Search is and has always been Google’s forte and it looks like they’re finally bringing a version of it to iOS in the form of a third-party Google keyboard.
According to The Verge, the keyboard has been in development for a few months and incorporates a variety of features and search options to distinguish it from the default iOS keyboard. Like the Android version the iOS keyboard will also feature gesture-based typing, letting you swipe your finger between letters without individually tapping each of them to let Google guess the word, much like Swiftkey. Tapping the Google Logo lets you access the traditional Google Search; according to The Verge there are also distinct buttons to access GIF and picture searches which puts it one up from the Android version which lacks GIF and picture search, though it does have voice-enabled typing.
The iOS keyboard has been in circulation amongst employees for months (guess iPhones are more favoured than Google’s flagship phones). While Google keyboards are prevalent on Android phones, iOS based devices account for nearly 25% of the world smartphone market, meaning Google is missing out on a crucial base of users. With the development of this keyboard it seems Google is trying to rectify the issue.
It is not known when the keyboard will be released to the App Store.
Source: The Verge
