The latest beta version of iPhone Software Version 2.0 includes a new handwriting recognition interface for the Chinese language. According to reports, build 5A258f of the 2.0 software adds several new Chinese input methods to the international keyboard settings menu, including handwriting recognition. “Unfortunately, handwriting recognition is only available in Chinese (Traditional and Simplified) and doesn’t support English,” said Kenneth, the iPhone user who discovered the new input options. Screenshots of the new interface (Translated link) show it functioning in both portrait and landscape modes, allowing the user to draw a symbol on the screen with his/her finger. The user then selects the correct character from a column of possible character matches that appears to the right of the input area. Apple has previously said it plans to release iPhone Software 2.0 in late June.
Handwriting recognition interface discovered in iPhone Software 2.0
1 comment
This is certainly excellent news for folks in Asia. As someone who’s alphabet has only 26 non-accented characters, I don’t see why anyone would care that it doesn’t support English. Graffiti on the Palm never seemed all that fast to me.