SwiftKey, the popular replacement keyboard for both Android and iOS phones, has released a prototype keyboard dubbed Clarity that ups the features-game for autocorrection. According to Slashgear, Clarity not only suggests a word that you may be typing, it suggests complete phrases. Unlike single-word suggestions (or, predictions), Clarity monitors the typist’s word strings and retroactively suggests alternatives to what you have typed.
At first glance (and use), Clarity seems like a backward step in variety of features for Swiftkey, However the decision to use a different product name indicates the company is trying to position this as another form of keyboard, not necessarily the next in the evolution of its traditional product.
Clarity is all about simplicity in user interface. user experience and features. While features may be added when the “experimental” keyboard becomes a fully realized product, for now, it’s a keyboard with big-readable keys, tracing (or swipe-to-type) functions from its previous keyboards, and best-of-class auto-suggestion (and now, auto phrase suggestion).
Why are there replacement keyboards for smartphones?
If you are wondering why there is even such a thing as a replacement keyboard for the ones that come with your Android or iOS device, you probably have (1) better than perfect vision (2) small fingers (3) both of those.
Android was first to offer users the option to swap out their keyboard for a third-party creation and Swiftkey was one of the first to jump in. More recently, Apple opened the iOS for replacement keypads and Swiftkey has found a large fan base there, as well.
While each of the iOS replacement options has fans, Dan Seifert of The Verge gives Swiftkey the clear thumbs-up, #1 choice. He prefers it over the iPhone keyboard, itself.
Swiftkey
Android, iOS
Free
Replacement keyboard options other than Swiftkey
Swype
Android, iOS 8, Symbian, Windows 7, MeeGo, Windows Phone
(Swype.com)
99¢
Adaptxt
Android, Symbian, MeeGo, Windows Mobile, Windows and Linux
(Adaptxt.com)
Free
TouchPal
Android, i0S
(TouchPal.com)
Free
Fleksky
Android, iOS
(Flesky.com)
99¢
Minuum
Android, iOS, Android wearables
(Minum.com)
$3.99
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