Android to get touchscreen keyboard soon-ish

The G1 certainly has a lot going for it, but we were a bit taken aback by its lack of an on-screen keyboard -- even a short text requires you to flip the screen out and hit the physical keys. That looks like it might change soon, though -- a rough roadmap posted on the new Android source repository has soft keyboard support penciled in for the the first three months of next year. It's not a lot to go on -- the timeline is described as "initial thoughts" and subject to change as the community gets involved -- but it's good to see that El Goog is already thinking about improving the Android user experience. Now, any coders out there want to pitch in and make this happen even sooner?

[Via HTC Source]

[CaramelZappa @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:25PM]

I don't get it, isn't having a touchscreen keyboard on a device with a physical keyboard taking a step backwards?

[aardWolf @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:27PM]

No, it's giving the user an option with no hardware investment.

[Lowest Ranked @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:27PM]

Nope, added convenience.

[who? @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:28PM]

I'm pretty sure physical keys came before the touchscreen, so no.

[cocopuff @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:58PM]

My thoughts exactly...kind of redundant. I don't like the touch screen keyboard. Its one of the reasons I put off buying the iPhone in favor of this phone.

[CaramelZappa @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:31PM]

Well what I'm saying is isn't it easier and more user friendly to use a physical keyboard that you don't even have to look at than an onscreen keyboard that takes up most of your viewing area? It just seems counter-intuitive. I can understand the need for it in future android devices that might not have a physical keyboard but on the G1 it just seems kind of silly.

[Don @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:36PM]

Giving the user options instead of telling them "This is how you do something, live with it" is never a step backwards

[CaramelZappa @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:44PM]

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with adding the option, I'm just confused as to why people want the option.

Will someone please explain to me how a virtual keyboard could possibly be preferable to a physical keyboard that's already right there?

[jorvay @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:45PM]

Don't forget, Android is an OS, not a piece of hardware. If it's going to be installed on a growing variety of phones, then it'll have to be versitile enough to run on different types of hardware...like touch-screen-only phones.

[--------- @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:50PM]

I have an HTC WinMo 6.1 phone with a slide out keyboard. I find pecking at the little on screen keyboard (with a stylus) much quicker and easier than sliding out the keypad for all but the longest emails. In fact the only time I really use the hardware keyboard is for passwords with special characters that are hard to find on the virtual keyboard.

I should have bought a Touch…

[CaramelZappa @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:52PM]

jorvay, did you even read my comment, where I said ". I can understand the need for it in future android devices that might not have a physical keyboard but on the G1 it just seems kind of silly."

My question is why you would want a touchscreen keyboard on the G1, specifically. Of course there will be a virtual keyboard for touchscreen only phones. Right now though, the G1 is the only android phone on the market.

[booticon @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:01PM]

The idea is that you could punch out a quick SMS without rotating the phone and popping out the physical keyboard.

[jorvay @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:09PM]

@CaramelZappa
"jorvay, did you even read my comment, where I said ". I can understand the need for it in future android devices that might not have a physical keyboard but on the G1 it just seems kind of silly."

No, it must have posted while I was still writing my response to your original question, and based on your original question, my response makes perfect sense. That being said, it seems like a few people have already provided the other reasons that you'd want to have an onscreen keyboard on this particular phone. I know it's handy on my tablet laptop to have a quick-access OSKB so I don't have to keep flipping the screen around to type stuff.

[happy_penguin @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:21PM]

All of the answers are good but jorvay's answer in particular is good. Android is a system which can potentially be used on any number of different devices, some of which may not offer a physical keyboard. Who knows why someone might want a soft keyboard instead of a physical keyboard but one thing is for sure, choice can be a good thing.

[carpet @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:23PM]

If I remember rightly from the reviews for the G1, the real issue here was the phone's delay inn swtiching from portrait to landscape (which it has to do when you slide out the keyboard). The Engadgdet reviewer said for short (one word?) text replies, an on screen keyboard would be better.

Personally, I think they should solve the main problem, the delay in swtiching aspects. The problem was reorganising all the widgets. If there was no delay, or at least minimal, using the physical keyboard wouldn't be a problem.

Why can't they just have two layouts that the phone swtiches between. I think Nokia have been marketing that whole "one home screen for home and another home screen for work" Why not just have a landscape screen and portrait one. I'm sure we're all comfortable with multiple desktops. I don't need a clock or weather gadget permanently in my face. If I want to see it, I'm happy with a single click to bring it up.

[Rob @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:26PM]

If you dont know why anyone would want it as an option, than you must not own the phone, or use it at a high capacity.

[CaramelZappa @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:38PM]

Wait, what?

I own a phone and use it constantly, especially for texting, which is why I know the benefits of a physical keyboard and don't see an additional virtual keyboard as useful.

[George @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:56PM]

Among other reasons, an on screen keyboard is useful as it allows one handed typing (not so easy with an onscreen qwerty, but presumably a t9 or similar implementation would also be planned). There are plenty of times, like walking down the road for instance, where two handed operation of a phone is a little bit cumbersome.

I own a HTC Tytn II, or AT&T Tilt if your American :P The onscreen keyboards are a nice addition, especially if you just want to fire off a short SMS while down the pub.

[Lowest Ranked @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:28PM]

Lovin' the kitchen sink.

[lorddshadow @ Oct 23rd 2008 9:41PM]

eww are you that desperate?!

[who? @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:31PM]

Maybe they'll add a clicking sound like the iPhone so you know when you hit a key. That would be very beneficial for the physical keyboard as well, seeing as you can't feel/hear when you have pushed a button on the G1.

[Joshua Walters @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:37PM]

I would rather see force feedback, like many other phones have.

I was playing with a friends phone (Dare I believe) and that was so nice. The tiny little vibration made it easy to type on the touch screen, and made the phone alot more usable.

Add force feedback to a soft keyboard, and it would be golden. Good enough to where you wouldnt need to open it unless you were doing some serious tapping out, or browsing the web.

[Jeremy @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:36PM]

There already is an option to turn on a 'click' sound anytime you touch something on the screen.

[slowerpig81 @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:49PM]

I agree. I little vibration upon every key press is better than the annoying clicking that the iPhone has. Whenever I'm typing on mine I always flip the mute switch.

[suprgnat @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:01PM]

Um, you must not have have used a G1 as you CAN feel quite well and hear when you've pushed a button.
...unless I got a special one.

[chorizo @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:54PM]

i still don't understand how people type on the iphone.. but i guess if it didn't suck so much, i'd probably have one... don't low rank the sausage fingers!!

[Keith @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:35PM]

Granted, learning to type on the iPhone takes a while. But it's not hard by any means. Not a true Apple fanboy (still use a pc), but LOVE my iPhone!

[Jason @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:54PM]

I haven't found the touchboard on the iPhone any harder (or easier) to use than the physical keyboards on candybar smartphones like the TMo Dash or the Blackberry Curve (yes, I've used all of those devices).

[steve d @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:03PM]

I have the G1 There is a simple reason why it also needs a onscreen keyboard in portrait mode. You can not enter any text in portrait mode. say you driving want to make a call. can you enter just a first letter to go to that section of you contacts nope you have to scroll through them all. you get a text just want to say OK. nope you have to open the keyboard. So it really needs a keyboard just for portrait mode.

[CaramelZappa @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:14PM]

I'm glad they made driving with your handset to your ear illegal in California.

[Graham Wellington (formerly ronald.raygun) @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:15PM]

what im wondering is if they're going to make a numerical keypad with t9 or something more like a full qwerty. i would actually prefer the t9, i think i've used on screen t9s on other phones and they're not bad.

[rawker @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:23PM]

so wait, the build of andriod i have running on my touch has a on screen keyboard, but the released version is laking it?

[shawn @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:19PM]

Really? You have an Apple Touch running Android? And it has a touch screen keyboard? How did you get that going?
I didn't know anyone had loaded Android onto Apple products already.

[jojo4bee @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:50PM]

Is he talking about the HTC Touch or the Apple iPod Touch? I also have a beta version of Android running on the Touch, and I have the on screen keyboard. Maybe they took it out for the G1 but decided to put it back in because people complained. I don't know why it's going to take so long though.

[rawker @ Oct 23rd 2008 8:11PM]

nope htc touch... err sprint touch i mean htc vogue.... umm ya, whatever you wana call it
http://it029000.massey.ac.nz/vogue/

[steve d @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:25PM]

Caramel Zappa
. I never said driving with my phone up to my ear. I just said find the number to dial easily and quicker. Even when not driving or anything its quicker to just type the first 1 or 2 letters like on my blackberry to find a number.

[CaramelZappa @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:34PM]

My point was more along the lines of being pissed off at people who think they drive just as well while using their phones. That includes not only putting the phone to your ear to talk but also dialing, or worse, texting, while driving.

I do agree with your point that it's easier to type in a couple letters than find the number in a list.

[dan @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:28PM]

This phone is so wack while walking in Manhattan the other day a guy was outside a cellphone store trying to draw people in to the store and get the "New T-Mobile Gi" he was call it the Gi! Don't G.I.'s belong in the military. Sad.

[Joshua @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:30PM]

touchscreen keyboards are for kids, silly.

[Keith @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:32PM]

Kind of late coming out with that AFTER it's initial release. It should have been on the original get-out. Even the Sprint Mogul has that. This is even behind WinMo. Sheesh.

[coffee @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:54PM]

Why is it so hard to grasp the concept of a touchscreen keyboard on a touchscreen phone, regardless of the additional hardware keyboard? It's not like you HAVE to install and use it.

That's like saying voice dial is repetitive because you can punch numbers with the hardware keyboard.

I feel like frikkin genius today after reading these comments. Maybe I should go play some online Jeopardy now.

[Tim @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:01PM]

I think its nice that they added the keyboard touchscreen just for the sake of more options. Probably won't be too much usage though.

http://sogeshirts.com

[gerrrg @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:01PM]

The calculator seems a bit too sensitive, so I'd think a screen keyboard would be nearly as difficult to use. Love the free apps, but I'm hoping Adobe comes out with flash player for the Android, cuz I'm none too happy that I can't get Hulu.

[Craig McRae @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:17PM]

How about some devs having a go at multitouch, or pinch zoom?

[Timbobsteve @ Oct 24th 2008 11:10AM]

Multi-Touch would be a hardware modification to the touchscreen on the G1..... so it wouldn't really be the same as adding a Software Keyboard.... the same goes for pinch-zoom.... as it requires multi-touch to function.

[OldGuy @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:53PM]

Ummm....
this is where the free (beer) software meets its limit in mobile.

The truth is.... building a good on screen keyboard that meets *real**world* mobile requirements (operator certification, 40+ internationalizations, etc...) takes real knowledge, time, skill, investment (and probably patents).

Serious projects can stroll over to Zi and buy a solution.... but they're in the business of making money.

[narutogrey @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:57PM]

Multitouch isn't possible according to the Android developers. They specifically prevented any software activation of the screen processing 2 touch points at once. The screen can recognize multiple touch points, but the software will not give access to both points.

Apple has the patent on multitouch, so right now it's not possible for other phonemakers to implement it. I actually asked the Android team if there was away around this, and they said no, and that no one on their team is actively looking into a "multi-touch-like" technology.

[gerrrg @ Oct 23rd 2008 10:32PM]

I have to say, the zoom function doesn't work so well. It lags and seems erratic.

[narutogrey @ Oct 24th 2008 5:01PM]

Are you talking about Android's zoom? I'll admit that it's not the best zoom (nowhere near the iPhone's), but is useable. In reality, how often would you really have to zoom anyways when you are mobile browsing? You mainly have to pan, and the G1 does that as well as the iPhone (except that it's a little choppier)

[techy @ Oct 24th 2008 12:00PM]

Personally, having a touchscreen keyboard would require you to give the phone considerably more attention. This idea of "quick sms messages" is a flawed thought regarding touchscreen keyboards. A quick SMS txt would better be defined as being able to read a message, hit reply, and then be able to txt without having to stop what you're doing to look at the phone and concentrate on the keys/key placement. i.e. walking down a street txting, eating a sandwich in one hand while texting with the other, texting from your pocket or under a desk during a meeting/conference/class. do you see what I'm getting at?

Also, the comment made about "...don't have to turn the phone sideways and then slide the screen up..." are we [human beings] really that lazy? plus as an added nuisance you would type with a considerably smaller keyboard in the vertical position. That's exactly what you were going for when you thought of touchscreen keyboard, huh? YAY...(*sarcastic)

Chances are, you don't want to have to pull out a pda pen to have to tap at the little keys on the screen... and dually that would defeat the idea of "one hand txting." Secondly the keyboard would most likely be preferred at the horizontal layout so the keys would be better sized as we all don't share the micro-toothpick-fingertips that some of you may have out there that prefer those vertical oriented virtual touch keyboards. Thirdly, some type of tactile surface would need to be present to text without looking or without having to stare or look down at the keyboard.

So the reasoning behind putting a "touch" keyboard on the G1 as a "one-handed" "quick text" convenience is flawed. Putting the touchscreen keyboard on there as an additional feature? now that sounds like more of an explanation for it than anything else.

Please, don't try to build it up beyond what it really is. I must commend advertising/marketers though, as they sure do succeed in making people believe certain things about products, even when the notions are absurd. ^5 to media. lol.