Tapping to type is not a convenient mode of typing for a large number of smartphone users. And Apple got that point. Apple introduces QuickType, gesture powered or predictive text – however you may call it, as the new smarter keyboard in iOS 8. This is a great move by Apple given that its mobile devices still lacked this feature while Android phones have them via third party apps.
But you could be really excited about something else. Apple has opened gates to third party keyboards. Apps like Swype and SwiftKey will be supported by iOS 8.
Apple usually has a closed door policy when it comes to third party apps and with iOS 8 that barrier is broken. This is not only a great news for iPhone users but more importantly, this is great news for app developers!
With QuickType or the third party keyboards like Swype and SwiftKey you don’t have to tap the individual characters on your phone’s screen to get your words on the screen. You can simply put your finger on one letter and drag it towards the next letter/character (in a scribbling or sliding fashion) and the words will be predicted by this functionality.
QuickType learns and predicts better as you continue to use it; the feature is similar to Android’s prediction where the most common words you use are automatically suggested/filled out as you start typing. A fine line of difference between Apple and Android phones in this area is, QuickType learns from the data on the device while with Android, you share that info on the cloud with Google.
What’s “more” apart from the third party keyboards?
Well you can share purchased content with your family and friends. With iOS 8, you can share your itunes purchases with up to 6 people/devices. So if you have some friends or family using Apple phone you can share your purchased content with them by adding their devices.
Apple also promises better integration with iOS and OS X – the two platforms will work seamlessly together. You are not limited to one device for a particular task. Think about making a phone call on your computer or edit a document on your iPhone that you created on your Mac. You can do these on Android powered phones but it is possible only via third party apps.
So what do you think about iOS 8? Innovative or meh?
Oh my, Jane, I am so excited for Apple’s new iOS 8! Apple still never fails to amaze me. It just keeps getting better and better every time! I’m surely glad that they came up with something like this. The QuickType feature sounds really great. I can’t wait!