Fleksy's Predictive Touch Keyboard with Gestures Now Available to All iOS Developers

[iLog.Genius]

x100 yes yes.

What is so technically impossible for Apple that they can't do this:

http://ignorethecode.net/upload/419/keyboard.jpg

addresses, passwords etc, all have the odd number here and there.
It's so basic and yet, as stubborn as ever they simply won't do it.

This is no reason other than Apple wants a certain look. They want this clean and "beautiful" appearance and if that means you need to switch keyboards to get to other characters, so be it.

A always cringe whenever in a keynote, they harp on about how "beautiful" something is.

 

[Carlanga]

it's not going to work, stop paying MR for crappy ads, nobody wants a 3rd party kb for each app. make the push to sell out to apple as an official keyboard then talk to me.

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Probably because you haven't used any other keyboard before. SwiftKey and Fleksy are both much more advanced and have better prediction algorithms than the stock iOS keyboard.

different yes
much more advanced not really

 

[Parasprite]

Because the stock keyboard is complete garbage if you want to type quickly without many errors? It's the same keyboard that has been around for who knows how long while things like Swype have made life so much easier when typing on a small device?

I can't standing using an iOS keyboard as error rates were sky high as well as time to complete my text.

I can type 60-80wpm on the stock keyboard (iPad Air) as long as I don't have to type in any medical words, technologies (that aren't Apple's), or web markup. Which, unfortunately is the majory of what I do on my iPad.

However, neither Swype nor Flesky's keyboard will help much with that...

 

[Parasprite]

Probably because you haven't used any other keyboard before. SwiftKey and Fleksy are both much more advanced and have better prediction algorithms than the stock iOS keyboard.

I've used several versions of Swype, Swiftkey, and Android's more recent keyboard (albeit I haven't used Flesky's yet). They have a lot of potential, but their inconsistent autocorrection becomes more hassle than it is worth over time. Honestly the iOS keyboard would be perfect for me if it understood more variations of words and/or allowed me to add and remove my own on-the-fly (learning with autocorrect is helpful, but not consistent enough for my uses).

That being said, I look forward to seeing their improvements since I've last used them.

Edit: I wish it would stop marking capitalized words (e.g., Swiftkey, Swype, Flesky) as wrong, and to stop capitalizing I.e. And the letter after it, while were at it.

 

[Gasu E.]

I'm fine with one color and model of car I don't know what everyone's problem is with it or wanting to replace it

I'm fine with just one flavor, chocolate; I dont understand why anyone would want anything else.

 

[Parasprite]

it's not going to work, stop paying MR for crappy ads, nobody wants a 3rd party kb for each app. make the push to sell out to apple as an official keyboard then talk to me.

I'm fairly certain that Apple has no intention of modifying the keyboard with this much of a learning curve. Not to mention it doesn't scale well to other languages.

However, at least this SDK has the ability to switch to the normal iOS keyboard, something that frustrates me when using Google Chrome (although less as of late).

 

[Parasprite]

x100 yes yes.

What is so technically impossible for Apple that they can't do this:

http://ignorethecode.net/upload/419/keyboard.jpg

addresses, passwords etc, all have the odd number here and there.
It's so basic and yet, as stubborn as ever they simply won't do it.

I want numbers at the top row, like Android has.

Not that this is exactly what you are looking for, but...

Protip: On the stock keyboard, try swiping a finger from the [.?123] key to the letter "T".

 

[roadbloc]

I'm fine with the stock iOS keyboard I don't know what everyone's problem is with it or wanting to replace it

My main beef with it is the god awful autocorrect. It doesn't learn a thing and insists on autocorrecting stuff that doesn't need it.

But I don't like touchscreen keyboards either. That's why I still use a BlackBerry. Different people, different tastes, different needs. I have a friend who swears by this swiftkey thing despite half of his messages making no sense due to it.

 

[C DM]

Forgive my ignorance, but the vid with the article just looks like a keyboard that I can change the colour of.

Can anyone (constructively) explain how this new keyboard would benefit me?

It's a keyboard that you can type on without even looking or caring what keys you hit exactly, as long as they are sort of in the same general area of where the key you want is. It has fairly good prediction and autocorrect algorithms to figure out what you want to type based on the general location of your taps and often gets things right. Also, it has gestures for deleting characters, whole words, adding punctuation, finishing the word you are typing and going to the next word, and various things of that nature, making things that much more faster for those who use the keyboard often and learn and use the different gestures and prediction abilities of the keyboard.

 

[Parasprite]

My main beef with it is the god awful autocorrect. It doesn't learn a thing and insists on autocorrecting stuff that doesn't need it.

But I don't like touchscreen keyboards either. That's why I still use a BlackBerry. Different people, different tastes, different needs. I have a friend who swears by this swiftkey thing despite half of his messages making no sense due to it.

I have a pretty low tolerance of (my own) writing having misspellings, but autocorrect seems to be of more help then not. I do a lot of writing since I've gotten an iPad and I've learned to appreciate it quite a bit. My biggest difficulties that I've had is that when you type too fast and miss the space bar, your words run together and autocorrect is really not very good at predicting what I meant...although does learn.. slowly...and begrudgingly.

Disclaimer: I have autocorrect turned off on my iPhone because it frequently autocorrects stuff that doesn't need it.

 

[Nickerbocker]

If there were a universal option to change out the keyboard (like in Android), great.

But there isn't. I don't think having to learn to use different keyboards depending on what app you are in is a good approach. Not for me.

 

[Carlanga]

I'm fairly certain that Apple has no intention of modifying the keyboard with this much of a learning curve. Not to mention it doesn't scale well to other languages.

However, at least this SDK has the ability to switch to the normal iOS keyboard, something that frustrates me when using Google Chrome (although less as of late).

They don't need to modify it, they can just add a new keyboard like they did w/ the emojis

 

[JonBOY26]

Having transitioned away from an iPhone to an Android device about 3 months ago, I now find that Apple's stock keyboard is utterly inferior to some of the keyboard options available on Android, such as Swiftkey.

Fleksy sounds like it will bring some Swiftkey functionality to the iPhone, and that is definitely a very good thing!

Some of the features I'm loving about Swiftkey are:

-number row always displayed above the top row of letters (Swiftkey beta)
-swipe left on delete key to delete whole words
-option for 'Flow' input (type by swiping)
-predictive word suggestions based on letters typed
-predictive whole word suggestions based on last word
-remembers entire sentences as you previously typed them
-learns your writing style based upon accounts you have (gmail, Facebook, sms, etc)
-provides you with typing stats, including typing efficiency, keystrokes saved, words predicted, typing heat map, etc

 

[C DM]

Having transitioned away from an iPhone to an Android device about 3 months ago, I now find that Apple's stock keyboard is utterly inferior to some of the keyboard options available on Android, such as Swiftkey.

Fleksy sounds like it will bring some Swiftkey functionality to the iPhone, and that is definitely a very good thing!

Some of the features I'm loving about Swiftkey are:

-number row always displayed above the top row of letters (Swiftkey beta)
-swipe left on delete key to delete whole words
-option for 'Flow' input (type by swiping)
-predictive word suggestions based on letters typed
-predictive whole word suggestions based on last word
-remembers entire sentences as you previously typed them
-learns your writing style based upon accounts you have (gmail, Facebook, sms, etc)
-provides you with typing stats, including typing efficiency, keystrokes saved, words predicted, typing heat map, etc

Technically, in some form, SwiftKey already came to iOS (it just perhaps needs to expand into what Fleksy has done so that it could become available for inclusion by other developers): http://www.swiftkey.net/en/blog/swiftkey-note-available-now-for-iphone-ipad/

 

[coolspot18]

I'm fine with the stock iOS keyboard I don't know what everyone's problem is with it or wanting to replace it

Swype is so much better.

 

[max-power]

I'm fine with just the iPhone 3; I don't understand why anyone would want anything else or what their problem is.

 

[Jayomat]

I'm fine with the stock iOS keyboard I don't know what everyone's problem is with it or wanting to replace it

Me too, but I don't assume that because I am ok with it that everyone else must be.

For me the two biggest gripes with the iOS keyboard when using my ipad:

1) the fact that when a word that should not be replaced gets automatically replaced (which can happen if you type very fast *duh*), you don't get the option to get the actual word you typed back. So then I have to delete the replaced word and type again what I had previously and make sure it does not get replaced again. On android, when I hit delete once (automatically inserted space) and the cursor is after the last character of the new word, I get the option to replace that again with the original word, that's two taps, 1 second.

Disabling the auto replacement is annoying too, because from time to time is does what it should.

there is/was a tweak in cydia to reverse the behavior of the auto replacement (only replace if you hit the suggestion), but yeah, I don't use my ipad enough to bother with jailbreaking it again.

2) In iOS the keyboard does not automatically realize the language I'm using, which is highly annoying if you frequently participate in forums/sites with varying language. On android I just type whatever I want, the system detects the language and gives me the correct (predictions/corrections). If I WANT to change the language manually, I just swipe over the space-bar, while on iOS I have to hold the language button (when I just press it once I always get the emojis, which I also use from time to time), wait for it to open (which can take some time), and then select the correct language (and repeat that every time you switch the environment)

For people who type a lot, the iOS keyboard is just infuriating. I just coped with it until I switched to Android as my smartphone OS (obviously) and found Swiftkey for Android. When you have seen how good it can be, you get mad when you use iOS and type anything.

The thing is apple talks about how they care about the developer. But when using this, the developer has to make sure that his apps use the API, he has to change his code to get these functionalities, where on android I just download and install swiftkey and the keyboards across the os are instantly replaced.. c'mon it's 2014, the technology is there . I still like my ipad3, but I almost prefer going to forums on my motog, because typing is just so frustrating

 

[tshrimp]

iOS taking another step towards android. Up Next... Widgets!

I am fine with this. Give my a swipe keyboard and some widgets and I am happy happy happy.

 

[sixrom]

Come on, Apple. Adopt swipe typing already, so I can go back to using iPhones again.

I agree!

Swype, SwiftKey, and even Google's new swiping keyboards are light years ahead of Apples old fashioned, very slow inefficient input method.

Those who've never taken a few minutes to learn swiping, are really missing out on a truly fast, fun and effective way to compose messages, email, etc. Hammering away on hard glass just doesn't cut it.

 

[tshrimp]

I agree!

Swype, SwiftKey, and even Google's new swiping keyboards are light years ahead of Apples old fashioned, very slow inefficient input method.

Those who've never taken a few minutes to learn swiping, are really missing out on a truly fast, fun and effective way to compose messages, email, etc. Hammering away on hard glass just doesn't cut it.

Yep. Have to live it to understand it. There are few (but I am sure some) who have used a swipe keyboard who will over go back to not using one. Get rid of the fingerprint scanner and add swipe and widgets, and I am in.

 

[sixrom]

Get rid of the fingerprint scanner and add swipe and widgets, and I am in.

Yes indeed, I hate the fingerprint scanner & not just for privacy reasons but because it's just a nuisance after heavy usage and time. Being so new, none of the phones are old enough yet for the innevitable issues to crop up as the have with very similar scanners in other implementations.

SWYPE is a must, as is an array of widgets. Now we are talking about a new compelling iPhone. One that's most certainly worth buying.

 

[Traverse]

I've tried Fleksy but I found it very frustrating to use. Punctuation is a pain for one and when just typing words it doesn't seem any quicker than the normal keyboard. Just seems like hype to me.

Exactly. It seems like it's only headline is autocorrect.

 

[StyxMaker]

It's 2014 and we're talking about which keyboard is better.

And we will, probably, still be talking about what keyboard is better in 2020 and after.

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It's not a replacement for the OS, just for developers to include a new keyboard into their app, which they've been able to do for some time, this sdk just helps create a standard across.



I can appreciate that there are users who want a customized keyboard experience. On Android I preferred the google "android" keyboard, tried but never became a fan of swype.

After trying them, I don't like the swipe keyboards either. But I'd love to be able to switch in a FITALY keyboard. As far as I know it's the only keyboard specifically designed for tap intput. I used it on both Palm Pilots and Windows Mobile devices and is the only thing I miss.

 

[StyxMaker]

It's a keyboard that you can type on without even looking or caring what keys you hit exactly, as long as they are sort of in the same general area of where the key you want is. It has fairly good prediction and autocorrect algorithms to figure out what you want to type based on the general location of your taps and often gets things right. Also, it has gestures for deleting characters, whole words, adding punctuation, finishing the word you are typing and going to the next word, and various things of that nature, making things that much more faster for those who use the keyboard often and learn and use the different gestures and prediction abilities of the keyboard.

It 'often gets things right'? Not even most the time?

----------

Having transitioned away from an iPhone to an Android device about 3 months ago, I now find that Apple's stock keyboard is utterly inferior to some of the keyboard options available on Android, such as Swiftkey.



Fleksy sounds like it will bring some Swiftkey functionality to the iPhone, and that is definitely a very good thing!



Some of the features I'm loving about Swiftkey are:



-number row always displayed above the top row of letters (Swiftkey beta)

-swipe left on delete key to delete whole words

-option for 'Flow' input (type by swiping)

-predictive word suggestions based on letters typed

-predictive whole word suggestions based on last word

-remembers entire sentences as you previously typed them

-learns your writing style based upon accounts you have (gmail, Facebook, sms, etc)

-provides you with typing stats, including typing efficiency, keystrokes saved, words predicted, typing heat map, etc

One of the things I really loved about the FITALY keyboard you could tap and swipe up for an uppercase letter. No shift key on the the keyboard.

----------

For me the two biggest gripes with the iOS keyboard when using my ipad:

1) the fact that when a word that should not be replaced gets automatically replaced (which can happen if you type very fast *duh*), you don't get the option to get the actual word you typed back. So then I have to delete the replaced word and type again what I had previously and make sure it does not get replaced again. On android, when I hit delete once (automatically inserted space) and the cursor is after the last character of the new word, I get the option to replace that again with the original word, that's two taps, 1 second.

Disabling the auto replacement is annoying too, because from time to time is does what it should.

there is/was a tweak in cydia to reverse the behavior of the auto replacement (only replace if you hit the suggestion), but yeah, I don't use my ipad enough to bother with jailbreaking it again.

2) In iOS the keyboard does not automatically realize the language I'm using, which is highly annoying if you frequently participate in forums/sites with varying language. On android I just type whatever I want, the system detects the language and gives me the correct (predictions/corrections). If I WANT to change the language manually, I just swipe over the space-bar, while on iOS I have to hold the language button (when I just press it once I always get the emojis, which I also use from time to time), wait for it to open (which can take some time), and then select the correct language (and repeat that every time you switch the environment)

For people who type a lot, the iOS keyboard is just infuriating. I just coped with it until I switched to Android as my smartphone OS (obviously) and found Swiftkey for Android. When you have seen how good it can be, you get mad when you use iOS and type anything.

The thing is apple talks about how they care about the developer. But when using this, the developer has to make sure that his apps use the API, he has to change his code to get these functionalities, where on android I just download and install swiftkey and the keyboards across the os are instantly replaced.. c'mon it's 2014, the technology is there . I still like my ipad3, but I almost prefer going to forums on my motog, because typing is just so frustrating

I think Apple should 'borrow' from the UX Write app. It high lights the corrections then you can tap on the high lighted correction and choose to accept, revert, or add to dictionary. Any high lighted corrections that have not been tapped on will be accepted when you save the document.

 

[C DM]

It 'often gets things right'? Not even most the time?

----------




One of the things I really loved about the FITALY keyboard you could tap and swipe up for an uppercase letter. No shift key on the the keyboard.

----------




I think Apple should 'borrow' from the UX Write app. It high lights the corrections then you can tap on the high lighted correction and choose to accept, revert, or add to dictionary. Any high lighted corrections that have not been tapped on will be accepted when you save the document.

Sure, most of the time.