Of the big announcements to come out of the WWDC opening keynote, Apple’s decision to bring third-party keyboards to iOS was probably the most unexpected and yet, one of the most wished-for additions to a platform that has stubbornly stuck to the one keyboard for its entire life. Being able to install completely new keyboards can quite literally change the way we work.
With Swype being the keyboard that everyone is already eager to try out, there are likely to be countless other keyboards available when iOS 8 launches later this year. Unfortunately, as with apps, we suspect that while there will likely be a handful of real gems, there will also be more keyboards that don’t make the grade than those that do. Thankfully, alongside Swype, Minuum may be one that we can truly look forward to trying out.
Already available for Android, Minuum isn’t like most keyboards you’ve used before. While it’s loosely based on the QWERTY system, Miniuum mashes all the keys together into one row and then relies on some clever predictive technology to discern what you’re trying to type. If you remember the T9 predictive text system that was used on the smartphones of yesteryear, then you won’t be far off.
Importantly, the folks over at Minuum are already hard at work getting a version of the keyboard ready for iOS. "We’re working on a version of Minuum for iOS now, and we’ll let you know when it’s ready to try," the company is quoted as saying. With the iOS 8 beta already out in the wild in the hands of developers, hopefully a build of the keyboard will be made available to those testing iOS 8 in order to try and work out any kinks before both Minuum and the new iOS are pushed into the public domain around September time.
In truth, we’re probably more interested in Minuum than the Swype keyboard everyone has been waiting for. Hopefully our excitement will prove founded.
If you’re interested, you can sign up for the Fleksy keyboard beta right away, and you’ll be informed when it’s available.
You may also like to check out:
- iOS 8 Adds QuickType Predictive Keyboard, Support For Swype-Like Third Party Keyboards
- iOS 8 Announced: Features, Compatibility, Release Date [Everything You Need To Know]
You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the Web.
