This one is fun. Maybe one optimisation worth checking is what's possible if you have to stay alphabetical.
E.g. T9 puts 4 letters on '9', presumably a good choice as 'X' and 'Y' are rare. Would it be worth it to shift the 'V' from '8' to '9'. '3' has 'D' and 'E' on the same key, maybe move the 'D' to '2' ?
E.g. T9 puts 4 letters on '9', presumably a good choice as 'X' and 'Y' are rare. Would it be worth it to shift the 'V' from '8' to '9'. '3' has 'D' and 'E' on the same key, maybe move the 'D' to '2' ?