Filed under: iPod Family, Software Update, Found Footage, iPhone, SDK
Found Footage: iPhone 2.0 Japanese keyboard demoed
The software keyboard has set Apple up to ship more iPhones to more countries without wasting time manufacturing plastic keyboards. In this video, TokyoMango demos the new iPhone Japanese keyboard from the 2.0 firmware via the iPhone SDK simulator. While I cannot vouch for the usability of the keyboard (seeing as I haven't used it, nor do I know Japanese), I can say that it looks very well designed and refined.
[via MacRumors]
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
redelephantlabel said 1:54PM on 6-26-2008
that really looks like it would take forever. As much as I'm sure it sucks that Japanese writers have to transliterate Japanese into Romaji to type on the iPhone now, it seems to be fairly efficient.
Reply
samu said 2:04PM on 6-26-2008
According to the linked article, you can choose between QWERTY and kana; and with the kana keypad, you can choose between conventional multi-tap and this sliding system.
totoro said 2:05PM on 6-26-2008
you've never seen the Japanese text on their cell phones while on the subways then-they are incredibly adept at it.
samu said 2:07PM on 6-26-2008
...so, finishing that thought, it shouldn't be any slower than a conventional phone when used with multi-tap, and I think sliding could easily outpace that once you were used to it.
samu said 1:56PM on 6-26-2008
Interesting. I was unsure about the + menu for selecting within rows of kana, until I noticed that you can drag and release on it; so stroking "ka" upwards gives you "ku". I can imagine this becoming very quick and natural.
Reply
Victor said 7:05PM on 6-26-2008
Judging by how many shortcuts you need to access just to write a single word I think the Japanese market is gonna pass on the Iphone at least until they get a decent keyboard, I have seen Japanese text like crazy, and this is not going to help them.
Also, completely unrelated, the Iphone has no way to hang charms, that alone might be the Iphone's undoing in Japan
Reply
Corey Smith said 2:43PM on 6-26-2008
Wow this looks pretty neat. I'm glad that Apple will finally make this available to everyone as hacking it in with every firmware release became pretty tedious.
I really wonder how much I'll use this over the QWERTY version.
Reply
Bryan Veloso said 3:32PM on 6-26-2008
So you won't be able to draw kana/kanji? Is that only available for Chinese Traditional, etc?
Reply
matthew said 5:13PM on 6-26-2008
As someone who speaks japanese, this looks clunky and bad. I hope they still allow for an IME style input.
Reply
Kuma said 6:03PM on 6-26-2008
You may speak Japanese, but obviously you have never used Japanese on Touch or iPhone. I can tell you now as a resident of Japan, that the IME input (or input method as Apple call it) is woeful. Apple Store employees hate it, I hate it, my friends, who I have leant my touch to, hate it. everybody I work with hates it.
Going to the "tap-tap" method as per phones today or maybe even the slide method as demoed is huge step in the right direction. I for one look forward to bashing out my simple Japanese on that keyboard.
Meatleg said 10:53PM on 6-26-2008
I too think that this looks clunky and slow, but IME is not the answer.... Instead of this tap+sliding to change letters within the syllabic sets, multiple tapping is definitely preferred here by me and by everyone else who types Japanese on a daily basis... I hope it is in there...
samu said 12:33PM on 6-27-2008
The linked article states that both the current system and multi-tap will be available in addition to sliding...
south said 9:15PM on 6-26-2008
I wonder how well it'll work one-handed: japanese people require this as they need at least one hand free to hold the bicycle handlebars (or cigarette).
seriously, though, this might finally convince me to get the iPhone. I was kind of dreading trying to write japanese on that tiny QWERTY keyboard. this looks quite nice and might even be easier than a regular phone keypad.
oh, and btw, not EVERYONE in japan hangs charms & straps on their phones. a lot, maybe, but there are still a lot of people who keep their phones strap-free.
Reply
Tom said 12:18AM on 6-27-2008
oh thank god, i was afraid we'd be stuck with the crappy keyboard like we have on the ipod touch. i don't know if i like the sliding thing because it seems like you have to hold it down for a while to get the menu to pop up. i think real phone keypads are much easier with the multitap and tactile feel. sometimes i'll tap a button 3-4 times on my touch and i swear it doesn't register all the time. i still think that because of the lack of a real keypad that the iphone won't be popular here.
Reply
Kuma said 6:37AM on 6-27-2008
I just spent the day in Tokyo and used my Felica to pay for basically everything. I think I only reached for my wallet once.. to pay for lunch... and even then if I had credit I could have paid for it with the felica...
I think the iphone lacking felica is really drawback.... Ive ordered my iPhone.. but Im not committed to it... it just lacks those little things.. emoji, felica and to a lesser extent one seg. (for the record gmail now supports emoji.. even if you cant send them.. you can see them in gmail).
I think the initial batch will sell.. people will be interested.. but I dont think it will make record sales... but then again.. who knows.. Japanese love to have the latest and perceived greatest.
Tom said 12:03AM on 6-28-2008
the felica thing is overrated. i live in tokyo and never once have i thought that it'd be nice to have. i just dont see the advantage over using suica. so either way, passing through the train station or buying from a vending machine etc, you'd have to pull out something; either your wallet or keitai. so i'd just rather pull out my wallet since i have my digital money and my real money in there.