iPhone vs DROID multitouch keyboard showdown (video)

I just dashed off this quick video for my Twitter followers to demonstrate that the DROID doesn't have a multitouch soft keyboard, and pretty much instantly realized that I should probably share it with everyone else, since we've been getting a lot of questions about it. Long story short, while Android 2.0 and the DROID's hardware support multitouch, the device itself doesn't do multitouch out-of-the-box, and the soft keyboard suffers mightily for it. Why it's missing is certainly open for debate, but for now just know that no amount of hoping, wishing, or booze is going to make the stock keyboard register more than one press at a time. Don't despair, though -- while I'm not a fan, Chris Ziegler absolutely flies on this same keyboard on his DROID. Videos after the break.

[mocax Posted Nov 5th 2009 9:59PM]

i'd use the on-screen keyboard when i operate the phone with one hand, and the slide-out keyboard if i want to use both hands...

i have fat thumbs so it'll be really annoying to accidentally type a bunch of characters. so i think this single-touch restriction in the on-screen keyboard is really a nice "safety feature" :P

[crapbag Posted Nov 5th 2009 10:23PM]

this feature/lack of feature is being overblown. imo. esp for a phone with a hardware keyboard. quit obsessing over ridiculously minor details. just go get your droid, pet it and love it.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 5th 2009 10:47PM]

The Droid DOES have multitouch!

It's just not implemented in the same fashion as the iPhone, so this "comparison" is void. The way the Droid's multi-touch works is if you press and hold the a key and then press a second key and then release the first key, the Droid will display the second key.

Thus it IS a multitouch keyboard, it's just not implemented in the same way as the iPhone.

The purpose of a multitouch keyboard is to ensure that if, while typing fast, you still have the first key pressed when you start pressing the second key, that it will get second key entered. BOTH implementation accomplish this task.

The Droid's keyboard is actually MORE functional, because, as shown in the first video, simply holding a key down and then touch another part of screen will bring up special characters. Notice how he holds down the n, and then taps the screen and it brings up a n with a ~ on top. That could be quite useful for those typing in Spanish.

So, I repeat, the Droid DOES have multitouch.

[arifree Posted Nov 5th 2009 11:26PM]

"That could be quite useful for those typing in Spanish."

and many other languages.

[kyphem Posted Nov 6th 2009 3:38AM]

can you hold shift and type IN CAPS with the Droid? That is multitouch!

[blackspaces Posted Nov 5th 2009 10:47PM]

i can't STAND that gold trim on the droid
WHY MOTOROLA, WHYYY?!

[arifree Posted Nov 5th 2009 11:36PM]

different strokes for different folks. I just got a catalog from fossil. That style doesn't appeal to me but it appeals to others. There should be many different styles because everyone is different.

[aminiche Posted Nov 6th 2009 1:23AM]

why is nilay such a dick?

[raaaaaa Posted Nov 6th 2009 12:08AM]

can you do a video on of the same thing but this time use the actual keyboard that the droid has?
oh wait the iphone does not have an actual video!
so I dont get why this is an issue?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 6th 2009 1:20AM]

Seriously, NO ONE CARES how fast any of you can type the sentence

[Garst Posted Nov 6th 2009 1:46AM]

I thought the fox jumped over the dog?

[Tazman Posted Nov 18th 2009 12:02AM]

it is stupid to use the input way of iPhone on DROID,

[mallmanzmp3z Posted Nov 6th 2009 6:48AM]

very true, but you MUST lump Win Mobile in that statement as well. Identical possabilities

[JGE Posted Nov 6th 2009 11:35AM]

Don't need a multi-touch keyboard - I usually try to keep at least one hand on the wheel while driving. ;)

[abusethedog Posted Nov 6th 2009 12:02PM]

What's with everyone being all like "but then you can't hold down the shift key and type letters!" ?? It's called Caps Lock... and Android keyboards have it, virtual and hardware.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 6th 2009 2:13PM]

Hello,
Yesterday i unlocked my 3gs 3.1.2 iphone and i was wondering if that is safe to do ? The iphone is unlocked but is it safe to use ? I used www.unlock-iphone.org . Please tell me if is safe.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 6th 2009 2:28PM]

Recently i unlocked my 3GS 3.1.2 iphone and i want to know if its safe, i used http://www.unlock-iphone.org , please tell me if its safe

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 6th 2009 3:58PM]

Is this for real? This is that comparison you make? I don't understand what the big deal is. This is a totally useless comparison because on the Android keyboard long press is configured to pull up special characters. That is why it doesn't type the same. It is actually a better feature to have long press and get special characters than what you are describing.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 6th 2009 8:32PM]

The confusion is that the framework susposedly supports multitouch keyboard on Android 2.0. Check it out.

http://developer.android.com/sdk/android-2.0-highlights.html

"•The framework's multi-touch support ensures that key presses aren't missed while typing rapidly with two fingers."

Maybe that was an older revision??? Or just a ROM choice like the multitouch zoom differences between CDMA and GSM.

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[fredphoesh Posted Nov 9th 2009 8:03AM]

Hi Nilay
Reviewers somehow keep missing is THE REASON I will never buy an iPhone:

MUSIC!
With the iPhone, you have to use quicktime, itunes, a proprietory cable. You cannot drag and drop folders of music to and from your phone.

I detest all of that (and I own two mac computers of my own). I like being able to plug in to a generic USB, on ANY computer anywhere, and just add or remove or copy music to and from the device as much as I want, no interference from a freak controlling Apple.

This makes iPhone (or an iPod for that matter) completely unacceptable to me.

Mark UK.

[phearme Posted Nov 12th 2009 11:28AM]

truly, I don't get the point about the importance of the keyboard thing. I think Nilay is maybe used to some things on an iPhone, and he has a tough time getting used to the same things differently on other devices. I'm pretty sure, since the DROID screen is multi-touch, Android will be supporting, in a very close future, hundreds of different keyboards from different developers which will be adding or deleting features they would want or don't want. So this, to me, is not an issue. An important issue though : does apple approve any custom keyboards made by developers ? No. So think about it.

[bamboofish Posted Dec 29th 2009 7:02PM]

Who types like this example? Are you frequently holding 1 key while trying to type a whole word with the other hand? Also, in the video the person was jamming on the DROID keyboard while a context sensitive menu was up. Expect much maybe? Fairness this is not.

Also, "multi-touch" is a buzz word. Please find for me the definition that specifically states that for something to be multi-touch, it MUST work like an iPhone. Narrow minded much?

Lastly, patents owned by Apple specifically cover gestural movements and their use in the OS.

Your op:ed should have been called "how different is the DROID OSK from the iPhone"