I do like a good concept video, and iPad Keyboard Prototype (YouTube) is certainly that. It explores a new way to edit text on iOS, which is currently a tedious task. You must tap-hold to move the cursor and thereby define a selection point, and getting the right position isn’t fast nor is it always accurate. Selecting characters and/or words is fiddly, although I’d also argue Apple did a pretty good job at figuring out a means of manipulating text by using a piece of glass rather than a physical keyboard and separate pointing tool.

In the video, a new system is suggested, based around swiping. The idea is you slide your finger to move the insertion point and use hold to select text while doing so; a two-finger slide speeds up the cursor’s movement.

The video initially sparks the I WANT THAT reaction, until you realise that it fundamentally contradicts existing behaviours. Apple uses slides and held keys to enable you to move quickly between letters but also to access additional characters. If this prototype ended up implemented in iOS 6, I can imagine a lot of typing issues through systems clashing. You’d have to be slower and more considered in your interactions to avoid this—and then you’re back to square one anyway.

Source: iDownloadBlog, via Jake Desaulniers.