Swiftkey 4

[lopri]

Simple question: Worth it? What's the difference from stock keyboard?

Another: What's the difference between tablet version and phone version? Play store tells me both are compatible with all my devices which include Nexus 4 and Nexus 7.

New version (4) is out and it's on sale, I am kind of interested but I just don't know what the difference is. Prior to 4.2 update, I thought Swiftkey did those swipe thing to type words but now Android does it, too.

 

[Red Storm]

Swiftkey has swipe typing but it's called Flow, currently in beta. You can download the beta for free to see what Swiftkey itself is like too.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Simple question: Worth it? What's the difference from stock keyboard?

Another: What's the difference between tablet version and phone version? Play store tells me both are compatible with all my devices which include Nexus 4 and Nexus 7.

New version (4) is out and it's on sale, I am kind of interested but I just don't know what the difference is. Prior to 4.2 update, I thought Swiftkey did those swipe thing to type words but now Android does it, too.

Absolutely worth it on phones, I'm not as certain about tablets.

The Phone version will work on both phones and tablets but it isn't laid out very well on a larger tablet hence the second version.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Personally I think it's ok.

I hate that you're have to use the stupid number layout (should give us an option to change that). And while I could see it being a benefit to pre-ICS keyboards, I think Android's caught up somewhat.

Furthermore the tablet layout doesn't make sense (especially when we started out with 10" tablets). The backspace button was near the bottom right but on 10" tablets it probably makes more sense to have it on the top right like an actual keyboard. This is for the crowd that types in landscape. I can understand people using the layout for their 7" tablet, but that's thumb typing kinda like a phone.

 

[ChronoReverse]

I've actually been using Kii for a while. It's not as super smart in prediction like Swiftkey but the devs actually listen to requests and give you options as well.

In particular, I like not having the numpad by default as well as the ability to change key sizes and adding the number row.

 

[lopri]

Cool. Thank you all for the feedback. So I suppose it's better to start with the phone version, per DLeRium. I know I can install the phone version on my Nexus 7 as well, and I can also install the tablet version on my Nexus 4. I do not like double-purchase unless there are real benefits, so phone version seems more suited for me.

Only concern (well, not really but if I had to think long term) is that usually tablet version apps tend to cost more after the initial sales. If I buy now I can use it later if it gets better or more expensive.

@ChronoReverse: Will check out Kii as well. Has anyone else tried it?

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I've actually been using Kii for a while. It's not as super smart in prediction like Swiftkey but the devs actually listen to requests and give you options as well.

In particular, I like not having the numpad by default as well as the ability to change key sizes and adding the number row.

Kii's pretty interesting. Yeah, I don't understand Swiftkey. I know they're really crazy on prediction and stuff which is cool, but almost overrated?

If you're just a fast typer, I think you're more interested in keyboard features to make your typing experience better. I think they should've invested more on features like volume cursor, compound suggestions/predictions, being able to get suggestions on previous words you typed, etc. Things that some other keyboards give you the option of.

I just wish the devs of Swiftkey would be more interested in making it a good keyboard rather than just riding off a single feature, which is predictions.

 

[bonkers325]

not much difference in functionality, but swiftkey has better prediction algorithms. i bought swiftkey for 10 cents a while back, so i installed it today. better than stock, but i wouldnt pay for it.

 

[trmiv]

I'm not a fan of Swiftkey. I just don't like the layout of it.

 

[lopri]

Kii looks very intriguing. And it's free. What's the catch?

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Kii looks very intriguing. And it's free. What's the catch?

there's a premium version (of course)! and it's trying to be 10 keyboards in 1, so you can't expect it to be the best swype or swiftkey, or whatever. but i'd say its pretty solid.

It offers the same suite of customizations Smart Keyboard Pro offered, except it's actually trying to stay up to date with gesture type and other features.

 

[Nothinman]

I've been using Swiftkey for a few years now it seems and Flow which just went out of beta, is live in the market and I swear by it. It's next word prediction is phenomenal and I can't stand using other keyboards at this point any longer. There are a few sentences that I type frequently enough that I can now type them out by only hitting 1 or 2 letters on the keyboard, the rest of the words are all correctly predicted for me.

 

[ChronoReverse]

Yeah, the catch is that it's only "pretty good" in all fields and that you have to pay in order to actually get a large portion of the customization.

I used it during the beta when all the pro features were unlocked. I think the pro features are still unlocked except they won't save so every time your keyboard closes, it resets back to default.

 

[lopri]

Hmm.. is that an in-app purchase? I don't see the premium version on Play store.

 

[lopri]

Anyway, thank you everyone for such quick advice. I purchased Swiftkey 4 for my phone, and will try out kii on my tablet later.

 

[trmiv]

Hmm.. is that an in-app purchase? I don't see the premium version on Play store.

It's on the bottom of the settings screen.

 

[ChronoReverse]

Hmm.. is that an in-app purchase? I don't see the premium version on Play store.

Yes it's an in-app purchase. Had me confused for a while too.

 

[s44]

Only concern (well, not really but if I had to think long term) is that usually tablet version apps tend to cost more after the initial sales. If I buy now I can use it later if it gets better or more expensive.

Oh c'mon. There's a 99.44% chance this goes on sale for 10c/25c/30c/whatever during one of the big Google Play blowouts.

 

[podspi]

Honestly Swiftkey is worth it. Purchased it twice (phone and tablet version, full price) and I regret nothing. I never feel bad about supporting a company whose product that I like.

I also apparently have pretty bad eye-hand coordination, and Swiftkey still manages to figure out what I am saying despite it looking like I'm just randomly pounding my finger in the keyboard area

 

[lopri]

@podspi: Is the tablet version worth a separate buy? What size tablet did you try it on?

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Oh c'mon. There's a 99.44% chance this goes on sale for 10c/25c/30c/whatever during one of the big Google Play blowouts.

did the tablet one go on sale? I think it was only the standard one, which I bought for 10 cents. TBH I haven't used it at all though because I'm not a fan of Swiftkey.

 

[lopri]

Oh c'mon. There's a 99.44% chance this goes on sale for 10c/25c/30c/whatever during one of the big Google Play blowouts.

That's true but it's equally true that there is a likelihood that I will miss the sale.

 

[gorcorps]

Swiftkey has swipe typing but it's called Flow, currently in beta. You can download the beta for free to see what Swiftkey itself is like too.

The beta version expired a good month ago, but they just updated their main app and flow is in the market version now. IMO it's now the best keyboard yet because I got used to the swype style typing but swype has gotten terrible with autocorrect and prediction. Swiftkey has always been good at fixing my terrible typing, and now with flow it's perfect (for me). Well worth the money.

 

[McWatt]

Swiftkey is my favorite of the Android keyboard replacements. Its absence is one of the reasons I've been frustrated with my iPhone5, which has terrible layout and prediction. What do people think is a good iOS keyboard replacement? Is Octopus worth the $5 price tag?

 

[Apex]

The beta version expired a good month ago, but they just updated their main app and flow is in the market version now. IMO it's now the best keyboard yet because I got used to the swype style typing but swype has gotten terrible with autocorrect and prediction. Swiftkey has always been good at fixing my terrible typing, and now with flow it's perfect (for me). Well worth the money.

Does Swiftkey Flow still add a space in email addresses and url's? That was one thing I couldn't get used to in the beta. With Swype, you could have the auto-spacing enabled, and when you swipe the .com it knows well enough not to bork your url with a space.

Did Swiftkey Flow fix that, or was that a setting somewhere?