Samsung starts rolling out Lollipop update for the Galaxy S6 in Nordic countries
Samsung is now rolling out the much-anticipated Lollipop update to all models of the Galaxy S6 located in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway. As for as added functionality goes, this upgrade transports the latest build of the Android operating system to the handset, in addition to a truckload of bug fixes and stability improvements.
All the changes you’d expect to find in the Lollipop software are bundled into this upgrade, including support for multiple accounts, improved notifications, stronger 256-bit encryption, a smoother multitasking experience and the recently-announced Material Design guidelines.
As usual, the upgrade is being rolled out in stages, but if you don’t feel like waiting for a notification confirming that it’s ready for your device to hit your unit, you could always search for the update manually.
To do so simply open the Settings app, scroll to the bottom and tap on “About Device”, hit “System Updates”, then select “Check for updates”. Once done, the upgrade will start downloading from Samsung’s servers.
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Security firm CrowdStrike to receive $100 million investment from Google
Security firm CrowdStrike has announced a $100 million investment from Google Capital. CrowdStrike was founded by ex-McAfee executives and utilizes cloud-based tools and security experts called “hunters” to actively combat hacking attempts, sometimes while they are in progress.
CrowdStrike has achieved some success in repelling attacks by Chinese based hacking groups, notably one group called Hurricane Panda. Earlier this year they claimed that the group had commenced an attack on a firm in January, but abandoned the attempt once they detected CrowdStrikes presence on the company’s network.
CrowdStrike co-founder Dmitri Alperovitch believes Hurricane Panda abandoned the attempt based on an April 2014 incident involving another company protected by CrowdStrike. That successful response by CrowdStrike likely caused Hurricane Panda to realize “the cost and given the time and money wasted on the previous 0-day, decided it wasn’t worth it” to pursue their latest attack. Alperovitch says this was the first time they saw at attack abandoned in such a manner.
CrowdStrike also made a name for themselves recently by examining the Office of Personnel Management hack and determining it originated in China.
According to Gene Frantz, a partner at Google Capital,
“We were blown away by CrowdStrike’s incredible growth and impressive customer adoption. They have a truly unique SaaS-based endpoint security model, a highly scalable subscription revenue model, and a visionary technical approach that has huge potential to transform the industry, which is why we’re thrilled to make this investment.”
Google Capital is separate from Google Ventures, a largely independent venture capital firm setup by Google. Google Capital is an investment arm of Google.
source: CrowdStrike
via: Business Insider
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600 MHz auction rule compromise proposed by T-Mobile’s Waxman
As the FCC plans to vote on July 16th on rules for an incentive auction of 600 MHz spectrum, former representative Henry Waxman, now working as a lobbyist for T-Mobile, has submitted a proposed compromise to FCC chair Tom Wheeler. Waxman says the proposal,
“is not perfect. Truly balanced approaches rarely are. But this solution would do more than any other to offer expanded spectrum access where it is feasible, simplicity where it is practical and competitive safeguards where they are most needed to protect consumers.”
Some compromise is needed according to smaller carriers like T-Mobile to prevent larger carriers like Verizon and AT&T from acquiring too much spectrum. The ability of large carriers to get into reserved spectrum for small carriers may occur if certain pricing triggers are not met. The failure to see the triggers activated could occur if smaller carriers wait to submit their bids, a common tactic by buyers in auctions.
Waxman, who helped draft the legislation authorizing the 600 MHz spectrum, addressed another issue involving guard bands, or the “duplex gap,” that will exist after the auction. The FCC had originally planned to dedicate this space to WiFi, licensed broadcast news microphones, and other unlicensed uses. However, FCC staff reversed that recommendation.
Waxman is proposing the FCC use their spectrum-clearing target of 84 MHz as a trigger. If less than 84 MHz is cleared in the auction, then broadcast stations could be allowed into the duplex gap according to Waxman’s proposal.
source: FierceWireless
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HTC One M9+ review
An increasingly prevalent trend in the smartphone world is the introduction of “Plus” smartphones, that typically bring better specifications and more features over what is available with the main flagship from the OEM. And that can be disappointing for consumers that have already committed to the latter. To the dismay of many, HTC has done exactly that with its flagship One M9, adding a few key enhancements that should have actually been there with the original and releasing the One M9+.
Can this latest high-end offering from HTC be considered the company’s true flagship? We find out, in this comprehensive HTC One M9+ review!
Design
The HTC One M9+ is essentially a larger version of its flagship, with a few minor, but noticeable, tweaks. With the 0.2-inch bump in the display size, the M9+ is understandably taller and wider than the One M9, and the rear camera has been redesigned to a circular shape, compared to the rounded square seen with the original. The more prominent difference comes up front though, with the speaker grill below the display being split to accommodate a fingerprint sensor.
Otherwise, the device still features the same full metal unibody construction, with the build quality that we’ve come expect from HTC. The corners are rounded off, and the tapered back allows for the phone to sit nicely in the hand. The One M9+ is not drastically bigger than the One M9, and is still fairly easy to use in one hand, and will still be within the realm of what most people consider a “normal” sized phone. The metal ridge design that goes around the perimeter of the phone provides for a much better grip as well. The full metal body means that it still isn’t the easiest phone to hold onto, but by no means will you ever feel worried about the phone slipping out of your hands.
Going around the device, the power button is placed on the right side just below the volume rocker, which is a definite improvement over previous One series smartphones. As is the case with the regular One M9 though, the placement of the power button is a tad too low, which makes it somewhat difficult to reach. That said, the double tap to wake feature is also available with the One M9+, and you won’t be needing to reach the power button all that often anyway. Of course, now there is also the added benefit of unlocking the device and going straight into the home screen by using the fingerprint scanner. The rest of the buttons and ports are in their usual locations, with a large black strip up top for the IR blaster, with the headphone jack and microUSB port at the bottom, and the SIM card tray on the left. Finally, HTC’s tried and true BoomSound speakers return up front, and for better or worse, the infamous black HTC bar still resides below the display.
Display
The improvements over the smaller namesake start with the display, with the One M9+ featuring a 5.2-inch Super LCD3 with a Quad HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 565 ppi. The bump is resolution does result in a far sharper screen, although some people will argue that the difference isn’t easily noticeable. Regardless, HTC has delivered another fantastic looking display with the One M9+, putting this flagship at par with the competition.
The blacks may not be as deep in comparison to the AMOLEDs of the world, but that isn’t surprising with an LCD screen. The screen overall is bright, vivid, with great viewing angles and a brightness that allows for comfortable outdoor viewing. There is a slight bias towards a warmer color tone though, that gives off a slightly yellowish hue sometimes, but otherwise, this display is an absolute pleasure to use in everyday tasks or for media consumption.
Performance
Another major change with the M9+ comes in the processor, but in this case, it does unfortunately prove to be a step back. Under the hood, the device packs an octa-core MediaTek MT6795T processor, clocked at 2.2 GHz, and backed by the PowerVR G6200 and 3 GB of RAM. In general everyday use, like navigating through the various elements of the UI and opening applications, the One M9+ provides a very fluid and responsive experience. It’s with multi-tasking that mixed results are seen. While switching back and forth between applications can be smooth and snappy sometimes, there are instances where there is a lot of stutter in the animations, and significant delays in the load times between apps.
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The dip in performance is far more noticeable when it comes to gaming though, which really raises questions with regards to HTC’s decision to go with a MediaTek processor. Graphic-intensive games like Modern Combat 5 can run smoothly at times, but there is too much action on the screen, the frame rate drops significantly, resulting in very choppy gameplay. Games like Mortal Kombat X are a little too much for the One M9+ to handle, and even simpler games like Clash of Clans fail to run at a consistent frame. This could be due to a lack of optimization for the MediaTek processor, but is still a huge letdown for anyone that enjoys gaming on their phone.
Hardware
One aspect of the hardware that enhances the media consumption and gaming experience in general is with HTC’s signature front-facing BoomSound speakers. They are still the loudest and most crisp sounding speakers on any smartphone, unrivaled by anyone. With Dolby audio enhancements, you can easily toggle between a theater mode for a surround sound effect, and a music mode for a more flatter sound.
The bottom speaker has undergone a slight makeover with a separation in the grill to make way for the fingerprint scanner. The process of setting up the scanner is very similar to both Apple and Samsung’s implementation, that requires a series of repeated presses to accurately record your fingerprint. Up to 5 fingerprints can be stored at one time, and once set up, the sensor works surprisingly well. Using the fingerprint scanner unlocks the phone almost instantaneously the majority of the time, and easily rivals the scanners found on the latest Apple and Samsung devices. While you are able to use the scanner as a dedicated home button, it is actually not a real tactile button, and functions more like a capacitive key.
32 GB of on-board storage is available with the One M9+, and for those that do need more, the storage is further expandable via microSD card by up to 128 GB. The device also comes with the usual suite of connectivity and sensor options.
The HTC One M9+ comes with a non-removable 2,840 mAh battery that has proved to be quite good. The battery lasts from anywhere between 14 and 16 hours with normal usage, which should be more than enough for most people to get through a full day. With heavy usage, that involved lots of gaming and taking pictures, that number does dip considerably though, down to around 10 to 11 hours.
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Exact screen-on times can’t be provided because for some reason, HTC has made determining that number very difficult. What can be said is that there was never a issue with getting through a full day unless you really put the device through its paces, and that did result in needing to reach for the charger in the middle of the day. The use of a MediaTek processor means that the One M9+ doesn’t come with any fast charging capabilities though, which would have been nice, but isn’t exactly a deal breaker.
Camera
HTC brings back the Duo Camera setup of the One M8 with the One M9+, allowing for the camera to refocus shots after the fact, but considering that many smartphone cameras can achieve the same effect with only one sensor, the re-introduction of the Duo Camera becomes a rather questionable choice. The main camera is still the same 20 MP shooter from the One M9, and a 4 MP UltraPixel camera is once again found up front for some high quality selfies.
The camera application continues to be minimalistic, with quick toggles to easily switch between the front camera and rear camera, and the ability to take a panorama shot simply by swiping on the viewfinder, or tapping the button on the bottom right. Photo Booth and Split Capture are also available for those you want it. The rest of the camera settings are hidden in the overflow menu, which keeps the interface from getting cluttered, but does result in getting to modes like HDR and manual requiring a few more steps than is necessary. The most notable difference with the camera UI is the addition of the Duo Camera toggle to quickly switch between duo capture and standard high resolution shots.
The Duo Camera works just like it is supposed to, but for best results, you’ll need to make sure that there is a clear subject of focus and a clear background, or the refocusing may not look very convincing. The biggest caveat to using this setup is that photos are capped at 4 MP, so there’s not a whole lot of room to work with if you’re planning to crop.
When shooting in the normal full resolution, there is plenty of detail in the shots, especially when you’re working with 20 MP, but considering that this the same sensor and software, the One M9+ faces a lot of the issues that plagued the camera experience of the One M9. Good looking shots are possible with the right lighting conditions, but the main problem here is its lack of dynamic range and the way it handles exposure. The exposure can be adjusted by tapping anywhere on the viewfinder, which is a very simple and easy implementation, but even a tiny change in the place you tap will result in major swings in the exposure, leading to two completely different looking photos as a result. HDR does help improve the situation, but with several seconds of processing time between each shot, it’s not always the most practical solution.
The situation doesn’t get much better in low light conditions, and without OIS, it becomes extremely difficult to get a clear shot, especially when the shutter has to to stay open longer to try and capture more detail. At higher ISOs, pictures quickly become filled with noise, which is expected, but results in soft images with very little color. This just goes to show that it isn’t all about just the megapixel count, and it is very evident that this camera is still suffering from the same problems as those seen on the One M9.
Software
On the software side of things, the HTC One M9+ is running Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, with the HTC Sense 7 UI on top. The user interface retains everything that many have come to know and love about HTC Sense from previous iterations, and adds a few key features that were first introduced with the One M9. The interface is still fast and fluid, and there are of course the now familiar elements like the vertical scrolling app drawer and Blinkfeed, which now also shows restaurant recommendations during meal times (which can also show on your lock screen if you so choose).
All of the motion launch gestures that make accessing certain functions of the phone a lot faster are still available, including double tap to wake, swipe up to unlock from a sleep state, directly access BlinkFeed, and quickly launch the camera app just by picking the device up in the landscape orientation and tapping the volume down button.
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New features introduced with Sense 7 include the addition of the home widget and a themes engine. The home widget aggregates a selection of applications that will be most useful to you, changing according to your location. Also available is a folder that houses the recently downloaded applications, and there is also a list of recommended apps that will appear alongside it. This feature can certainly be useful for some, but can also be removed easily if you don’t find a need for it.
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On the other hand, the new themes engine is one of the best additions to HTC Sense, and even though the default UI does look great, it is always nice to have a change of scenery. The themes engine is still relatively new, but there’s already numerous options to choose from, that allow you to change virtually everything at the click of a button, including the wallpaper, icons, sounds, fonts, and even the general system UI elements. You can even create your own theme by selecting a wallpaper or photo of your choice, and the theme engine will automatically build one for you; but you also have more granular control features at your disposal, to get it to look exactly the way you want it.
Specifications
| Display | 5.2-inch Super LCD3 2560 x 1440 resolution, 565 ppi |
| Processor | 2.2 GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6795T processor PowerVR G6200 GPU |
| RAM | 3 GB |
| Storage | 32 GB, expandable via microSD card by up to 128 GB |
| Camera | Duo Camera (20 MP + 2.1 MP) with dual LED flash 4 MP Ultrapixel front-facing camera |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.1 GPS + GLONASS microUSB 3.0 |
| Battery | 2,840 mAh |
| Software | Android 5.0.2 Lollipop |
| Dimensions | 151 x 72 x 9.6 mm 168 grams |
| Colors | Gunmetal gray, silver gold |
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Pricing and final thoughts
The HTC One M9+ is already available in markets like China and India, and has recently become available on Amazon for purchase in the US, with a price tag of around $710, which does fluctuate though. Available color options include gunmetal and silver gold. Keep in mind that, since it is a GSM version, it is compatible only with the AT&T and T-Mobile network in the US.
So there you have it for this in-depth look at the HTC One M9+! With such a high price tag, the device will be going up against some stiff competition in the LG G4, Samsung Galaxy S6, and even the HTC One M9 itself. If you’re confused between the One M9+ and its smaller sibling, the choice you have to make is with regards to how important a Quad HD display and fingerprint scanner are to you, and if they are worth the price. While these features are great to have, One M9 owners shouldn’t feel like they’ve been cheated, because the One M9+ is not without its shortcomings, particularly with regards to performance.
Nokia’s HERE Maps public beta launches with an updated UI
Nokia has been gradually updating its impressive off-line navigation application, HERE Maps, with new features, and the latest beta version includes a newly redesigned user interface and a contextual menu. There’s also a public beta program, if you fancy signing up to test out the latest features.
Along with a redesign of the app’s interface, the new contextual menu displays information on a particular location, accompanied by options to share the location, receive directions to or begin navigation to the spot. The menu can be brought up with a long press anywhere on the map. You can see the feature in action in the video below:
If you fancy joining the public beta, you will need an Android smartphone running 4.1 Jelly Bean or higher, with 1GB of RAM and a display anywhere between 4 and 6.9 inches in size. To sign up, head on over and join the Here Beta Google Group, click this link to become a beta tester and then you will be able to download the navigation app from the Play Store.
If you happen to try out Nokia’s HERE Maps beta, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
Google’s Sundar Pichai talks about the intrusiveness of smartphones and the possible solutions
Sundar Pichai is a senior vice president at Google in charge of Android, Chrome, and Google Apps. As such he has a lot of influence over some of Google’s most important consumer products. He is also considered to be the righthand man of Google’s chief executive, Larry Page. In a recent NY Times interview Sundar was grilled about the intrusiveness of smartphones, the dangers of anti-social phone use, and the possible solutions.
When asked if smartphones will eventually become socially unacceptable because of overuse, Sundar noted that people get a lot from their Android smartphones however they are probably more “interruptive” than they need to be, however ultimately it is the user who is in control, they use their phones how much they want to.
That was the first question in the interview and throughout the rest of the questioning the idea of individual choice was repeated again and again. When asked about checking emails during dinner, Sundar said that if parent allow their children to do that then it is a parent choice. If the parent themselves are doing it then that isn’t a technology question, as their are people who watch TV during dinner and nobody is blaming the TV manufacturers for that!
It’s their choice, and I want to be careful not to be prescriptive about what is OK to do and what is not OK to do.
At this point the interviewer changed tack and pointed out that people are making apps that turn your phone off for a while indicating that consumers see the need for way to reduce the temptation to constantly use a smartphone. Sundar pointed out that this isn’t a unique problem for smartphones, consumers want the same thing for email or for social media. “I also don’t know how much of these are like something that is just happening at the margin versus what’s happening at the core,” he added.
He then went on to repeat that how consumer’s user their phones is up to them. “To me, we need to design products which are genuinely centered around users. And then there is a line by which how users choose to live their lives. It’s their choice, and I want to be careful not to be prescriptive about what is OK to do and what is not OK to do.”
One area where Sundar is prepared for Google to be more prescriptive is with Android Auto. When you are driving it is important that a user only get the information that is critical, mainly because pulling out your phone while driving is dangerous.
He points out that he makes everyone on the team put all their phones in a basket so that they can all have a good dinner together.
“So if you look at how we are thinking through something like Android Auto, we are trying to thoughtfully figure out how you get what you want at the right time,” said Pichai. “Can you just speak and get your answer so that you don’t have to open up a phone? These are all experiences we think through.”
The conversation then shifts a little to personal policies with regards to smartphone use. Sundar revealed that on the evening before a Google I/O keynote speech he goes out for a meal with his team. He points out that he makes “everyone on the team put all their phones in a basket” so that they can all have a good dinner together.
Often when people compare iOS and Android, the mantra seems to be that Apple care about the end experience, it just needs to work. However to think that only Apple worrys about that is a little naive. As Pichai said, “the point is not to present the technology to the user. The point is to build a user experience.”
What do you think, are smartphones becoming too intrusive? Are they tearing away at the social fabric of life? Let me know in the comments below.
Nokia’s HERE Maps public beta launches with an updated UI
Nokia has been gradually updating its impressive off-line navigation application, HERE Maps, with new features, and the latest beta version includes a newly redesigned user interface and a contextual menu. There’s also a public beta program, if you fancy signing up to test out the latest features.
Along with a redesign of the app’s interface, the new contextual menu displays information on a particular location, accompanied by options to share the location, receive directions to or begin navigation to the spot. The menu can be brought up with a long press anywhere on the map. You can see the feature in action in the video below:
If you fancy joining the public beta, you will need an Android smartphone running 4.1 Jelly Bean or higher, with 1GB of RAM and a display anywhere between 4 and 6.9 inches in size. To sign up, head on over and join the Here Beta Google Group, click this link to become a beta tester and then you will be able to download the navigation app from the Play Store.
If you happen to try out Nokia’s HERE Maps beta, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
Acer feels the pain of the PC’s decline
Analysts believe that the PC has had its day in the sun, and now, we’ve got another shred of proof to toss into the dossier. Acer, the world’s fifth-largest PC maker, has revealed that its revenues fell by the better part of 30 percent in the second quarter of the year. The terse announcement wasn’t supported by a full earnings release, but the figures mean that this period has been the company’s smallest quarter since 2006. The spreadsheet may be missing, but Digitimes is reporting that Acer is betting on Chromebooks, 2-in-1 and gaming laptops will restore the firm to profitability.
@danielwcooper here’s the graph to show Acer’s 2Q revenues are smallest since 2006 (source: Acer financials) pic.twitter.com/OeJGqhjgdn
– Charles Arthur (@charlesarthur) July 13, 2015
Gartner’s cabal of sooth-sayers reported that PC shipments in the second three months of the year dropped by nearly 10 percent. Then again, that may not be as much of a cause for despair as you may think, since Windows 10 is launching on July 29th. It’s likely that plenty of buyers have held-off on picking up a new machine until the new OS arrives, but probably not enough to return the industry to its heyday. In addition, that same report believes that Acer’s chunk of the market shrunk by more than 20 percent since 2014 — a year when the firm barely squeaked a profit. It remains to be seen if co-founder Stan Shih’s much-trumpeted rescue attempt was a success or not, but Charles Arthur over at The Overspill doesn’t think it was.
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Acer
Source: Digitimes, Apple News (Translated), Telecompaper
The next Android Wear update brings interactive watch faces, watch to watch messaging and more
The Android Wear platform has been around for over a year now, and although it has come a long way since launching with the LG G Watch and Moto 360, we are looking forward to seeing it evolve even more. The next Android Wear update was originally scheduled to be released on July 28th, but this has now been postponed to an unspecified date in August. This doesn’t mean that we have to wait to find out about some of the alleged new features though.
Thanks to the information provided to Phandroid, we are able to see that the next Android Wear update will include the ability to tap the watch display once to change aesthetics, launch activities, inline expansion and more. While there’s already third-party watch faces that offer the tap once gesture, it’s a feature that has to be hacked in by the developer, which often leads to system issues. Below are some examples of what a single tap can do, with the first example showing how the user could cycle through a list of options, i.e. different watch faces.
A single tap could also bring up more information from a watch face, the weather, for example, as seen below.
Or, the single tap could bring up your fitness information, which could prove handy if you are at the gym.
Finally, the single tap could be used to open a new app, which would then slide in from the right of the display. It’s said that Google has informed Android Wear developers of the new features so that they can update their apps accordingly when the update is released. If Google hasn’t been in touch, you shouldn’t have to wait too long to get access to the new API.
Together is a new feature that gives the ability for Android Wear users to send messages, emoji’s, stickers and doodles to other Android Wear users, as seen mentioned in the strings of code below:
“Stay together by sending messages directly to your friend’s watch face”
<string name=”wc_doodle_message_received”>%1$s sent you a doodle with %2$s</string>
<string name=”wc_photo_message_received”>%1$s sent you a photo with %2$s</string>
<string name=”wc_sticker_message_received”>%1$s sent you a sticker with %2$s</string>
<string name=”wc_message_received”>%1$s sent you a message with %2$s</string>
At present, it isn’t known whether the Together function will be launched as a system app or limited to just the one watch face. If it was indeed limited in use to the one watch face, it wouldn’t be very useful at all. It should be said that the information given to Phandroid wasn’t up to date, which means it may well have just been the starting point.
Finally, if you’re rocking an LG G Watch R, you’ve probably been waiting patiently for its WiFi capability to be activated, as promised by LG. This next Android Wear update appears to be the one you’ve been waiting for, now its just a matter of time until the update is released.
Are you excited about this upcoming Android Wear update? Let us know what features you would like to see included in the comments below.
The next Android Wear update brings interactive watch faces, watch to watch messaging and more
Source: Phandroid
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Best keyboard replacement apps [2015]
The keyboard on your device is probably one of the most used apps on your phone whether or not you realize it. Unless you’re the kind of person to use a ton of voice dictation, you probably tap out tons and tons of words each day through messaging, web browsing, looking up YouTube videos, and anything and everything in between. Having a good keyboard can make your smartphone experience significantly better, but using a bad keyboard can ruin the whole thing.
From minor glitches to lack of features to bad autocorrection and word prediction, we’ve all seen some poor keyboards that take the fun out of using your device. Now we’ll go over the best keyboard replacement apps that you can find in the Play Store.
SwiftKey
SwiftKey made our list early on last time because of how terrific of a keyboard it is, and that still holds up today. Although, to be completely honest, it’s fair to say that SwiftKey has actually gotten quite a bit better than the last time we’ve talked about it thanks to some major updates and new features.
On a very basic level, SwiftKey is just a fantastic keyboard. It’s easy to type on, and the autocorrect and prediction functionality is probably the best you’ll see in a mobile keyboard thanks to how deep SwiftKey integrates with your other accounts. The keyboard actually learns from your messages, emails, and social media accounts to figure out how you type, so if there are any certain phrases or things you typically say, the keyboard’s prediction engine will pick up on that. If you give it enough information, sometimes the keyboard can even accurately predict sentences you’re trying to type from just a word or two. It’s impressive and insanely accurate.
Like most other keyboards, SwiftKey has also integrated a flow style of typing, too. Instead of actually tapping out letters and words, you can simply drag your finger across letters to type things out. Swype has been doing this for a very long time, and most other keyboards have picked up on the feature, but SwiftKey constantly improves the functionality and includes small little tweaks like being able to swipe to the spacebar in the middle of your sentences to type out words without ever having to lift your finger from the screen.
As far as bells and whistles go, SwiftKey offers a top notch experience, too. You have plenty of options to customize and tweak your keyboard to your liking, including changing the keyboard layout from traditional to split to floating layouts, adjusting how long you’ll have to long press a key to get its alternate character, and tons of other small options to change to cater to how you like to type. There’s also a theme store full of themes to use, ranging from basic colors to Material Design to designs based on popular movies.
Probably the best new recent feature that SwiftKey offers is that it’s become a free app. It cost around $4 before, but the developer has decided to try and make its money on paid themes in its, so if you aren’t picky about how your keyboard looks (and honestly, the default theme looks just fine) you should definitely give SwiftKey a try.
Fleksy
Fleksy is another fantastic keyboard that’s been around for awhile and it was recently been made free for everyone to download. It offers an excellent autocorrect engine, tons of themes and tweaks, and a unique feature that allows you to install extensions for extra functionality.
If you’re just looking for a no-frills keyboard replacement, Fleksy can handle that extremely well. Fleksy is accurate and fast to type on, and actually helped set the world record for fastest typing on a mobile keyboard. That alone is a pretty solid seal of approval, especially if you run into issues with other keyboards just not being responsive enough to keep up with how fast you type.
Where Fleksy really shines, though, is in its extensions. There are many extensions that do several different things, some of which of are a little more silly than others. One of the more popular extensions allows you to quickly find and send GIFs to your contacts, which is really something only Fleksy offers. Some of the other extensions are a little more focused on productivity, allowing you to do things like jump right into apps directly from your keyboard or add keyboard shortcuts and number rows. There’s an extension for a copy/paste shortcut, and even one that makes your keyboard invisible so you can maximize screen space while still typing. That completely customizable experience is a big plus for Fleksy.
As far as aesthetics go, Fleksy has also introduced their own theme store with over 40 different themes and 3 different size options for your keyboard. That’s pretty competitive with what other keyboards offer, so between the massive amount of available themes and extensions, it’s pretty tough to get a keyboard that can be completely fine-tuned to your liking as well as Fleksy can. Plus, now that’s it free, you don’t have anything to lose by trying it out.
Google Keyboard
A few years ago, Google moved Android’s default keyboard to the Play Store. They’ve since done that with other apps, too, like the camera app and a few others. The point was to give users an easy way to get an often-updated, stock Android experience that they normally wouldn’t get with their device produced by another hardware manufacturer, and that’s exactly where Google Keyboard shines.
If you’ve ever used a Nexus device, you probably know what to expect from Google Keyboard. It’s a very basic keyboard without many extra bells and whistles that offers a surprisingly great typing experience. The stock keyboards on some older Android devices were honestly pretty bad, but Google’s latest iterations have been excellent. Autocorrect works well, you’ll still have access to Android’s emoji system, and there are even a few things you can tweak like the volume and strength of every keypress. Also, it has a long-press delay to get to alternate characters.
Another excellent selling point of Google’s own keyboard is that it actually scales perfectly with tablets. There’s never a guarantee that your new favorite app will work well on a bigger screen, but Google has done a fantastic job of making sure that everything works smoothly on both small and large tablets, in addition to the normal phone keyboard. Plus, it’s a Google app, so you’ll get a full, no compromise Material Design interface.
If you need something with tons of customization options and extra features, Google Keyboard probably won’t work for you. Being that it is a solid keyboard that gets the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible, it’s hard to recommend anything other than Google Keyboard.
CM Keyboard
CM Keyboard is made by Cheetah Mobile, the developer responsible for a handful of other popular apps including Clean Master and CM Flashlight. The keyboard offers a pretty solid typing experience, but really excels when it comes to emojis. That’s probably not a very big selling point for everyone, but if you’re the kind of person that loads up their text messages with emojis instead of actual words, CM Keyboard can make that so much easier for you.
The actual keyboard itself isn’t bad, even if it won’t stand up next to some of the other options. There is a very useful number row at the top of the keyboard, which is something some other keyboards lack, and there are quick access buttons to change languages and other inputs. The autocorrect engine works fairly well, and it’s quick and easy to type on.
One of the fun parts of using CM Keyboard is how it seamlessly integrates emojis into your typing. If you type certain words or phrases, the keyboard will suggest an emoji based on what it thinks will fit what you’re trying to say in the suggestion bar. So if you’d rather autocorrect a spelling mistake into an emoji, you can, but it also gives you the option to type what you want instead of searching through pages and pages of emojis.
The keyboard also supports emoticons, which are kind of like vintage emojis. If you frequently visit sites like Reddit or other message boards, you’ve probably seen some emoticons that replicate faces or phrases with different keyboard characters, similar to Android’s original implementation. They were obviously a bit more popular before emojis came about, but they’re still around on certain sites and boards. Unfortunately, they can be tough to type, especially on a mobile keyboard, which is where CM Keyboard steps in. There’s an entire gallery of emoticons in the keyboard that’s a single click away, which makes it incredibly easy to insert those into your Reddit posts or text messages.
If emojis and emoticons aren’t really a selling point to you, CM Keyboard probably won’t be worth trying out. But if it is something that sounds fun to you, the keyboard is definitely worth checking out, and if nothing else, it’s useful to keep as a backup keyboard for when you do need to impress your internet friends with an emoticon flipping a table. (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻)
Closing
These keyboards offer some of the best typing experiences available on the Play Store, covering perfect touch accuracy to complete customization options to little gimmicks like GIFs and emojis. They’re all (probably) better than what shipped on your phone and likely offer some extra features and options that your OEM keyboard doesn’t have. So, if nothing else, they’ll make excellent backup keyboards for different situations.
Are there any keyboards we missed that you regularly use? Sound off in the comments and let us know.
Come comment on this article: Best keyboard replacement apps [2015]
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