VMware Client 1.7.0 on my Nexus 7, Android 4.2.1 doesn't produce special characters inside a session. I'm remoted into an XP workstation, typically trying to remote into some server in our environment or use some Linux box. By special characters, I mean any press-and-hold characters such as ? and \ and [ and such. I tried the stock keyboard,Swype, and Slide-IT. I tried the special shift, as well as press-and-hold, and press-and-hold-and-get-the-special-character-picker. If I have a Linux window open already I can try to type a special character but it doens't show up. Trying to remote in to another Windows server I can see the special character in my password doesn't produce a dot. If I use an external bluetooth keyboard everything works.
I confirmed I have the current version of VMware client offered on Google Play. Swype and Slide-IT are also the current versions. Our ESXi (and everything) is at version 5.0.0
When I use my Nexus 4, also at Android 4.2.1, it does produce special characters (tested with current Swype), however it doesn't seem to work remotely, e.g. I sign in successfully but then inside the VMware environment when I type my password the appropriate # of characters show up and my keyboard offers to save it as a word and it is the same as the one I just used to sign in to the environment, but I'm told the password is incorrect (note, there is punctuation in my password).
Using a Citrix Access Gateway I have access to (i.e. a similar 'remote window'), special keys work. Special keys work everywhere else.
Using my wifes phone a couple months ago everything seemed to work. She has 4.0.3 (Samsung) with Swype. I'm not sure what version VMware was on it then, but whatever was current.