Wednesday 11 June 2014

Swiftkey, Android's Most Popular Keyboard App, Is Now Free

Swiftkey, Android's Most Popular Keyboard App, Is Now Free
SwiftKey, the popular Android keyboard app that uses text prediction to enable super-fast typing, is now free to all users.
The app, which has been one of the best-selling paid apps in Google Play since its launch in 2012, was previously $3.99.
The change is a significant shift for the company, which has always charged for its app. Now, Swiftkey is taking the freemium route; the app is free to download, but users can pay to purchase new themes for their keyboard.
Themes have long been one of the most-requested features for Swiftkey, according to Joe Braidwood, the company's chief marketing officer.
"We can now engage much more with the requests that we get and build out all this great content," Braidwood told Mashable. "This has been one of the biggest requests for the longest time: 'I love your core technology, but I want to change this thing about the keyboard.' Having the SwiftKey store inside of the app allows us to do that."
The store added 30 new themes, which include both free and paid options. Users can also purchase packs of themes. Those who have already paid for the app will automatically get the "Premier Pack" of 10 themes when they download the update.
The latest version of Swiftkey features other enhancements, including new emoji support and emoji prediction for devices running Android 4.1 and higher. An optional number row, which sits at the top of the keyboard, is also available.
Behind the scenes, Swiftkey improved its prediction engine, which enables the app to learn from users' patterns to predict what they will type before they type it. The company also revamped its flow-trail feature, which lets users type by swiping their finger across the keyboard (similar to Samsung's Swype keyboard).
Swiftkey is also setting its sights on new iOS offerings in the near future. The company launched its first iOS app, SwiftKey Note, earlier this year. And Swiftkey is already planning a full iOS keyboard app now that Apple announced it will finally make third-party keyboards available in iOS 8.
Posted by : Gizmeon

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