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It is time to bring SwiftKey or gesture typing on iOS

Nanasaki

Nanasaki

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 26, 2010
320
0
SwiftKey is one of the popular keyboard alternative available on Android and BlackBerry 10 keyboard is based on SwiftKey. As Android 4.1, Google also improved its keyboard with better autocorrect and prediction, especially the gesture typing capability. As both Android and iOS users with Nexus 4, Nexus 7, 2 iPad Mini, iPad 3, iPhone and iPod Touch 5G, I really hope Apple could bring some short of gesture typing on iOS. Gesture typing is awesome on one hand use and it is way faster than typing.

While, SwiftKey also capable of gesture typing, the new compact mode is awesome for devices with bigger screen.

I am not sure many of you guys used SwiftKey or Android default keyboard or not, after used them, I really cannot go back. This is also a reason I am keeping Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 as my primary devices when web browsing and messaging.

Maybe when next year, when Apple introduce bigger iPhone, Apple will bring some short of gesture typing.

P.S. I am using a keyboard cover, as I am using my iPad, I do wish I could use mouse as well... This will be awesome when gaming.... I hate controller....
 
As an option it would be nice to have other keyboards available. If that might actually ever happen, well, that's not clear. Seems more likely that it won't anytime soon given the history so far, but you never really know.
 
C DM said:
As an option it would be nice to have other keyboards available. If that might actually ever happen, well, that's not clear. Seems more likely that it won't anytime soon given the history so far, but you never really know.
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Is SwiftKey available on Cyndia? The first thing I do after jailbreak is install iFiles and change default keyboard...
 
It is time to bring SwiftKey or gesture typing on iOS

Nanasaki said:
Is SwiftKey available on Cyndia? The first thing I do after jailbreak is install iFiles and change default keyboard...
Click to expand...

There are some keyboard extensions on Cydia but SwiftKey is not one of them. Most just change the keyboard layout and aren't as extensive as SwiftKey or Swype, etc. I think there is an unofficial version of Swype on Cydia but I don't believe it is as good as the official version.
 
~Ks383~ said:
There are some keyboard extensions on Cydia but SwiftKey is not one of them. Most just change the keyboard layout and aren't as extensive as SwiftKey or Swype, etc. I think there is an unofficial version of Swype on Cydia but I don't believe it is as good as the official version.
Click to expand...

OK... thank you... bring SwiftKey will be major plus for iOS...
 
I wonder what apples deal is with their keyboard? Typing is one of the most important functions that a smart phone needs.
 
I don't think it would happen in the near future. If it does happen, I'm sure it won't be a 3rd party program or an app. It'll be built in the phone, by Apple. But know knows, Apple is changing.
 
Vetvito said:
I'm willing to bet Quick Reply or gesture typing is coming next year.
Click to expand...

Gesture typing makes plenty sense when Apple introduce larger iPhone. Quick Replay will be in next release, OS X Mavericks already has this. Maybe in iOS 7.1, but who knows.

Plus. One thing i really want: If you have missed call notification in notification centre, you should able call the number directly from notification centre.
 
iOS should get option for alternative keyboards NOW

It's too late - or too long time - if iOS not opens up for an option of such alternative keyboards as Swype, SwiftKey and Kii NOW - IMO Apple cannot wait with this inclusion of optional keyboard until it perhaps a new iPhone, which probably will sport a bigger screen than 5 and 5s.

For many users, text input is a very important - for many even a crucial - function of a modern phone device, and so it also is for me. IMO the stock Apple keyboard on the iPhone is NOT good enough, and certainly not as good and as effective as the Android options mentioned above.

In fact, for me this limitation probably will result in that I will not buy the 5s but rather go for an Xperia Z1 or ZR or V, both to get a bigger screen, but first of all to be able to use a far better text input method, a good keyboard.

This is a shame, because I prefer so many other features of the iOS 7. But for me, over time especially, the need for a more effective way of text input by a better keyboard has been an aspect of really growing importance.
 
mortenandersen said:
It's too late - or too long time - if iOS not opens up for an option of such alternative keyboards as Swype, SwiftKey and Kii NOW - IMO Apple cannot wait with this inclusion of optional keyboard until it perhaps a new iPhone, which probably will sport a bigger screen than 5 and 5s.

For many users, text input is a very important - for many even a crucial - function of a modern phone device, and so it also is for me. IMO the stock Apple keyboard on the iPhone is NOT good enough, and certainly not as good and as effective as the Android options mentioned above.

In fact, for me this limitation probably will result in that I will not buy the 5s but rather go for an Xperia Z1 or ZR or V, both to get a bigger screen, but first of all to be able to use a far better text input method, a good keyboard.

This is a shame, because I prefer so many other features of the iOS 7. But for me, over time especially, the need for a more effective way of text input by a better keyboard has been an aspect of really growing importance.
Click to expand...

This is exactly where the problem is. Apple choose closed system. Closed system can be a good thing: more secure, less fragmentation, more control on user experiences, easier for developper to developping apps. However, the downside is very obsiveous: It is up to Apple to decide the perporities and if the company is behind the curve, it will behind the curve and there is no alternatives.

Keyboard is perfect example. On open system like Android, if you dislike the default keyboard, you change it. If you dislike the defalut broswer, change it. The open platform will alawys have real alterantive. If the OS developper leave something behind, you can always find someone filling the gap.

It is depends on Apple. Apple will probably never allow SwiftKey on iOS, but Apple can incroporate gesture typing on its own keyboard.
 
mortenandersen said:
The keyboard has been the biggest complaint of mine for the entire time I've owned an iPhone. I am used to T-9 style predictive text, so having to tap out words seems slow to me. Often, the prediction doesn't work for me, and I have to backspace the entire word to get what I want.
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Has anybody ever started one of those online petitions regarding this issue? Maybe apple would listen if we got 100,000 signatures or so, of people demanding gesture typing/swift key.
 
An optional keyboard must be possible to set as default

Nanasaki said:
This is exactly where the problem is. Apple choose closed system. Closed system can be a good thing: more secure, less fragmentation, more control on user experiences, easier for developper to developping apps. However, the downside is very obsiveous: It is up to Apple to decide the perporities and if the company is behind the curve, it will behind the curve and there is no alternatives.

Keyboard is perfect example. On open system like Android, if you dislike the default keyboard, you change it. If you dislike the defalut broswer, change it. The open platform will alawys have real alterantive. If the OS developper leave something behind, you can always find someone filling the gap.

It is depends on Apple. Apple will probably never allow SwiftKey on iOS, but Apple can incroporate gesture typing on its own keyboard.
Click to expand...

I am very happy for the posts of the Thread Starter and others, who also points to the seriousness of this problem; it's a constant real problem when performing text input using the iPhone.

(In my "desperation" I have even tried to solve this limitation or problem by using Dragon Dictation, but this has not been satisfying for me, taking into account all the different and often urgent or time-limited situations that I need to do text input into an app.)

To state my experience of this limitation as clearly as possible: In the first place, it's very frustrating in itself to use the stock Apple keyboard in the iPhone, because I experience the rate of misprints/"mistaps" to be far too high, and I have now used the keyboard for so long time (several years), so I must honestly say I have tried hard and also grown "familiar" with it - to no avail, though, when it comes to being an effective keyboard for me. And secondly: Especially when compared to the optional keyboards mentioned (which I have tried to some extent on other devices), the frustration becomes also a pure and strong irritation: why do I not have these very good options on my iPhone???

I will also add that it's of vital importance that an optional keyboard on the iPhone must have the possibility of being set as a default keyboard, so that it comes to screen very quickly and in all the apps, native and others. It is further important that the user also can quickly switch between two or even three different keyboards. I think this can be possible.
 
For me swipe sucks. I even go slow so I know what I hover over, nope.

I would love the keyboard thing from BB. THAT in my opinion is innovation because it just works.
 
Good point

rtomyj said:
For me swipe sucks. I even go slow so I know what I hover over, nope.

I would love the keyboard thing from BB. THAT in my opinion is innovation because it just works.
Click to expand...

You make a good point. It directly implies why choice is good, and why not having options is bad.
 
Nanasaki said:
Gesture typing makes plenty sense when Apple introduce larger iPhone. Quick Replay will be in next release, OS X Mavericks already has this. Maybe in iOS 7.1, but who knows.

Plus. One thing i really want: If you have missed call notification in notification centre, you should able call the number directly from notification centre.
Click to expand...
Why can't you select a missed call notification and call it back? I use that all the time.
 
C DM said:
Why can't you select a missed call notification and call it back? I use that all the time.
Click to expand...

What i mean is that: when you see a missed call notification, you can do that directly inside notification centre... I don't recall you can do that on iOS yet. I think if you press the missed call notification, it will bring the phone app and you need to use phone app to make phone call.

This is what i mean:

Screenshot_2013-10-20-10-32-02_zps50f364a3.png
 
Any option available is welcome, but in my opinion swipe is just useless (tried on a couple of Samsung phones).
 
Nanasaki said:
What i mean is that: when you see a missed call notification, you can do that directly inside notification centre... I don't recall you can do that on iOS yet. I think if you press the missed call notification, it will bring the phone app and you need to use phone app to make phone call.

This is what i mean:

Image
Click to expand...
For me selecting a missed call notification in the notification center starts calling back the missed number. I even tried it again just to be sure.
 
C DM said:
For me selecting a missed call notification in the notification center starts calling back the missed number. I even tried it again just to be sure.
Click to expand...

Oh OK ... I haven't use iOS for a while...

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Max(IT) said:
Any option available is welcome, but in my opinion swipe is just useless (tried on a couple of Samsung phones).
Click to expand...

The swipe is awesome when you get used to that... It does take sometime to get used to... But once you ace it, it is just awesome... And the autocorrection is way better than iOS default one...

I am not saying your statement is incorrect or anything. But I think if you ace it, it will show the benefit... But I respect your statement
 
mortenandersen said:
You make a good point. It directly implies why choice is good, and why not having options is bad.
Click to expand...

Yes. Of course, too much choice can be a bad thing. I'm sure Apple would find a good middle area though.

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3bs said:
I'm sorry if you're not, but you sound like the kind of person that bashes any feature till Apple adds it.
Click to expand...

He... Actually has a point...
 
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