The Swype Beta for Android received an update (to version 2.29.71.20084) today and, in addition to tweaking some of the features that users found to be the most annoying, it brings support to some popular Android devices that previously had no official way of getting the popular trace keyboard.

Perhaps the biggest news from this new version is that the following display resolutions are now supported: QVGA, WQVGA, WSVGA, and qHD. Of course the Atrix has a qHD display so it should now be Swype-ready. The addition of WSVGA resolution is a little confusing, as the primary devices in this category are the Galaxy Tab and the Nook Color. The beta has licensing issues on the Nook and, while it works on the Galaxy Tab, it ships with an OEM version of Swype (Tab users need root access to fully delete the pre-installed Swype and replace it with the new beta).

One of the complaints we would hear the most about the trace keyboard was also addressed: the incessant "the following word was hidden..." window has been limited to one initial appearance. Previously the notification would pop up when a custom word that the user entered prevented a more common word from being the first suggestion. While this pop-up could potentially be handy to alert users of "garbage words" that had made their way into the dictionary, it more often seemed to annoy the bejeezus out of Swypers.

Other new features:

  • language support for Dutch, UK English, and Russian
  • contact names that had been deleted from Swype's dictionary will no longer worm their way back in after the fact
  • the prediction algorithm has been adjusted to maintain its accuracy over time

Those already in the beta can head over to the Swype Beta page to update. Registrations also appear to still be open for those who have yet to get in on the action.

Source: Swype Forum via Android Central