Should My Motorola Android Be This Frustrating?

Peter Principle

Just got a new Android Motorola Electrify (apparently just a rebranded Photon for US Cellular) and the typing interface is driving me up the wall. I fatfinger keys constantly and cannot seem to get the damn highlighter caliper-bar interface whatsit to work in a semi-speedy or reliable fashion. As an example, if I had typed this first paragraph on my android as relatively typo-free as it is now, it would have taken me about 15 curse-word-filled minutes.

Before this android I've had blackberries with the hardware keyboards. I was not nearly as frustrated with the keyboard interface on the blackberries as I am with this (m'f'ing!) android. I'm wondering if it's just that I'm used to the bb and need to accustom myself to the Android, OR are these software keyboard interfaces truly this awkward? Is there some aftermarket thing I could download that will radically improve my experience?

tech_hunter

There are other keyboard apps that you can use that might suit you better. You can do a search in the market and try some out quite a few are free. However I would advise just giving it some time. I switched from a hardware keyboard on a phone to using a soft keyboard and it did take some adjusting. You don't have the tactile cues you do with a regular physical keyboard. I would allow a few days to adjust. Also maybe the swipe method may work better for you. I am not sure if your phone has this but on mine there is a keyboard mode where I drag my finger along the keyboard selecting letters instead of typing them out.

Kistra

There are a lot of different android keyboards out there. Some make letters bigger based on word prediction, some you just drag your finger along and it doesn't matter how many other letters you accidentally hit on the way.

However, the default keyboard shouldn't be that bad. I frequently end up texting using words that aren't in any word prediction dictionary and just have to type them and it doesn't take nearly that long. How long have you had the phone? It did take a little less than a week for me to get used to my first software keyboard. It definitely isn't possible to touch type at all using a software keyboard and will be very different if you even just used touching your physical keyboard to center your fingers.

Peter Principle

I switched to the swype method for my keyboard. I think this will work better. Goes a bit faster at any rate. Quick fox jumped over the lazy brown dog. Yeah, definite improvement. Loren opossum. Doesn't do Latin very well it seems. The sum of the squares of the legs of a right triangle equals the square of the hypotenuse. Yo mamma so fat it inspires morbid speculation. PV= nRT

Thanks for the tips! Swype seems to be the way to go. I think I just need more practice.

illig

Soft keyboards are never going to be as good as hardware ones. You will improve over time as both you get used to the 'feel' and your phone learns your custom dictionary.

If you're truly frustrated, try the voice recognition feature.

Angus Kor

If you fat finger the buttons in portrait mode, try Big Buttons keyboard. I have way fewer typing errors now.