i have realized the light at the end of the tunnel.
recently i filed a claim through asurion, and they were out of droid 4's, so they offered a stratosphere 2...i chuckled and demanded a phone that wasnt lesser; i now have a Droid MAXX in my hands.
this phone is amazing in every way. swype in portrait, and landscape the keyboard is VERY easy to type on despite being a software keyboard. i can safely say the software keyboard is fine...i no longer really even want a hardware keyboard.
id say stop in your local verizon, and surprise yourself with the ease of using the droid maxx for typing...the battery is INSANE. the stock ROM is amazing, and the interface is brilliant.