TouchPal Keyboard Android App Out of Beta, Quick Look and First Impressions
Overview
Among the players in the third-party Android keyboard app scene, two of the most known are Swype and Swiftkey X. Both of these apps offer the gesture-based, hand-recognition form of inputting text using your Android phone. As far as I know, these two apps are well accepted and used and both have their massive followings. So, what can a new app of the same function, such as TouchPal Keyboard compete then? The answer is simple – offer something which both apps don’t have in addition to what those apps can offer. The result is TouchPal Keyboard Android app which just went out of beta and is available now from the Android Market.
How to Install and Set-up TouchPal Keyboard
Download TouchPal Keyboard app from the Android Market and install accordingly. Then go to Settings -> Local&Text -> Long press in any input field -> Select Input Method -> TouchPal Keyboard.
Features of TouchPal Keyboard Android App
Unique to TouchPal Keyboard Android app is the TouchPal Curve which is lets you pause while in the middle of sliding to have the app predict long words for you as well as an intelligent next-word prediction tool that can save you up to 80% keystrokes, according to the app’s description from the App Store. I’ve been using the app since it was updated recently and I could say that it works like a charm. The prediction is accurate most of the time although I still get some inaccuracies from time to time. The app also allows auto-language detection so there’s no need for you to switch languages manually. The app’s keyboard is also fairly bigger than QWERTY keyboards of most smartphones. And there’s also the so-called T+ dual-letter layout which might take time to get used to but useful nonetheless.
Other features of the TouchPal Keyboard App for Android include:
- Voice input (Android 2.2+)
- Outstanding dictionary with online update
- Import contact list to your user dictionary
- Backup/restore user dictionary in SD card
- Slide down on keys to quickly input number and symbols
- Fantastic sliding experience
