Log in

View Full Version : First FasTap Phone Coming to the US

Mike Temporale
08-01-2006, 02:15 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.phonescoop.com/news/item.php?n=1828' target='_blank'>http://www.phonescoop.com/news/item.php?n=1828</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Alltel and Digit Wireless today announced the LG AX-490, the country's first phone with a FasTap text keypad. FasTap speeds messaging and other text entry by adding individual letter keys in-between the number keys of a standard phone keypad. The FasTap keypad also enables one-touch shortcuts to nearly any function of the phone. The clamshell CDMA phone also features Bluetooth, a VGA camera, BREW, a full-color OLED outer display, and speaker-independent voice control. The AX-490 will be available Thursday, August 3rd."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Temporale-20060801-FastTap.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><br />Ok, so this isn't a Windows Mobile device. It's not even a smartphone, but it does have a really cool keyboard built-in to the dial pad. Telus in Canada has had a FastTap phone for a while now. I don't know how well it's selling. I know that I have yet to see anyone with one and they've been available for about a year now. I wish more companies would look at alternative input methods like FastTap for their Smartphones. I just can't do T9 very well.
ctmagnus
08-01-2006, 09:02 PM
My sister picked up one of the Telus versions when she came back from England a year ago. She enjoyed (she's now in China) it somewhat. If she can figure out something like this, anyone can.

I personally prefer t9 if I have to use a physical keypad to text.
Kris Kumar
08-02-2006, 12:12 AM
I personally prefer t9 if I have to use a physical keypad to text.

I am also so comfortable with T9 that all I want is Windows Mobile to make T9 the default input mechanism for all text inputs instead of multi-tap. Once it is the default, I don't have to waste time to switch the input mode.

But I would like to give the FasTap a try, concerned that remembering the key positions will take some getting used to.