SwiftKey 4.3 enters Play Store as a free update, brings Canadian dictionary and new layouts | MobileSyrup.com
SwiftKey and Swype both has new updates today. Prior to today, I have been using Kii as my landscape keyboard an Swype as my portrait keyboard. I decided to try them out to see if I should change my current keyboard configuration.
SwiftKey has the best autocorrect and text prediction I have used in any keyboard. I had used it for many months in the past until I got fed up with the layout. I have a 4.8" phone and prefer split layouts in landscape as it is hard to reach to the middle of the keyboard. The split layout in SwiftKey was still uncomfortable to use and for whatever reason, I keep accidentally pressing the shift key and space bar. SwiftKey (and any keyboard for tha matter) has a difficult time correcting these types of keying errors.
The new SwiftKey does not have a different split layout. There is a new layout for much larger screens where the keyboard is split to both sides. It is intended for tablets that are 7" or larger. It just wasn't practical for my 4.8" phone.
I really wanted to like SwiftKey for its text prediction capabilities. The new Canadian English language is also a boon for us Canucks. Alas, the latest update just didn't address the issues I had before.
Swype on the other hand has a new landscape split keyboard layout. The keyboard looks almost like the Kii's 13-key split layout which I was using. There are some differences. For instance, unlike the Kii keyboard, Swype does not have a number pad in the middle. I actually like this because sometimes, I hit a number by accident on Kii.
Another badly needed improvement is the ability to configure the long press delay. Before it was set to half a second which is way too long for me. I shortened the delay to 300ms.
Swype does have some minor issues. I experienced a bit of lag with the landscape layout for some reason. It was better after a reboot, but I still notice it occasionally. I thumb type in landscape and can feel the haptic feedback delay a little after pressing a key. So far, the delay is noticeable, but does not hinder my ability to type.
As a Canadian, I have to deal with the fact that our spelling is like the UK English while we use the dollar. With Swype, if I use the English UK keyboard, I get the correct spelling when it auto corrects, but I get the British pound symbol instead of the dollar sign. I cannot long press a key to type the dollar sign. Instead, I have to press the symbol key, then press the key to go to the second set of symbols and then press the dollar sign.
The English US keyboard has the dollar sign where the pound sign is. In order to make it easy for me to type the dollar sign, I have to use the English US keyboard and then also install the English UK language. The only down side is if I type "center" or "color", it doesn't correct the spelling to "centre" and "colour". Both Kii and SwiftKey has a Canadian English language. Swype has Canadian French, but no Canadian English.
After trying out both these keyboards, I have decided to use Swype both for landscape and portrait. The new split layout is what won me over Kii. Also, now that I am using the same keyboard for both landscape and portrait, I can deactivate Keyboard Manager+. That also frees up some space in my notification bar. KM+ causes the accessibility icon to persist in my notification bar.
Anyone else tried the latest updates of these keyboards?
SwiftKey and Swype both has new updates today. Prior to today, I have been using Kii as my landscape keyboard an Swype as my portrait keyboard. I decided to try them out to see if I should change my current keyboard configuration.
SwiftKey has the best autocorrect and text prediction I have used in any keyboard. I had used it for many months in the past until I got fed up with the layout. I have a 4.8" phone and prefer split layouts in landscape as it is hard to reach to the middle of the keyboard. The split layout in SwiftKey was still uncomfortable to use and for whatever reason, I keep accidentally pressing the shift key and space bar. SwiftKey (and any keyboard for tha matter) has a difficult time correcting these types of keying errors.
The new SwiftKey does not have a different split layout. There is a new layout for much larger screens where the keyboard is split to both sides. It is intended for tablets that are 7" or larger. It just wasn't practical for my 4.8" phone.
I really wanted to like SwiftKey for its text prediction capabilities. The new Canadian English language is also a boon for us Canucks. Alas, the latest update just didn't address the issues I had before.
Swype on the other hand has a new landscape split keyboard layout. The keyboard looks almost like the Kii's 13-key split layout which I was using. There are some differences. For instance, unlike the Kii keyboard, Swype does not have a number pad in the middle. I actually like this because sometimes, I hit a number by accident on Kii.
Another badly needed improvement is the ability to configure the long press delay. Before it was set to half a second which is way too long for me. I shortened the delay to 300ms.
Swype does have some minor issues. I experienced a bit of lag with the landscape layout for some reason. It was better after a reboot, but I still notice it occasionally. I thumb type in landscape and can feel the haptic feedback delay a little after pressing a key. So far, the delay is noticeable, but does not hinder my ability to type.
As a Canadian, I have to deal with the fact that our spelling is like the UK English while we use the dollar. With Swype, if I use the English UK keyboard, I get the correct spelling when it auto corrects, but I get the British pound symbol instead of the dollar sign. I cannot long press a key to type the dollar sign. Instead, I have to press the symbol key, then press the key to go to the second set of symbols and then press the dollar sign.
The English US keyboard has the dollar sign where the pound sign is. In order to make it easy for me to type the dollar sign, I have to use the English US keyboard and then also install the English UK language. The only down side is if I type "center" or "color", it doesn't correct the spelling to "centre" and "colour". Both Kii and SwiftKey has a Canadian English language. Swype has Canadian French, but no Canadian English.
After trying out both these keyboards, I have decided to use Swype both for landscape and portrait. The new split layout is what won me over Kii. Also, now that I am using the same keyboard for both landscape and portrait, I can deactivate Keyboard Manager+. That also frees up some space in my notification bar. KM+ causes the accessibility icon to persist in my notification bar.
Anyone else tried the latest updates of these keyboards?
