SwiftKey for Android Honeycomb brings speed typing to tablets
Replacing the keyboard on your Android phone has always been essential, and now the same technology allows you to get much improved predictive text on a Honeycomb tablet.
Keyboard replacement app SwiftKey will get a version designed specifically for tablets running the new version of Android, Honeycomb. A complete redesign gives users a way to type with two hands in landscape mode.
SwiftKey is essentially a modern version of predictive text. As you type, the software predicts the most likely word, letter by letter. You can then select that word directly, which should help you save time and prevent horrific spelling mistakes.
We've been using the phone version of SwiftKey for some time, and we're happy with it, although it's not quite as quick or slick as swoopy-slidey alternative Swype. For tablet use, however, SwiftKey's layout and two-handed approach makes much more sense. Swype really isn't as easy to use when you're trying to hold a larger tablet.
We do hope the tablet version offers some incremental improvements for SwiftKey, because we are sometimes frustrated with the suggestions on our phone app. And, like any replacement keyboard, there's a learning curve involved.
The more we see about Honeycomb and the apps being developed for it, the more we're convinced everyone involved in Android development has a serious Tron obsession. We love that, but we're also worried that all those dark colours might be a little oppressive to those less geeky than us.
You can see a video demonstrating SwiftKey for Honeycomb below. What do you think? Will this revolutionise typing on a tablet, or is this just another area where Apple already has the lead?