It seems that SwiftKey is preparing to roll out a big upgrade soon, and this was revealed in the recent beta version release of the popular mobile keyboard app. Simply called SwiftKey Beta, the updated mobile keyboard introduces changes that include the ability to type in five languages at the same time.
The beta release, which is being touted as a milestone second only to SwiftKey's shift from paid to free app last year, is powered by an advanced proprietary Neural Network Prediction technology. The app's public release early this month has implemented the technology for the first time, supporting what the company calls as a keyboard with next-generation typing technology.
"We've rebuilt SwiftKey's language engine from the ground up using the power of neural network technology — the first instance of neural networks being used locally on a smartphone," SwiftKey announced last Sept. 15. "This gives you more accurate and useful next-word predictions, saving you time and (hopefully) adding a little fun to your typing."
The beta version specifically builds on this cutting-edge neural network, which can be likened to the artificial intelligence technology being developed by tech companies such as Google and Microsoft. It now allows the keyboard to generate language prediction based on context cues as opposed to the last two words typed. This was first seen in action during the release of the SwiftKey Neural Alpha prototype last year. The feature is now available in the beta version in three additional languages besides English.
Aside from the five-language toggling and the inclusion of French, German and Spanish to the Neural-Network-Prediction-supported languages, there are also other features that would surely delight users.
For example, the keyboard is also now supporting four new languages: Sindhi Pakistan, Pashto, Scottish Gaelic and Uyghur. SwiftKey is touting that, with this move, it is bringing its "mind-reading technology" to more people.
There are also changes to the user interface such as the capability to turn on/off key press pop-ups and the introduction of new settings when the keyboard is in tablet layout. This last involves a dedicated on/off key for emojis, which is located on the left portion of the space bar. Users should also be pleased to know that the red underlines that appear when typing in multiple languages are now gone.
The technological advances in the recent SwiftKey beta build reinforce the argument why the company was acquired by Microsoft early this year. The claim is that it was not motivated by a desire to acquire the keyboard app. Rather, it was driven by SwiftKey's achievements in the area of artificial intelligence.
