Sometimes there is no replacement for good old-fashioned, tried-and-true methods. As for mobile devices, with so many options available today, it is really a case of “to each his [or her] own.”
When it comes down to typing words into your phone, most users prefer the physical QWERTY, with physical keys on the keyboard, according to a new Nokia (News - Alert) poll.
“The top method for typing words into your Nokia phone is the physical QWERTY receiving an overwhelming 42 percent, while in second place is the mixture of on-screen QWERTY with the use of Swype (News - Alert) – taking just shy of 30 percent. Coming third – reminding me of most sports day events when I was a kid – was my contribution of the T9, scoring a little under 20 percent,” according to a Nokia Conversations blog post.
To break this down into human statistic, seven out of 10 people prefer using a physical keyboard.
Meanwhile, there were some interesting choices appearing in the “other” category, including laser keyboards, making up 3.95 percent of the total.
“Not sure if you’ve ever tried these, but they’re an interesting experience to say the least. On-screen QWERTY without Swype was another popular choice whilst adaptxt also picked up some attention. T9 physical keys also made several appearances,” the blog post said.
Interestingly, we still use the original layout of the keyboard that was introduced 137 years ago.
As Nokia points out, the layout of the keys that once started with the Scholes and Glidden typewriter back in 1874 is now also the method of choice on smartphones.