Gallery: The Real Symbian^3 Portrait QWERTY keyboard demoed on the Nokia N8
As promised alex68 has updated us on tips@mynokiablog.com about the portrait QWERTY of the Nokia N8. This is the real one (mid development perhaps) and NOT the 3rd party QWERTY keyboard that we saw the other day.
Here’s the standard T9. Note how the text field is no longer separate. You can see exactly the app you’re typing in without being whisked away into a separate text box.
The T9 on a touch screen has often been criticised as being outdated – but I think T9 is a great option to have. Folks can still type with one hand very easily like their own candybar T9 handsets. It helps if you have big hands. Some folk just prefer typing with T9. It’s good to have the option there – but even better were the QWERTY portait given also as an immediate option.
Well let’s quickly pop into settings: See QWERTY keyboard. Not bad – immediately visible without having to dig around the menu.
And Voila. The portrait QWERTY for Symbian^3. Typing very responsive. Not sure about multitouch support. Not such a requirement when in portrait as you’ll be one handed.
The portrait QWERTY should mean future portrait QWERTY for Swype – for me, that’s what swype is made for. One handed thumb swyping. Portrait is ok but possibly not as convenient as a single thumb drag.
Note: This is NOT an English QWERTY keyboard. I don’t know how the button placements would appear were there to be fewer letters. Perhaps they would be not directly aligned and offset like a proper qwerty?
Numbers Button:
What do you think? What do you like about it? What could be improved?
Simple solution, just copy the keyboard from the E71/E72 in software. Some minor tweaks and done. Why reinvent the wheel?
alex,thanks for the clarification
n8 for the win \m/
Sorry, it was my mistake. The option was called mark multiple items, confused with hotmail option.
how do u do this, i really want it the T9 is annoying.
I don’t find how u guys get this to work on use version. The keyboard options does not come up under settings. Someone needs to correct what u are talking about.
After I practiced more typing on the portrait qwerty keyboard, I somehow get the design idea how it works. It is not a SIMPLE single touch screen. It is still designed for single handed people or usage. You can just swipe quickly with your thumb on the screen keyboard and char pops up to hint what you hit and release your thumb a bit when you hit the char you want. That’s why numbers are designed like the num pad in computer keyboard.
Layout of the keyboard seems not an issue or quiet irrelevant here.
It needs a little practice and surely it is a fast way to type with one hand. I believe some people will like it.
Believe it or not. Time will tell.
do you have any idea when the language pack codes will be provided for the n8? btw how’s ur n8 doing? mine just restarted 4 times in a day due to intensive multitasking and multiple commands. and what about the screws on each side of the phone? they went from white to black just in a few days
… i hope they will not get rust stains. (anodized aluminum casing and still they go cheap on the screws? can’t believe it!)
No idea about language packs, maybe early next year. I can ask some one if I have a chance.
The screw is different material. In my phone, they are dark color as well. But don’t think they will get rusty.
Have you downloaded recent software update for stability improvements? It should help.
My N8 has been working very well. Nothing specially bad. Opera crashes sometimes and some small issues. I consider rather acceptable and satisfactory.
I have a new win7 HP mini laptop. The chrome browser crashes now and than. The network sometimes stops working with both cable and wireless connection that I have to reboot. I consider all these “NORMAL”.
I have been working in IT industry for a considerably long time. There is no REALLY perfect product.
Of course, the problems should be fixed at some point if not so soon. I can live with the problems before solutions are available. This is my point.
I today sent my N8 to nokia care. It got automatically shutdown and never revived. previously it was revived in 20 minutes first time and another time it took almost 3 hours anda i had frequent shutdowns as well, could this be isolated problem
you’r right about the normality of the n8′s behavior. i do agree that all of us experienced different types of crashing softwares from mobile phones to pc’s.
i was worried that it’s abnormal. but looking from this point of view… nothing is perfect.
and about those pack codes for me is a real biggie. having thick fingers, the only solution would be the t9 keyboard. but there’s no language support for my area. hopefully i won’t have to wait too long for it.
Alex, which country are you from? Today I asked my friend about it. The answer is if it is not released with the language now, it is unlikely to support the language later. Nokia has plan to reduce the language variants for phones. But when I told it is Romania and the answer was it should be supported as it is not a small country.
btw, multitask behavior will change in the coming major release. Nokia DOES need to do a lot polish work to make Symbian more SMARTLY capable.
Please elaborate on the multitasking?
Exactly what will change??
Some apps may be able to pause themselves and others may save state maybe?
And others can freely run in the b-ground
i’m from Romania but my n8 ain’t… the supported languages on my handset are English Indonesian Melayu and… some strange characters i guess it’s Chinese. i know that i can change my language pack but the thing is i don’t have the right code nor the right re-flash software. this is why i’m asking for infos and help
Maybe the screws are silver.
i want the potrait qwerty keyboard really bad, but this layout is ugly =/ keys look cramped as hell grr come on nokia! Step it up. Nobody wants half assed job. It looks like who ever designing it just flipped the landscape qwerty to this one. Looks way uncomfortable n don’t like the layout!! Hope they improve it!
button tooooo narrow!!!
If you installed some third party apps or games that have not been tested well enough for Symbian 3, I am not surprised to hear this. This is usually the most of the sources of problems like this.
I see. Try to contact Nokia Romania if they can do you a favor to flush the right language pack for your firmware.
If not, I can ask if I can get the software for you.
i’ll try to contact them but… it’s hard to get in touch. i guess i ow you if you can do this favor for me. all of my friends and i we couldn’t wait for nokia’s lazy ass bring the n8 to romania and we went online and bought the handset from india. so it’s no guarantee applied or stuff like technical support for us
ok, I see. Tomorrow I will call my friend and see if I can get the lang pack for you. After I receive it, I will upload it somewhere you can download.
BTW, N8 is in short of supply. It is not about lazy ass thing to delay the release to your country. One of my friends working for N8 even doesn’t have an N8. It has been ordered.
thanks man i appreciate your effort.
No problem. I still think you should receive
service and guarantee which should be global wide applicable, regardless of where you buy. I know many Chinese go to Hongkong and Macau (for color or for cheaper price) to buy N8 and they DO have the support and guarantee in mainland.
The guarantee is 2 years and very important if something is wrong in your N8. You should contact Nokia Romania to get this clear.
i’ll try to get in contact with them tomorrow to see if i can get a guarantee certificate. and again thanks 4 the advice. keep in touch with the lang. pack
I replied to you in the browser post. Too confused everyday due to not enough sleep
.
In my reply I gave you the links where you can find product code for your language.
Nokia staff internally handle language things differently than we end users. Even my friend who is a developer doesn’t know the external language product code and has to check and learn it as well.
any news? :-S
Terrible layout. Why are the alternate vowels shown by default? They should make it so that a long-press on a vowel gives you a mini-popup choice. This just makes it extremely cramped–3.5″ is already about as small as you can go and I don’t think Nokia’s screen is as touch accurate as the iPhone’s.
Glad to se the the T9 will still be an option.
I need for one-hand-hold-and-thumb-typing.
Looking forward to trying Swype though
[...] This is a short and sweet video following up on the previous posts about the new homescreen/browser and the new portrait QWERTY. [...]
I need swype, I already saw this one on the post on a video on youtube but it has been deleted!! But we need portrait swype!
Here is the video am talkin about
When I asked about vertical keybord . nokia staff answerd me that I should have small fingers to use such a keyboard on that phone. It means that all Iphone and Samsung Galaxy S users are having small fingers.