If you root the device you can install the same HTC input manager (keyboard, AKA the HTC_IME) and use that as a replacement keyboard, which is MUCH better. It's better out of the box, and as Nwallins said, it's even better once calibrated.
Good review. I personally prefer the HTC keyboard. Whereas I couldn't stand typing on the Android 2.1 stock keyboard, the HTC_IME keyboard pictured is great.
I completely agree with him on this point. I had a friend ask me to install a Korean keyboard on their HTC the other day (I think it was an HTC One).
On my own phone (Nexus), I just install the Google Korean IME from the markplace and it works fine. But on the HTC device, they've apparently replaced the built-in keyboard with their own thing and it took me about half an hour to figure out that I need to install a complete keyboard replacement (not just an IME) and totally replace the HTC one with this other custom one. In what way does any of this help anyone?
Why not use the trace keyboard? I know Sense 5 on the HTC One comes with a trace keyboard option. It might take a bit of learning to get used to, but using trace keyboards seems to be a lot faster and more efficient than clicking on small physical keyboard buttons. Then again, they don't provide the tactile feedback that a physical keyboard does, so you can't really type with muscle memory and have to look at the screen when trace-typing.
Funny enough, the best keyboard on an Android device that I ever used wasn't even an Android device. I had an HTC Touch Pro 2 (Windows Mobile 6.5) that could be cajoled into running Android, and typing on it was a _joyous_ experience. Sadly it finally died, and besides that it was getting to be ludicrously out of date.
I had one too, having a real keyboard was awesome. I put off upgrading phones for as long as a could. I rooted it and installed CyanogenMod and got a better aftermarket battery but eventually it was just to slow to run the newer versions of Android and apps.
if today's BBs had HTC quality keyboards, I'd be using them. I'd readily throw away so much just to get a good keyboard, but BB keyboards are just not well designed for touch typing like HTC ones were.
My kingdom for a new HTC T-Mobile G1/G2 successor!
I use an HTC Desire Z. It's an Android phone with a hardware keyboard and it works fine. I'm running Cyanogenmod on it. Although I'll admit it's a couple of years out of date now.
i would buy a phone with a good hw based keyboard immediately. I was just thinking tonight, after correcting my 400th mistake, how weird it is we as consumers put up with this inefficient on screen keyboard.
An HTC Touch Pro 2 was my primary device for years. It had the best keyboard that I have ever used on a phone. I've been trying to get used to software keyboards for three years, and I still _HATE_ them. Modern phones are worthless, and it's the lack of any means of inputting (discreetly - I hate talking at my phone) more than a few sentences that makes them junk.
FWIW, this isn't the Gboard (Google's official keyboard). HTC ships TouchPal's keyboard. It looks like TouchPal pushed an update through the Play Store that (maybe accidentally) ignored whatever licensing system was in place for HTC devices.
I think you know, but just to be clear: this one isn't T9, it's something IMO much better. I've used the keyboard they based this on and it's easily the best input method available on a phone once you learn it.
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