaze across the soft keyboard.

The Bottom Line: Swype is a great touch input system for Android-based smartphones. It’s intuitiveness, speed and accuracy make it a must-have tool for both the “hunt and peck” and “speed demon” crowds.