There are five ways keyboards are presented on smartphones. Since they are not full-size keyboards, there are often built-in shortcuts to help the user. For example, on some smartphones, pressing the space bar twice ends a sentence by entering a period and space. Just like computer keyboards, each type of smartphone keyboard has its own feel and responsiveness, which may appeal to one group of users and not another. See thumb culture.
Full Keyboard
A full QWERTY keyboard with physical keys. Although not full-size typewriter keys by any means, all the keys are present.
Condensed Keyboard
Each physical key has two letters and depressing the key twice in rapid succession enters the second letter.
Numeric Keypad
A standard phone keypad has alphabetic letters on the numeric keys; for example, the "1" is also "ABC." In text mode, the appropriate letters are entered by pressing a key once or several times in rapid succession. With each key press, providing it is done quickly, the next letter in sequence becomes available.
T9 Numeric Keypad
The T9 method provides major shortcuts when using a numeric keypad (see T9).
Virtual Keyboard
A full QWERTY keyboard is presented on a touch screen. If the keyboard can be displayed in landscape mode, there is more room between the keys. See virtual keyboard.
|
