That's actually my point...you can't actually hit it in 2.2 until after you select a word. It's not a matter of the button being too small; it's simply not clickable until you select a word. I see your point about the space bar, but it's still an extra and unnecessary step compared to 2.1.
I can, if i aim just right, hit the send button while word suggestions are still up.....
. Guess i made a mistake.
I've done one before on this phone. I haven't done it again yet because I'm trying to decide if I should try rooting for my first time.