A pretty gigantic flaw in the S4 and S5 (or am I just missing something?)

[scottsmith]

I decided to try out the S5 today which was just put on display at my local AT&T store. I've never had a Samsung phone and was thinking of switching from my LG now that the S5 just came out. However, I noticed something in both the S5 and the S4 that would definitely keep me from pulling the trigger.

I am in the minority of users who prefers the 3x4 "phone" keypad w/ predictive text over QWERTY. I find for 1-handed texters like myself, the 3x4 setup is far better and faster than QWERTY. Anyways, on my LG (and all my previous smartphones) when you open up the web browser and want to type a URL into the address bar, the phone automatically turns off predictive text. This makes sense, since you can't really enter a URL address when the predictive text is on. However, on the S4 and S5, it KEEPS the predictive text on, and I cannot find a nearby button that toggles it on and off. In other words, it's completely impossible to simply enter a website address unless I manually go into settings and turn predictive text off! Unless I am just missing something, this would seem to be not only a huge and annoying inconvenience, but also a gigantic oversight by Samsung that I'm surprised no one has noticed in the S4. Again, if someone can correct me if I am wrong, I would love that because I really want the phone otherwise. Thanks in advance!!!

 

[shmn]

If that's the only "flaw" you found then you aren't looking hard enough. Samsung software, in my opinion sucks. But the hardware is top notch. Software can be changed. Hardware can't.

Just use a different keyboard. Actually, I have replaced all the Samsung software with something else except for the calendar. Everything else is poorly implemented or annoying.

Customization of the software is (especially if rooted) is a nice (and unfortunately, necessary) feature of these phones. Of course, everyone has different expectations from software so what I think sucks, other may love.

And BTW...that's not a "gigantic" flaw...it's minor (and easily correctable).

 

[scottsmith]

If that's the only "flaw" you found then you aren't looking hard enough. Samsung software, in my opinion sucks. But the hardware is top notch. Software can be changed. Hardware can't.

Just use a different keyboard. Actually, I have replaced all the Samsung software with something else except for the calendar. Everything else is poorly implemented or annoying.

Customization of the software is (especially if rooted) is a nice (and unfortunately, necessary) feature of these phones. Of course, everyone has different expectations from software so what I think sucks, other may love.

And BTW...that's not a "gigantic" flaw...it's minor (and easily correctable).

It's a gigantic flaw to me. How can it be corrected? (without giving up my preferred 3x4 keypad)

 

[shmn]

If that's the only "flaw" you found then you aren't looking hard enough. Samsung software, in my opinion sucks. But the hardware is top notch. Software can be changed. Hardware can't.

Just use a different keyboard. Actually, I have replaced all the Samsung software with something else except for the calendar. Everything else is poorly implemented or annoying.

Customization of the software is (especially if rooted) is a nice (and unfortunately, necessary) feature of these phones. Of course, everyone has different expectations from software so what I think sucks, other may love.

And BTW...that's not a "gigantic" flaw...it's minor (and easily correctable).

Use Swiftkey.

 

[scottsmith]

Use Swiftkey.

I thought Swiftkey was only QWERTY.

 

[Mr. Lucky]

Search Google Play for "T9 keyboard" - this one looks interesting:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bb.keyboard.wf

 

[SirEagle]

Once you start typing why can't you just continue typing the website? You don't have to choose to use the words it predicts. Or an I missing something here.

 

[scottsmith]

Once you start typing why can't you just continue typing the website? You don't have to choose to use the words it predicts. Or an I missing something here.

Because unless it's a word that is in the phone's dictionary, you can't. For example, the word "Orbitz" is not understood by the phone. When I start typing Orbitz into the address bar, it auto suggests other words. The more letters of Orbitz I try to type, the further it takes me away from that word. It's like this for nearly every address I try to type, unless it's something really popular like ESPN.com or CNN, etc.

 

[Thatdad]

The answer to you're problem with the keyboard is SwiftKey.

 

[ironass]

The answer to you're problem with the keyboard is SwiftKey.

As mentioned by scottsmith in post #5, SwiftKey does not appear to have the T9 keyboard that the OP desires. Perhaps a better bet would be something like Smart Keyboard which offers this feature.

 

[Thatdad]

As mentioned by scottsmith in post #5, SwiftKey does not appear to have the T9 keyboard that the OP desires. Perhaps a better bet would be something like Smart Keyboard which offers this feature.

Apologies. Not gonna lie, I didn't realize that T9 was still relevant

 

[Riche101]

I type with my thumb and SwiftKey works just perfect

 

[hansangb]

Or swype. You can type with one hand just fine. To be honest, I didn't even know you can setup the keyboard to use T9. But, in the keyboard setup, I saw an option to turn off predictive typing. Maybe that will help. Or better yet, just use one of many superior keyboards!

 

[Thatdad]

I still think SwiftKey might be a decent option since it also has swype, just better prediction on it

I also like it because if it gets in the way you don't have to necessarily go by the prediction it chooses. Also saves usernames and other phrases and words without having to alter a dictionary or anything else. But I rest my case

 

[electricpete]

Unless I am just missing something, this would seem to be not only a huge and annoying inconvenience, but also a gigantic oversight by Samsung that I'm surprised no one has noticed in the S4. . Again, if someone can correct me if I am wrong...

I appreciate you have personal opinion and needs described in your post and if others don't have the same particular need then we should not "argue" about your need. But this particular portion of your post questions why there is not an uproar among a wider audience and as one-time newly self-appointed spokesman of a wider audience I’d like to respond to that aspect:
1 – Very few people with smartphones use dialer style keyboard. It made sense when all your phone had was a dialer keypad, but not when it has a touchscreen interface. As for on-handed use, I’m a one-handed thumb-swyper myself. It does create the wrong word perhaps one out of every 10 words… but at least half the time the right word is suggested one more thumbswype away anyway. I end up having to retype a few (one out of 20?), but it’s still a lot faster than trying to touch each letter accurately.
2 – Very few people repeatedly type addresses. Addresses tend to come in the form of links which we click. When we see one we like, we can bookmark it. Often google search provides yet another way to a website without entering the whole exact url. And by the way, voice input often works great for that type of google search so you don't have to fiddle with exactly spelling on your tiny keyboard the first time you're trying to get to a site that's not in your bookmarks.
3 – I have never seen any keyboard where suggestions prevented me from typing what I wanted…. there should be option to bypass the suggestion somewhere if you fish around.


None of that helps you, but I feel better having said it because (like most of wider audience I would claim), this is nothing resembling a gigantic flaw....

...some thoughts that might be more possibly relevant to you:
Several people mentioned trying out different keypads and they will work differently. I’ll echo that. I am sure you can find one that allows you to type exactly what you want instead of what it thinks you want (otherwise how would you ever add any new vocabulary to the keyboard dictionary?).
I would also suggest to try out different BROWSERS. I remember that typing in address bar of different browsers responds differently

 

[mikedt]

I find predictive text entry for the browser's address bar to be very useful. It saves me having to manually type out something like "androidforums.com" or "chinadaily.cn" every time. Even if a URL is not in the dictionary, the individual words in a URL often are.

 

[Karuna2014]

Check "Samsung Galaxy S5 Default Keyboard Tips and Tricks" by GadjetJM on youtube. Shows how to get 3 x 4 keyboard. Easy.

 

[speedlever]

Is the S5 keyboard available for the GS4? There seem to be some in the Play Store named Galaxy S5, but I don't think they are the same as the actual GS5 keyboard.

 

[cocokasper]

also you can...
from the homescreen. press the menu button go to settings/mydevice tab/language and input, click on the gear next to the samsung keyboard and change all the predictive text options or turn it off.

 

[Tsepz_GP]

I personally use TouchPal, they have a great T9/Multitap keyboard, the layout is by far the best I've ever used, been using it since my Galaxy S2, S3 and S4, I don't plan on leaving it any time soon.

Here's how mine looks: