QWERTY
QWERTY is a standard layout for letter keys on text keyboards and thumboards. Originally created for typewriters, it is currently the layout found on most english-language computer keyboards. It is named for the order of the first six keys on the top row, which happen to form a pronounceable word.
On phones, the keys are usually much smaller and closer together. This means they cannot be used with two full hands like full-size keyboard, but rather are designed to be used with two thumbs while holding the phone. Even though traditional touch-typing is not possible on a phone's small QWERTY keyboard, the familiar layout makes it easier to find the correct letter among a large number of keys.
The same layout is standard for English-language virtual keyboards on standard touch-screen smart phones. Generally, they can be used with one or two thumbs. Many can also be used by swiping a thumb across all letters of a word in one stroke.
Last updated May 23, 2024 by Rich Brome
Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
