Firemail (free) brings the same landscape-typing functionality for emails that Touchtype ($0.99) does, but adds an extra handy feature: the ability to save text for later insertion in one or more emails. This feature could come in handy for those who respond to emails with form letters, or those who use multiple email signatures on different occasions.
You can save multiple snippets of text, but after more than 5, they bleed off the screen. It’s a bug that hopefully will be fixed by making the list scrollable.
Another feature that Firemail has that Touchtype doesn’t is the ability to write a subject for your email. Also, Firemail’s font size is smaller, so more text fits on screen.
An undocumented feature is the ability to send your text to a reply email. You have to launch the iPhone Mobile Mail app first, hit reply to an email. Hit the iPhone home button to close Mobile Mail. Launch Firemail, type your message, then send it to Mobile Mail, where it will appear in the reply.
If you haven’t tried landscape typing yet, I can attest that it’s much, much easier to type with. It especially speeds things up by allowing you to type accurately with both thumbs.
Apple has made a big blunder in not having landscape typing for all apps from the start. One of the chief reasons I’ve heard for not buying an iPhone is that it’s “too hard to type on.”
Having previously paid the 99 cents for Touchtype, I will now use Firemail due to its extra features. The gauntlet has been dropped, Touchtype. Will you pick it up, or will you fall into iPhone app obscurity? If so, say hello to Super Monkey Ball for me.
- Name: Firemail
- Developer: Conceited Software
- Version reviewed: 1.0
- Price: Free
- iTunes Download: Click here
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