SwiftKey 4.3, the latest version of the word-prediction Android keyboard, is coming out of beta today to land on Google Play for general download — as a paid app for new users, or a free update for existing users. Update: SwiftKey 4.3 has now hit Google Play — where it currently costs £1.49 in the U.K.
The new version of the popular keyboard software that’s on millions of Android devices (heading for more than 100 million devices globally by the end of the year) unifies SwiftKey’s smartphone and tablet apps into one version by adding the ability to change the size and positioning of the keyboard so that it can work across multiple device types, large and small.
As well as letting users tweak keyboard size and position, the software includes three new keyboard modes: compact (to help phablet owners type with one hand); full (for tablet owners wanting a full-width keyboard); and thumb (a split screen keyboard for people who prefer to type with two thumbs).
It’s a measure of how diverse the Android device landscape has become, with small smartphones, large phablets, mini slates and full fat tablets all accommodated on Google’s mobile platform.
SwiftKey 4.3 is also good news for Canadians: SwiftKey has also added a Canadian English language model for the first time to better customise for local personalities and place names. (Let’s hope they’ve added Toronto mayor Rob Ford to their database). The addition of Canadian English takes SwiftKey’s language count to 61.
The software is currently being offered at 50% off it’s usual pricing in the U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Australia, Russia and New Zealand as part of Google’s fall promotion.
Here’s a video of SwiftKey 4.3 in action: