Touch Screen Alignment

[Ashe Too]

I have an HTC 8X and have had trouble typing accurately on it since I got it in December. E.g., sometimes, I'm sure I tapped the R and I get E or vice-versa, and even if I go back to correct it, the typo will repeat even when I'm careful. I have not had trouble with touch screen typing accuracy in 3+ years of using iOS and Android devices. Since I never seemed to be able to reliably replicate the problem or see it with real precision, I just assumed it was me having some kind of adaptation problem. Then today, I was using the "Help and Tips" app and clicked on a link, and the link below highlighted and opened. I went back to the same page and was able to repeat this several times, but not every time, while looking very carefully from the side to see exactly where my finger touched the screen. I tried it on a couple of pages, and got the same result. I went to a Verizon store, and one of the Wireless Consultants and I tried several WP8 phones (Nokia, Samsung) and they all did it. So it appears to be a Windows problem, not a hardware problem. The specific screen where you can experiment with this is at Help and Tips > New Phone > (scroll all the way to bottom and click on) Places to Try Tapping and Holding (touch near "and Hol") (see attached pic). About 50% or more percent of the time, the link below (Gestures: flick, pan and stretch) will highlight and open. I have no idea if this will have anything to do with my problems with typing accuracy on this phone using the keyboard in Messages or Email. The Verizon Consultant contacted a device testing department to report this problem and will follow up with me Wednesday or Friday. It would be interesting to see if any of you are able to replicate this and what your thoughts on it may be.

 

[stmav]

Just tried it on my 920 and it hit the right link every time. I'll get my wife to try it later when she gets home. Try to get another finger size to see what happens.

 

[ah06]

Tried it and I can confirm the OP worries. It clicked on the link below 10 times out of 10.

This is on a L920.

This problem has never occurred anywhere else so maybe an issue with this (Web?)app
In general though, my typing (touch point) accuracy on keyboard sucks and since the autocorrect is not as aggressive, I don't find the keyboard anywhere near as good as Android or iOS

 

[unstoppablekem]

It might be a windows phone issue, but I don't know.

 

[Zokudu]

920 here. I get each one about 50% of the time. Decent test here OP.

 

[MacDaMachine]

I got the right link 7/10. Which is weird because when the links are bunched up I always click the right one.

 

[realwarder]

Does it on my 920. But if you view the page in IE it doesn't.

I'd say it was a bug with the embedded browser.

 

[Ashe Too]

Interesting responses. Glad to know that it's not just me and the guy at the Verizon store who seem to have this problem.

I'd say it was a bug with the embedded browser.

And that's particularly interesting. I tried it too and found that I got the correct link 100% of the time. But it makes me wonder if there's a few odd anomalies in the MS code that makes some apps less than accurate. I read in several places that the capacitive touch screens of our phones cannot be aligned or calibrated the way the resistive screens were on phones like some of the Palm, Handspring, Treo devices could be - but also that the capacitive screens are not as accurate as the old resistive technology. So - and I'm just thinking out loud here - I wonder if Android and iOS have figured out some kind of proprietary code that makes their use of capacitive touch screens a tiny bit less squirrely or more consistent than WP8.

I am now more convinced than ever that some of my keyboard accuracy problem is not just me having trouble adapting, it's something inherent in the WP OS or the design of the GUI.

 

[realwarder]

Interesting responses. Glad to know that it's not just me and the guy at the Verizon store who seem to have this problem.



And that's particularly interesting. I tried it too and found that I got the correct link 100% of the time. But it makes me wonder if there's a few odd anomalies in the MS code that makes some apps less than accurate. I read in several places that the capacitive touch screens of our phones cannot be aligned or calibrated the way the resistive screens were on phones like some of the Palm, Handspring, Treo devices could be - but also that the capacitive screens are not as accurate as the old resistive technology. So - and I'm just thinking out loud here - I wonder if Android and iOS have figured out some kind of proprietary code that makes their use of capacitive touch screens a tiny bit less squirrely or more consistent than WP8.

I am now more convinced than ever that some of my keyboard accuracy problem is not just me having trouble adapting, it's something inherent in the WP OS or the design of the GUI.

Trust me, the issue is the embedded browser in that app.

How do I know? Because the development emulator that runs on my PC does exactly the same thing when I click with a mouse... and that is pixel perfect and doesn't use a touch screen.