On any phone without a physical set of keys, the on-screen keyboard is one of the most important parts of the operating system. Android has a leg-up over other platforms here, as third-party replacement keyboards (like the crowd favorite Swype) are easy to install, and many of them are excellent in their own right.
That doesn't mean the keyboard that comes with the operating system should be a slouch, though. With Gingerbread (Android 2.3 for those keeping score at home), Google has really outdone itself. The new multitouch keyboard is easy to use, offers most everything we've been asking for, and is a huge improvement over the previous versions.
You don't have to wait for your phone to get it's Gingerbread upgrade to try it out, either. XDA member hotaru has worked a little magic and you can load up the Gingerbread keyboard on most any device running Android 2.1 or higher -- check that out right here, and check out the video of it in action after the break.
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