Did this function just change again? As an example I'm trying to search for the word "one." I press the '6' three times and the letter 'o' appears (as it should), but then it just sits there--forever. It used to go back (after a second or two) to showing "MNO" so I could press it twice again to get the 'n'. Now I have to move to another key and back in order to continue.
By the way, I never asked when it happened, but why was the predictive mode ever removed? That was the fastest and easiest way to search.