SWYPE

Swype is an input method for touchscreens developed by Swype Inc. Swype was first commercially available on the Nokia N9 smartphone running Linux MeeGo. In October, 2011, Swype Inc was acquired by Nuance Communications.



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. Swype is designed for use on touchscreen devices with a traditional QWERTY keyboard.


The software has a size of less than one megabyte, and is as small as 500–900 kilobytes in most cases, such as on devices running the Windows Mobile operating system according to the product page. The recent beta comes with a large number of languages and software and can easily exceed 10MB in size on the Android operating system platform.


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.


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. 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, and reportedly improved on 22 August of the same year to 25.94 using a Samsung Galaxy S. 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 currently ships on the Nokia N9, Nokia N950, Samsung wave s8500, Motorola CLIQ, Motorola CLIQ XT, Motorola DEFY, Motorola Atrix 4G, HTC HD2 (T-Mobile USA version,) T-Mobile G2, T-Mobile MyTouch 3G 3.5 mm Jack and myTouch Slide 3G (the latter both by T-Mobile USA). It also ships on the Omnia II mobile handset, manufactured by Samsung and distributed by Verizon Wireless. The most recent additions include the Samsung Galaxy S GT-i9000 and Nokia C7, as well as the Samsung Droid Charge and the Samsung Stratosphere. Swype has also recently become available for Windows 7 based tablets from certain manufacturers, including HP and ViewSonic.