Working on a smartphone - is bigger screen a must?

With ever larger screens, smartphones are now close to reaching the size of small tablets.

Formats promoted by manufacturers appear to change almost every time a new flagship model is unveiled, and there seem to be only one trend when it comes to expressing screen size: up. Even the conservative Apple has recently ditched Steve Job’s “optimal” 3.5” – the newest Cupertino screen is 4 inches.

Android based devices are at forefront when it comes to this “swollen phone syndrome”: there was a talk of 6-inch screens during the recent CES. And it is only January.

The official marketing line ranges from competing with e-readers to more comfortable video streaming, to bridging the gap between phones and laptops… With buyers more or less willingly accepting the argument.

One of the key – yet missed – reasons for the change is the convenience of working with text. Larger screens make operating touchscreen keyboards easier. The viewing area left unobstructed by virtual buttons is also greater.

Yet even with these larger screens, data input remains a far cry from typing on say a laptop. It comes as no surprise then that an ever increasing number of users begin to switch to alternative methods. The benefits are clear.

As one ETAOI user explains: "The smartphone I use is Xperia Neo V [3.7” screen] and I probably won’t be upgrading to anything larger – I need something that looks like a phone… This keyboard is the only one I know which allows to type efficiently, quickly and even allows for touch typing [typing without looking]. I type a lot when commuting and QWERTY has always been a nightmare. Using ETAOI I can again create messages with only one hand, just as on the old, alphanumeric, mechanical phone keyboard. The difference is I can now do it quicker! The ability to type with only your thumb is a luxury most smartphone users have long forgotten”. 

You can try ETAOI for yourself here. 

Smartphone vs. computer – what’s the difference?

For the first time, ETAOI lets your smartphone to become a fully functional, portable computer, which you can conveniently and efficiently use for creating and editing text.

Quad-core CPUs, high definition graphics, large (and easily expandable) memory… Modern smartphones are not just as good as personal computers from a few years back – they’re actually not far off from, or even better than, some the current models. 12MP camera, or noise reduction technology is not something you can easily find on a laptop. Not to mention the fantastic portability!

In addition, smartphones offer an entirely new mode of man-machine interaction. High resolution touchscreens greatly improve work comfort, and gesture recognition is already beyond what most PCs can do (and can only really be matched by tablets).

All the above suggests smartphones should soon become the primary working tool for the digital age. Yet they are still treated as an inferior supplement to a personal computer. The reason for this is quite simple: even the most powerful device is of little use, when you struggle to input any data… And a crystal clear screen does not help, if half covered.

An inconvenient, slow, imprecise keyboard is the Achilles heel of modern phones.

The average speed is around 31 WPM (words per minute) when handwriting. Try inputting the same text using iPhone (widely considered to have the best touch screen QWERTY), and your speed is likely to drop to around 25-27 WPM. Slower writing is not the only disadvantage here – smartphone users often complain about having to constantly shift between text and keys, which can lead to nausea. Then there are typos and the infamously dumb auto-complete assistance.

Using a full-size QWERTY is both more convenient and much more efficient: 35 WPM for most users. This is quicker than even handwriting, but of course requires the appropriate hardware and a place to accommodate it.

ETAOI is the only application allowing to overcome the problems currently faced by smartphone owners: it enables to input text quickly (35 WPM average), yet takes only a fraction of the screen. This means ETAOI can easily compete with not just handwriting, but also typing using all fingers on a standard computer keyboard. Because ETAOI can be used for touch typing (typing without looking), there’s no need to constantly shift eyes away from what you write. For the first time, ETAOI lets your smartphone to become a fully functional, portable computer, which you can conveniently and efficiently use for creating and editing text.

Finding the right key... without looking

One of the most important features of ETAOI is its capacity for facilitating touch typing, that is inputting text without looking at the keys.

On a normal PC, you can only properly touch type using all fingers of both hands (and after some lengthy training). There are many advantages to working in this way though. The most important is speed. Also worth noting is the lower likelihood of errors, and the ability to focus on text, rather than the mechanics of transferring it onto a screen. It’s not surprising then that for a number of years touch typing has been an integral part of professional training completed by journalists and secretaries.  

It was the ability to use it for touch typing that gave the original QWERTY (developed by McGurrin in 1878) its competitive edge over other systems introduced around that time.

To a certain extent, it is possible to touch type on phones with physical keyboards, either the standard, alphanumeric ones, or the Blackberry-style, miniature QWERTY types.

Unfortunately, this is no longer true for smartphones equipped with touchscreens. Typing on a flat glass surface requires constant shifting of attention from text to keys, and back. The lack of any orientation points – as well as feedback from pressing the keys – means the sense of touch just isn't enough.

Thanks to its unique features ETAOI allows to overcome the above limitations.

The main advantage of the keyboard here is the number, as well as the layout of its keys. With five clear-cut buttons in a horizontal line, all movement is alongside only one axis. Placing your thumb underneath the bottom edge of the phone is enough to serve as an orientation point for all slides. This means typing can be finally done without looking!

What is more, learning this new way of inputting text takes much less time than learning to touch type on a computer. But this shouldn’t come as a surprise: with ETAOI you only use one finger and need to coordinate movements between just five points alongside a short, straight line.  

Try ETAOI and you can develop a skill which up to now has been the domain of trained professionals using full-size keyboards!

ETAOI mark II

In the last couple of weeks, ETAOI underwent the most significant transition since its creation!

Following comments from users, and continuous in-house research, the original letters' layout – based exclusively on how often different characters are used – has been replaced with an entirely new system.

The main aim of the change was to drastically shorten the learning time.

The new way in which letters are distributed is based on the familiar, alphabetical order. Yet, some of the key assumptions behind the previous version have also been retained.

The result?

A layout that’s easy to remember, but where the most frequently typed letters are still input using taps and short slides, i.e. in the most effective manner. This helps to reach typing speeds of around 35-45 words per minute.

All new combinations are shown below:

(Please note that assigning the letter “N” a shorter combination than that associated with “M” has been intentional.) 

ETAOI speed test

This is the first speed test of the new version of ETAOI keyboard.

Free demo version available now!

The free demo version of our keyboard is available now on android market.

You can get it here!

Big update of the paid application coming in few days time!

This is how it works!

Note the 100% accuracy! 43wpm speed is not a world record, but you only need around 19wpm while composing a new text.
Check our website for more info or find us on android market.