Swiftkey: Android Keyboard Replacement

Swiftkey is an Android app that can be used to replace the default keyboard on your Android powered phone. The stock keyboard on Android is not too bad, but people are always looking to be able to text and type faster on their smart phones. Multiple companies have invested a lot of time and research into developing faster and easier ways of texting. One company most know about is Swype. Swype was one of the first major keyboard replacements used on smart phones, and was the first to be liked by the public, and has been adopted very well, Motorola and Verizon even have it pre-loaded on the DroidX.

Swiftkey is the next android Keyboard replacement that speeds up texting a great deal. While Swype takes the standard keyboard layout and changes how you use it, by swyping across letters instead of "typing" individual keys, Swiftkey allows users to not make such a radical change. If you just can not get used to swyping across the keyboard but still want to type faster then the regular keyboard then Swiftkey is definitely for you!

Swiftkey takes a different approach, rather then change the way we type on the keyboard they take into account patterns in how we communicate. Why change how we type when everyone has been learning the keyboard for years? If it ain't broken why fix it? While Swiftkey may not be "fixing" the keyboard by radically changing it, they sure are giving what we all know and love a huge upgrade; predictive text.

Have you ever had a friend who knew you so well, he or she knew exactly what you were going to say next? Well that is what Swiftkey is like, except for the fact you don't have to be friends with Swiftkey for 30 years before it can predict your words. Swiftkey first has a standard dictionary built into it, and understand how words are connected and related to each other. An algorithm is used to predict what word would probably come next based on what words and in what order the words were used. Think about it there are only so many words that could follow a certain string of words and still make sense. Its this algorithm which the smart people over at Swiftkey have developed that makes Swiftkey so Innovative.

Not only does Swiftkey have a standard algorithm based on the English language, but the Algorithm can and will change based on each individual user. Swiftkey will actually learn how you talk by analyzing the words you use when you text or email others from your phone. The more you use Swiftkey the better their predictions become, and thus you become a faster and more efficient texter.

Swiftkey is great because there really is not a huge learning curve like there is with Swype. Some users swear by Swype, but it takes time to learn and is a new concept. Swiftkey on the other hand woks like any other keyboard you have ever typed on, with only one small difference. The slight difference is at the top is a section of 3 rectangular boxes that hold different words. As you type words appear in the boxes above the keyboard that Swiftkey predicts may come next in what you will text. For instance when I type the word, "whats" it shows at the top; "going", "up" , and "the". I was planning on texting a friend "whats up and I only had to hit 4 keys, as apposed to 7 (It guessed whats, after "wha") if I were to type that letter by letter. Over time these small key strokes savers, save more and more time. Now that was a small example, since it guessed "whats" half way through and the small word "up" without typing anything. But there are plenty of times where I am saying something a lot longer and it will guess very long words without me typing a single letter. Swiftkey has gotten so good for me, I have been able to type whole sentences by it guessing every word!

Lastly in the options section of Swiftkey you can even check your stats for fun. For example my stats show that I have saved 3867 keystrokes, which has made my 27% more efficient when typing on my phone! How is that for becoming a faster texter!

Swiftkey can be found in the Android Market here , there is also a free trial version if you want to test it out before buying the full version. Swiftkey is an Android Keyboard replacement you should not miss checking out!