iOS 8 keyboards: Swype, Adaptxt, Minuum, Color Keyboard and Touchpal

Swype keyboard app for the iPhone [Photo credit: Swype]

Integrated with iOS 8 is the user's acquired ability to utilize keyboards other than Apple's very own.  As such, ideal picks for the best third-party keyboard applications have emerged. Among the keyboard apps frequently mentioned in iOS 8 reviews include Swype, SwiftKey, and Fleksy, all of which have quickly became a must to try.

While Apple also made it a point to improve its own keyboard with a predictive QuickType system, it is still limited to recognizing who a user is talking to, and even the way he or she talks to them. Now, there are a bunch of downloadable keyboard apps that promise more. Some applications may require users for a few cents, while there are some good ones that are free.

For spot-on word suggestions and accurate trace-typing, Tom's Guide discovered that SwiftKey is the way to go. After a Yahoo! Review, the app was even tagged as a 'smart keyboard.' SwiftKey can easily adapt to a user's common and usual way of communicating once it detects the words and terms twice or thrice after being used. Once given access to most frequently used social media accounts, word recommendation is 100 percent dead right. It can also be synched to other Apple devices for better language adaptations. It is a free app so there are only great things to expect.

For only 99 cents, one can get Swype and its rather simple keyboard. Word suggestions are perfect and terms are very easy to add to the app's personalized dictionary, all of which are done with full protection of user data. Swype lives up to its guarantee to allow users to "type fast and swype faster," which is definitely something to consider.

Fleksy on the other hand makes use of gestures for faster typing that learns better language patterns by acquiring social media data. The app runs by having users swipe to different directions that correspond to certain features such as deleting and checking for punctuations. While it may not be very ideal for some to adapt to the "steep learning curve" it requires, resizable keyboard sizes and reliable predicting engines may be worth the 99-cent shell out.

Other notable apps include Adaptxt, Minuum, Color Keyboard and Touchpal.

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