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Swype VP confirms talks with Apple on revolutionary keyboard technology

9to5mac.com

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Re: Swype VP confirms talks with Apple on revolutionary keyboard technology

#11

Post by HorizonXP »

I haven't used Swype, but I have been using the equivalent keyboard on Android 4.2 on my Galaxy Nexus, while I wait for my BlackBerry Z10 LE.

Honestly, I haven't used a better keyboard than what's on BlackBerry 10. Keyboards on Android and iOS are a pain to use in comparison. The swiping keyboard on 4.2 is pretty good, but still not the same. Everyone lives with it because there isn't a better alternative. However, keyboards and input methods are a big part of our experience with computing devices.

And to be frank, Android is the only ecosystem where such innovation can occur. Due to the platform choices of Apple, Microsoft, and BlackBerry, you can't implement a meaningful keyboard alternative, so no one bothers trying. The fact that Swype is an Android-based product being pitched to Apple highlights this issue.

Re: Swype VP confirms talks with Apple on revolutionary keyboard technology

#13

Post by incision »

StavrosK wrote: post #3

Is Swype still relevant? It was great when it launched, but it wasn't available in the Play store until, what, ten days ago? It was available in Samsung phones, but nothing else that I'm aware of. As far as I can see, nobody was actually able to use Swype, apart from people who got a Samsung phone with it preinstalled. Almost every single keyboard, the stock Android keyboard included, has this technology by now. How…

>As far as I can see, nobody was actually able to use Swype, apart from people who got a Samsung phone with it preinstalled.

Swype Beta has been available since 2010 and could be installed on anything as far as I know. It required signing up via email and downloading an APK though. I'm not sure why they didn't publicize it more.

>How come people are still talking about Swype?

In my opinion, it's far superior to the native Android implementation and Swiftkey.

Swiftkey Flow is a bit more responsive than Swype and I switched to it for a while to see if it could unseat Swype as my prime keyboard, but I eventually found major problems with its accuracy and predictions. I should have kept a list, there were certain words that proved impossible to enter to matter how precise the input. I also found that it occasionally (often enough to be irritating) refused to function as a "swipable" keyboard.

The Android keyboard is pretty bare bones relative to both Swiftkey Flow and Swype.

Both the Android keyboard and Swiftkey were lacking some very useful shortcuts present Swype for launching a numberic keypad, capitalization and text selection/manipulation.

Re: Swype VP confirms talks with Apple on revolutionary keyboard technology

#14

Post by StavrosK »

incision wrote: post #13
StavrosK wrote: post #3

Is Swype still relevant? It was great when it launched, but it wasn't available in the Play store until, what, ten days ago? It was available in Samsung phones, but nothing else that I'm aware of. As far as I can see, nobody was actually able to use Swype, apart from people who got a Samsung phone with it preinstalled. Almost every single keyboard, the stock Android keyboard included, has this technology by now. How…

>As far as I can see, nobody was actually able to use Swype, apart from people who got a Samsung phone with it preinstalled. Swype Beta has been available since 2010 and could be installed on anything as far as I know. It required signing up via email and downloading an APK though. I'm not sure why they didn't publicize it more. >How come people are still talking about Swype? In my opinion, it's far superior to the n…

I agree with you, it just seems to me that Swype was very... unorthodox in its development. They spent years not publicizing it, the development process was opaque (not that SwiftKey is more open), etc.

SwiftKey definitely has its flaws too. There are some persistent bugs that just don't get fixed. I find it very odd that companies with products so popular act as if they're abandoned.

Re: Swype VP confirms talks with Apple on revolutionary keyboard technology

#15

Post by incision »

StavrosK wrote: post #14
incision wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>As far as I can see, nobody was actually able to use Swype, apart from people who got a Samsung phone with it preinstalled. Swype Beta has been available since 2010 and could be installed on anything as far as I know. It required signing up via email and downloading an APK though. I'm not sure why they didn't publicize it more. >How come people are still talking about Swype? In my opinion, it's far superior to the n…

I agree with you, it just seems to me that Swype was very... unorthodox in its development. They spent years not publicizing it, the development process was opaque (not that SwiftKey is more open), etc. SwiftKey definitely has its flaws too. There are some persistent bugs that just don't get fixed. I find it very odd that companies with products so popular act as if they're abandoned.

I'm as puzzled as you are about exactly the same things.

I think it says a lot that I was genuinely surprised when Swype finally showed up on Play. I'd written it off as forever sideloaded and not totally compatible. Likewise, I have no expectation of niggling bugs in SwiftKey ever being fixed.

As I recall, both Swype and Swiftkey annoyingly expired their beta packages from time to time and both used confusing non/not-quite mobile pages for sign up and to download updates.

Baffling.

Re: Swype VP confirms talks with Apple on revolutionary keyboard technology

#16

Post by tracker1 »

HorizonXP wrote: post #11

I haven't used Swype, but I have been using the equivalent keyboard on Android 4.2 on my Galaxy Nexus, while I wait for my BlackBerry Z10 LE. Honestly, I haven't used a better keyboard than what's on BlackBerry 10. Keyboards on Android and iOS are a pain to use in comparison. The swiping keyboard on 4.2 is pretty good, but still not the same. Everyone lives with it because there isn't a better alternative. However, k…

I do think swype was marginally better than the Google gesture input. Though not enough that I've tried getting it on my N4. I think it could work well for Apple.

Of course I'm not likely to ever buy an iPhone or BB device.

Re: Swype VP confirms talks with Apple on revolutionary keyboard technology

#17

Post by tracker1 »

heyheyhey wrote: post #6
StavrosK wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, that's another thing. Why have they been in beta for, what, five years now?

Actually, they aren't in beta anymore with it being on the Play store so I guess that was their criteria for being in it for so long.

Just looked.. and given the permissions they are asking for I can only assume the app is bundled with spyware. Shame, as I actually liked/missed swype since my last phone, but not enough to deal with spyware apps.
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