Having finally seen the Android 2.3 Gingerbread release happen, I can't tell you how happy I am. All I can say is that this is better than Christmas and New Year's Eve combined!
Amidst all this holiday spirit and joy in the air, one amazing person (Peter Alfonso of Bugless Beast) has already ported the Android 2.3 keyboard to rooted 2.2 devices. Be sure to thank him kindly for the following Android 2.3 keyboard port. I should warn you, however, that at this point the keyboard does not have a proper functioning dictionary, auto-correct is not working, and multi-touch is not active. However, if you're still interested and want to try out the new Android keyboard, take a look at the instructions below!
How to Download and Install
Update: Peter Alfonso just posted a new version, which fixes the broken text prediction. Please re-download it below (the link remains the same).
- Download the .zip file containing the repackaged keyboard here.
- Save the .zip file to your SD card.
- Boot your Android 2.2 device into recovery mode.
- Flash the .zip file containing the 2.3 keyboard.
- Reboot your device.
After enabling, you have to actually switch to the new keyboard by opening any text field and long pressing on it. In the menu that pops up, you should click on "Input Method" before finding "Android Keyboard" as one of the choices.
Good luck, and happy typing!
Source: Droid-Life