| Original author(s) | Swype Inc. |
|---|---|
| Operating system | MeeGo, Android, Bada, Symbian, Windows Mobile |
| Type | Virtual keyboard |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | http://www.swype.com/ |
Swype is an input method for touchscreens developed by Swype Inc.[1] Swype was first commercially available on the Samsung Omnia II running Windows Mobile.[2] In October, 2011, Swype Inc was acquired by Nuance Communications.[3]
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Swype allows users to enter words by sliding a finger or stylus from letter to letter, lifting only between words. It uses error-correcting algorithms and a language model to guess the intended word. It also includes a tapping predictive text system in the same interface.[2]
Swype is designed for use on touchscreen devices with a traditional QWERTY keyboard.[2]
The software has a size of less than one megabyte, and as small as 500–900 kilobytes in most cases, such as on devices running the Windows Mobile operating system.[2]
Swype consists of three major components that contribute to its accuracy and speed: an input path analyzer, word search engine with corresponding database, and a manufacturer customizable interface.[2]
The creators of Swype predict that users will achieve over 50 words per minute, with the chief technical officer (CTO) and founder Cliff Kushler claiming to have reached 55 words per minute.[4][5] On 22 March 2010, a new Guinness World Record of 35.54 seconds was set for the fastest text message on a touchscreen mobile phone using Swype on the Samsung Omnia II,[6] and reportedly improved on 22 August of the same year to 25.94 using a Samsung Galaxy S.[7] The Guinness world record text message consists of 160 characters in 25 words and was typed in 25.94 seconds, which corresponds to a speed of nearly 58 words per minute, or 370 characters per minute.
Swype is currently available for, or under development for, the following languages:[8]
Support for these languages depends on OEM and carrier decisions. The manufacturer claims that the same algorithms can be applied to almost any world language.
Swype currently ships on the Nokia N950,[9] Samsung wave s8500, Motorola CLIQ, Motorola CLIQ XT, Motorola DEFY, Motorola Atrix 4G, HTC HD2 (T-Mobile USA version,) T-Mobile G2,[10] T-Mobile MyTouch 3G 3.5 mm Jack and myTouch Slide 3G (the latter both by T-Mobile USA)[11] It also ships on the Omnia II mobile handset, manufactured by Samsung and distributed by Verizon Wireless.[12] The most recent additions include the Samsung Galaxy S GT-i9000 and Nokia C7,[13] as well as the Samsung Droid Charge.
The software's developer, Swype, Inc. is planning to market the software to other mobile device makers and expects a widespread adoption of the software among touch-based mobile devices.[14]
On June 16, 2010, Swype opened a public beta for the Android operating system.[15] The Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy S II, Motorola Droid X, Motorola i1, and Motorola Droid 2 Android-based smartphones come with Swype pre-installed.
Virgin Mobile USA introduced Swype on the LG Optimus V, which runs the Android OS.
Swype is available for the Symbian platform S60 5th edition devices e.g. the Nokia 5800 Xpressmusic, Nokia 5230, Nokia N97 original and mini, Nokia C6-00, and the Nokia X6. Swype was released for Symbian^3 on October 16, 2010. It is available on the Ovi store.[16]
In December 2010, an update including Swype was pushed to Sprint's HTC Evo 4G users.[17]
By the end of 2011, Swype expected to be preloaded on over 100 million devices.[18]
Swype is similar in concept to SwipeIt, SlideIT, TouchPal, and ShapeWriter, all of which also involve tracing a path over letters on a virtual keyboard. Another well-known input program is SwiftKey. It does not have input using paths, but uses more advanced predictive software, allowing the keyboard to predict the next word in the sentence at a personalised level.