We spent some time typing on our smartphone with Typewise Pro and now we are ready for the review of this hexagonal smartphone keyboard. We used an Android smartphone for testing, so Typewise Pro replaced the highly efficient Google-developed Gboard keyboard. It's worth the upgrade and download this alternative keyboard? Here's what we think.
Typewise Pro review, the hexagonal keyboard
A keyboard that promises to type faster by showing you one new writing mode on smartphone. And if that's not enough, it does not require special authorizations, ensuring the security of your data. Typewise Pro wants to streamline while protecting privacy. The keyboard offers a basic version that you can try for free, while the paid version adds cool features and can also be used entirely offline.
So let's analyze these aspects in order: writing experience, privacy and extra functionality, to close by asking ourselves if it is worth paying for the Pro version.
Honeycomb key review: what the writing experience is like
By downloading your new keyboard, you can launch the companion application to follow a short tutorial on how it works. This way you can not only understand on the fly how to set up the new keyboard but also set all the options. For example you can choose all languages you intend to use while you type on the keyboard (in addition to Italian it is better to choose at least English, and if you use Duolingo or Babel also the language you are learning).
But the real novelty is the choice between keyboard Traditional QWERTY or the thexagonal rod. Although the classic one is also very well done, we immediately threw ourselves on the honeycomb design. According to the creators of the keyboard it takes at least a week for it to become as natural as the old keyboard. In our experience you need less to be able to use it without problems. Even if every now and then it still happens that we hit the wrong button for muscle memory.
The app allows you to experiment with the new way of writing with some tests, which we recommend you do to take your hand (or rather your fingers). Keys are 70% larger, taking full advantage of the greater area guaranteed by the two extra keys. The arrangement is slightly different, because the letters are arranged on five lines instead of three. But they are all close to where they are in the QWERTY keyboard: your finger always goes in the right direction and after a while you get used to it.
There are also two keys for the spaces in the center instead of the bar at the bottom. To make capital letters you have to press the button but make a quick upward movement, while you have to hold down to make the accents. We really liked the way words are deleted: drag from anywhere on the keyboard to the left to delete. Going back to the right, you can cancel the deletion. Depending on how fast you move you will cancel everything in one stroke or one letter at a time. A feature that we would now like to see in every software keyboard of any device.
Less convenient, however, is the fact of having to select one of the buttons to go to selection of numbers.
Do you get used to it quickly?
We have only tested this keyboard for a couple of days before you find it natural to write to us. Although we are used to writing a few thousand words a day on a physical keyboard with the QWERTY arrangement, writing on a smartphone stimulates other synapses in our brain. Once you write some messages, you should start writing quite accurately. However, we made some mistakes (the self-corrector has added a consonant to a colleague's name, causing him to be angry) but all in all the experience is good.
After a week, however, we have not yet reached the speed reached with the QWERTY. We think it's just a matter of training: Typewise's studies say they can reduce errors by 80% and speed up writing by a lot. We reserve the right to update this review later in time in case of changes but we seem to move in that direction. Once you get the callus, you start to speed up a lot. Even if we still make some mistakes and jam every now and then.
Download
QR-Code
Typewise Tastiera Caratteri
Developer:
Typewise AG
Price:
Free+
Download QR-Code Typewise Keyboard - Custom Keyboard Developer: Typewise Price: Free +
More privacy, without losing functionality
Another of the strengths of this keyboard is the greater protection of privacy, due to the fact that does not ask for any particular permission. This on the other hand means giving up some functions of other keyboards such as dictation, since there is no access to the microphone.
However you find the automatic corrector in over 40 different languages. Which gets better every time you use it, saving the words you use most often (proper names, nicknames and idioms) and much more. If we have to make a comparison with Google's Gboard, it seems to us that the autocorrect and the prediction of the next word is slightly less precise. But we think it also depends on the shorter time spent typing on the keyboard: we use Gboard from the first Nexus produced by Google, he had time to get to know us.
The "undo”Which appears automatically after a correction, allowing you to go back to the word you typed if the keyboard corrected it incorrectly.
The ability to choose multiple languages, good level artificial intelligence and the various themes you can choose from make this keyboard a complete and interesting product. All without even touching your privacy.
ALSO READ: Android 12, users will be able to disable tracking between appsTypewise review: differences between the basic and PRO version
We immediately redeemed the review code given to us by Typewise by purchasing the $ 25 PRO version. We thought the best features were the paid ones, instead we found that all the basic features are present in the free version. You can shop in the app to improve the experience a little at a time or buy the full Pro version for Android. But even in the free version, you can test the new type of writing. So the advice is to try to write with the hexagons and check that it actually suits you. Then you can buy the version that offers, among other functions:
- Type in multiple languages without the need to change language. That's right, multilingual support is also available in the free version but with Typewise PRO in this review we were able to change the language even within the same sentence. The artificial intelligence recognizes the language change quite well and does not correct the English or Spanish words we have tried to write
- You can get it more precise suggestions, even on words from the jargon that artificial intelligence has learned
- There are others 16 themes, in addition to the 3 main ones, for those who want to vary the colors of their keyboard
- You can create the your shortcuts (just like in Word for PC), for example by entering your home address by writing @home
- You can activate the vibration as tactile feedback and adjust its intensity. A very well done function.
- There is the modality tablets
- You can change the style of the emoji, with emoticons and also GIF
- Select the font size you prefer
- Manage the gesture to delete and much more
As you can see, none of these functions are strictly necessary. But they make it the much more pleasant experience, especially the automatic selection of languages and shortcuts. They also allow you to support the development of the app, which does not sell your data for advertising. Test it for a long time and see if you like it, but if you are convinced the PRO version of Typewise is worth the purchase, despite the relatively high cost.
Download
QR-Code
Typewise Offline Keyboard
Developer:
Typewise
Price:
24,99 USD
Typewise PRO review: is it worth a change?
Typewise offers a new way to type on your smartphone. Innovative and feature-rich, it turns out really interesting. We usually never feel the need to change the basic keyboard of the smartphones we review and many users don't even know it's a possibility. But the hexagonal keys are a novelty so evident that they are worth the change: it is a unique and new experience, but you get used to it quickly.
Our advice, for the curious, is to try it at a time when you don't have to send a million messages and emails with your smartphone. Take the time to try and test this novelty. It's worth it, even if you decide not to buy the PRO version and go back to the classic keyboard.
OfferBestseller No. 1
Samsung Smartphone Galaxy S21 5G, Display 6.2" Dynamic...
- 64MP telephoto camera, 10MP front camera and 12MP Ultra Wide-angle camera: all of this ...
- Thanks to the Galaxy S4.000 21G's 5 mAh battery, your phone has a charge all day
- The powerful 2100nm Exynos 5 processor ensures maximum performance and allows this smartphone to multitask ....
