Keyboard Apps Dominate The App Store

[techbeck]

As the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus go on sale today, many consumers will be getting their hands on Apple?s new mobile operating system, iOS 8, for the first time. And what are iOS 8 users downloading from the App Store? From the looks of things, it?s keyboards. That?s right ? after years of strictly controlling the iOS user interface, Apple has opened things up. You can now replace the default iOS keyboard with that of your own choosing, including apps from popular keyboard makers like SwiftKey and Swype, the former which says it has now been downloaded 1 million times, and has become the #1 free app on the App Store.

 

These keyboard apps are burning up the App Store?s Top Charts, currently accounting for the 2 out of the Top 5 Paid apps (#1 Swype; #2 Color Keyboards), as well as 3 of the Top 5 Free apps (#1 SwiftKey; #2 CoolKey #3 Kiwi). And throughout the Top 20 in both charts, other keyboard apps can found, too.

 

There is one problem, however ? not all the apps iOS 8 users are downloading actually replace your keyboard. Despite the disclaimers in the apps? descriptions explaining they are meant as standalone apps, some pseudo-keyboard apps are being downloaded, then slammed in the reviews as ?rip-offs? and ?scams.?

 

More....

http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/19/keyboard-apps-dominate-the-app-stores-top-charts-after-ios-8-release/

[Draconian Guppy]

Doesn't suprise me. The iOS keyboard is severely limited IMO, it's biggest problem (for me) is the fact that it can't type/flow/sspell check, dinamically between two languages. Google keyboard and Swiftkey do :D

[JonnyLH]

I honestly don't get this swift typing phase. I've tried it on Android and I've got it on 8.1 and I think it's horrible. I can type on a touch screen with near enough the same accuracy and speed as a keyboard. 

[techbeck]

I honestly don't get this swift typing phase. I've tried it on Android and I've got it on 8.1 and I think it's horrible. I can type on a touch screen with near enough the same accuracy and speed as a keyboard. 

 

Takes a little to get used to.  I can use Swype, or Swiftkey, pretty well.

Doesn't suprise me. The iOS keyboard is severely limited IMO, it's biggest problem (for me) is the fact that it can't type/flow/sspell check, dinamically between two languages. Google keyboard and Swiftkey do :D

 

Love swiftkey...better than Swype.

[Draconian Guppy]

I honestly don't get this swift typing phase. I've tried it on Android and I've got it on 8.1 and I think it's horrible. I can type on a touch screen with near enough the same accuracy and speed as a keyboard.

Agreed, but other keyboards have multiple functions, better predictability, they adapt to your trend, swiftkey makes the "bubble" bigger according to where you hit the letter, to mention some.

 

 

What it does is basically, based on the first image, if you were typing "these groups" it makes the "S" area, more akin to where you are used to placing your finger.

 

Images from web, not my own.

 

[Nick H. Supervisor]

I honestly don't get this swift typing phase. I've tried it on Android and I've got it on 8.1 and I think it's horrible. I can type on a touch screen with near enough the same accuracy and speed as a keyboard.

For myself, I used the Swype keyboard when I could only hold the phone with one hand. I found it worked really well, but I wouldn't use it all the time.