iPhone 3G Keyboard Settings

As you're frequently typing on the iPhone 3G, it's important to ensure that the settings for your keyboard is optimal for your everyday use.

To set the iPhone 3G keyboard settings, just do the following:

1. Tap on the Settings icon
2. Tap on General > Keyboard
3. Ensure Auto-Capitalization is on.
   
   This will ensure that if the keyboard detects that there's a full-stop, it will automatically capitalize the next letter.
   
   
4. Ensure Enable Caps Lock is on.
   
   This will ensure that if you tap on the Shift key twice, you will activate the CAPS LOCK. To de-activate the CAPS LOCK, just tap on the Shift key twice again.
   
   
5. Ensure "." Shortcut is on
   
   This will ensure that if you tap on the Space Bar twice, you will automatically insert a "full stop" and a space.
   
   
6. Choose your other keyboards by clicking on International Keyboards. This is more for users who needs to write in other languages like Chinese or Japanese.

The iPhone 3G keyboard is also quite versatile. These are the 3 most important points which I think differentiates it from the rest of the smart phones:

• The keyboard is able to correct your typing based on the letters that they will perceive you might type wrongly. For e.g., the word "You". If you type in "Yoi", its able to tell you that the word should "You".
  
  If you think the word you have typed in is correct (e.g. acronyms), then you just tap on the suggested word to indicate that you do not want to use that word.
  
  If you think the word suggested is correct, just tap the space bar, or the end of the line and the iPhone will auto-complete the word for you.
  
  The auto-correction feature is also smart enough such that if it detects you've enabled the CAPS LOCK, it will disable the feature as it assumes you're typing in an acronym.
  
  
• The next question would be what happens if you want to insert a word in-between a sentence. Another hidden feature of the iPhone 3G is the magnifying glass.
  
  Identify the line which you wish to edit, and press on that line without letting go (not tapping). After a while, you'll see a magnifying glass appear, with the blinking cursor. The magnifying glass will magnify the words over the line that you have pressed on. Just position the cursor using the magnifying glass by moving your finger, without removing your finger from the screen.
  
  I find it quite useful if I want to edit my email, or my SMS. I do not need to erase all that I've written.
  
  
• To change the keyboard to other languages like Chinese, just tap on the Globe icon next to the space bar. For example for the Chinese keyboard, the iPhone 3G recognizes your Chinese keystrokes.
  
  To change back, just tap on the Globe icon again. Simple case to switch languages, especially for me when I sometimes mix English and Chinese in my SMSes and emails.
  

I have previously used a Dopod D810 and personally to date, the iPhone 3G is the only touch-screen phone that enables me to SMS while walking. That was something I previously thought impossible...

It takes some time to get used to the iPhone 3G keyboard though. However, once you have gotten use to it, and trust in the auto correction spelling feature, you'll find that you can type reasonably fast on the iPhone.

Hope this helps in your typing... :)