I did not expect that: Microsoft Android Wear keyboard is now in prototype, try it now

With their own glaring absence of a smartwatch, it appears Microsoft has thought it necessary to develop a keyboard for Android Wear smartwatches. The second most unusual thing about the Microsoft Android Wear keyboard is that it is an analog keyboard – the keyboard provides users with a space to ‘handwrite’ letters and symbols and the smartwatch interprets them as it sees fit. In the short examples shown in Microsoft’s prototype test video, it looks like it works pretty well as designed. Check out the Microsoft Android Wear keyboard in action:

Now you’re probably thinking that this is a bit cumbersome to write long messages, and the reality is that you’re probably right. Then again, there is very limited space afforded to you on a smartwatch’s screen, so perhaps this analog keyboard is a viable option. Apart from English, I can see this methodology being particularly effective for languages like Chinese that use a whole number of strokes and where a traditional keyboard in that language is ineffective on such a small screen. If you’d like to try out the Microsoft Android Wear keyboard prototype, you can download it now from the Microsoft Research site, however you’ll want to make sure to follow the instructions provided.

What do you think about the Microsoft Android Wear keyboard? Is it a keyboard that you’d want to use? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Microsoft Research via The Verge