Windows Phone 8.1 swipe style keyboard shown on video

Even though Windows Phone 8.1 is expected to be an incremental update, its shaping up to be a big one based on the huge list of improvements we have seen leaked. One of these features is a gesture-style keyboard which has now been caught on camera.

Like iOS, Windows Phone users can't change the default keyboard for the system, so any added text-input options have to come directly from Microsoft. The stock keyboard works very well, but Windows Phone doesn't yet have universal dictation or swipe input, but it looks like both may be coming with Windows Phone 8.1. Universal dictation is expected to be part of the Cortana voice command expansion, and new rumors have been pointing to a gesture keyboard in the works as well

The video shows an early version of the new style keyboard running on a Lumia 920. The gesture input is what you would expect, but there do seem to be a couple added bonuses. For example, if you swipe the word "happy" there will be a recommendation for a smiley emoticon.

According to the latest rumors, a Preview of the Windows Phone 8.1 update is expected to be released in April to developers, with the full update expected to arrive over the summer.


source (YouTube) | The Verge