Fleksy has developed an iOS keyboard SDK for all developers, meaning fans of a good third-party keyboard for their Android device will be able to extend that to their Apple products.
SDK was first introduced in December but remained in closed beta until now. Notoriously bad at playing with others, the iPhone has never allowed the use of a third-party keyboard across its OS the way Google does with phones running Android. With no coding necessary, Fleksy, however, makes keyboard integration easy and accessible for users.
Apple phone users just need to install the Fleksy app once and a button will appear beside the "Cut, Copy, Paste" buttons when any text field is tapped. Fleksy currently supports a few apps, including Cotton Notes, Tap Forms and SnapStatus.
Fleksy rises above your typical iOS keyboard due simply to the fact that the keys are larger and easier to hit. It's also easy to get used to as it relies on traditional typing and a mix of gestures to make it easier and faster to type. For example, you can flick a finger left or right anywhere to delete a word or enter a space. What's more, its hyper-diligent autocorrect is a force to reckon with, with no stray word allowed to escape its careful eye.
The keyboard color can also be altered, although some colors must be purchased. Which brings us to yet another perk of Fleksy - the app is free. To monetize, its developers instead charge for colorful themes and add-ons for the especially enthusiastic user.
Some of the best third-party keyboards available for Android smartphones these days include: Al Type Keyboard Plus (priced $3.99) with its strong design and fairly accurate word prediction; Smart Keyboard Pro ($2.69), a solid keyboard with great functionality; SwiftKey Keyboard ($1.99) and its predictive text functionality, typing efficiency stat and plethora of theme options; Swype ($0.99), which provides a very smooth and clean interface; and the Google Keyboard (free) with features such as gesture typing and sentence gesture typing.
