Handwriting recognition interface appears in iPhone Software 2.0

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
The latest private beta of Apple's upcoming iPhone Software v2.0 includes a handwriting recognition interface for the Chinese language, according to a new report.



AppleInsider reader Kenneth notes that build 5A258f of the impending software update adds several new Chinese input methods under the international keyboard settings, including handwriting recognition.



"Unfortunately, handwriting recognition is only avaliable in Chinese (Traditional and Simplified) and doesn't support English," he told AppleInsider.



In his own write up on the subject -- translated -- Kenneth posts several screenshots from the software, which show the handwriting interface functioning in both portrait and landscape modes.



As the user draws symbols on the screen, the iPhone's handwriting recognition interface begins to suggest possible character matches in a column to the right of the input area.



Apple had previously posted a job listing for a handwriting recognition engineer, and AppleInsider reported last year that the company's upcoming Newton/Web tablet would arrive with support for the input technology.







A recent patent filing has also suggested that Apple is working on a next-generation multi-touch 'surface' that would combine typing, pointing, scrolling, and handwriting capabilities into a single ergonomic design aimed at replacing traditional input devices such as the keyboard, mouse, and drawing tablet.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 31
    successsuccess Posts: 1,040member
    Can't wait for Japanese too.
  • Reply 2 of 31
    hdasmithhdasmith Posts: 145member
    I wonder why it doesn't support English. Maybe the controls are considered too difficult without a stylus, and that the virtual keyboard is easier to use. I think it would be a shame not to include the technique.
  • Reply 3 of 31
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Handwriting recognition is generally a dog, but it make sense for Chinese and Japanese....anywhere the language has far more characters than can fit on a standard keyboard.
  • Reply 4 of 31
    8corewhore8corewhore Posts: 833member
    ....I'll BT my Wacom to it! Wait. Does this mean the iPhone is the long rumored/rumoured tablet?
  • Reply 5 of 31
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    It certainly makes sense for pictographic or ideographic based languages. But I think the real easter Egg here is that this means the iPhone will officially hit China this year. Which means record sales and a higher stock price.
  • Reply 6 of 31
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    I noticed AI is adding Web tablet onto that link when linking to that "Newton" thingy. I suppose it's only a matter of time until you drop the word Newton altogether and realise the iPhone fits the roll of the Newton. This new product will have a much larger screen and will be more of a Mac than anything else. Hence my obvious coviction to keep on referring to it as Mac touch. 10" screen please Apple.
  • Reply 7 of 31
    May mean that it 3G phone will be released in China soon, despite what news reports suggest. Might go well with their new store in China...
  • Reply 8 of 31
    gqbgqb Posts: 1,934member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    I noticed AI is adding Web tablet onto that link when linking to that "Newton" thingy. I suppose it's only a matter of time until you drop the word Newton altogether and realise the iPhone fits the roll of the Newton. This new product will have a much larger screen and will be more of a Mac than anything else. Hence my obvious coviction to keep on referring to it as Mac touch. 10" screen please Apple.



    Amen.

    Add to that a base dock/keyboard that the think can snap onto, and the next generation of computing is on its way.
  • Reply 9 of 31
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by busnsdesign View Post


    May mean that it 3G phone will be released in China soon, despite what news reports suggest. Might go well with their new store in China...



    Apple may had held out for a better deal with China if not for the upcoming Olympics. There are so many potential sales during that time and free marketing.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GQB View Post


    Amen.

    Add to that a base dock/keyboard that the think can snap onto, and the next generation of computing is on its way.



    Don't encourage him. We already hear plenty about this elusive 10" iTablet as it is.
  • Reply 10 of 31
    panamajackpanamajack Posts: 30member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    Handwriting recognition is generally a dog, but it make sense for Chinese and Japanese....anywhere the language has far more characters than can fit on a standard keyboard.



    Huh? How to you think Chinese is normally inputted on PC? Yep, on a standard keyboard. Way easier than writing a character, if you know how the character is pronounced.



    This will be a real boon for students of Chinese/Japanese who are learning their hanzi/kanji; you can see a character you don't know (how to pronounce), write it in and quickly identify it like the screenshots show.



    Perhaps Apple sees the iPhone has a beginning to start taking the Chinese/East Asian market seriously.
  • Reply 11 of 31
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    Handwriting recognition is generally a dog, but it make sense for Chinese and Japanese....anywhere the language has far more characters than can fit on a standard keyboard.



    It's always worked well on My Palm devices going all the way back to my original Color model. It works well with my Treo 700p, with Mobile Write.



    I see no reason why, with a much more powerful processor, like the iPhone has even now, it couldn't work even better.
  • Reply 12 of 31
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    It certainly makes sense for pictographic or ideographic based languages. But I think the real easter Egg here is that this means the iPhone will officially hit China this year. Which means record sales and a higher stock price.



    Not necessarily. Apple may be fine tuning their iPhone for Chinese language character recognition with the realization that so much iPhone product is going to China unlocked, they may as well work with the reality of the current customer base.
  • Reply 13 of 31
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    It certainly makes sense for pictographic or ideographic based languages. But I think the real easter Egg here is that this means the iPhone will officially hit China this year. Which means record sales and a higher stock price.



    The one thing I find interesting it that it also works horizontally.



    I hope that give us some hope for a horizontal keyboard in programs other than Safari.
  • Reply 14 of 31
    panamajackpanamajack Posts: 30member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    Handwriting recognition is generally a dog, but it make sense for Chinese and Japanese....anywhere the language has far more characters than can fit on a standard keyboard.



    Huh? How to you think Chinese is normally inputted on PC? Yep, on a standard keyboard. Way easier than writing a character, if you know how the character is pronounced.



    This will be a real boon for students of Chinese/Japanese who are learning their hanzi/kanji; you can see a character you don't know (how to pronounce), write it in and quickly identify it like the screenshots show.



    Perhaps Apple sees the iPhone has a beginning to start taking the Chinese/East Asian market seriously.
  • Reply 15 of 31
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    Not necessarily. Apple may be fine tuning their iPhone for Chinese language character recognition with the realization that so much iPhone product is going to China unlocked, they may as well work with the reality of the current customer base.



    Perhaps, but I think it's important to get the iPhone to the Summer Olympics.





    PS: Why is there no Spanish on the iPhone?
  • Reply 16 of 31
    successsuccess Posts: 1,040member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by panamajack View Post


    This will be a real boon for students of Chinese/Japanese who are learning their hanzi/kanji; you can see a character you don't know (how to pronounce), write it in and quickly identify it like the screenshots show.

    .



    Depends if it requires correct stroke order. Some Casio e-dicts don't require correct stroke order. While this is very convenient it doesn't help promote good stroke order habits. Always a debate on this.
  • Reply 17 of 31
    lggeeklggeek Posts: 7member
    If you have a jailbroken iphone you can have English now with HWPen , in installer under iphonecake . just add iphonecake.com/r.xml to sources.
  • Reply 18 of 31
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by panamajack View Post


    Huh? How to you think Chinese is normally inputted on PC? Yep, on a standard keyboard. Way easier than writing a character, if you know how the character is pronounced.



    This will be a real boon for students of Chinese/Japanese who are learning their hanzi/kanji; you can see a character you don't know (how to pronounce), write it in and quickly identify it like the screenshots show.



    Perhaps Apple sees the iPhone has a beginning to start taking the Chinese/East Asian market seriously.



    I was calling handwriting recognition for English a dog, but it makes sense for character-based languages.
  • Reply 19 of 31
    ohcomeonohcomeon Posts: 30member
    Is this genuine? I mean just look at the name of the network in the photos.
  • Reply 20 of 31
    jimoasejimoase Posts: 47member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hdasmith View Post


    I wonder why it doesn't support English. Maybe the controls are considered too difficult without a stylus, and that the virtual keyboard is easier to use. I think it would be a shame not to include the technique.



    I worked on character recognition in the mid late 1960's. The big breakthrough came while solving the Kanji character set. Prior to that character recognition needed special characters and super computers.



    We could be looking at the same growth path again.



    Jim
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