Swift Key 4

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I've beta tested a few things and I'm surprised at how unappreciative developers are of their beta testers. Most recently it was swift key. Honestly the flow kind of sucked in its first iteration compared to swype (or even the stock swype keyboard) but I stuck with it and provided feed back hoping it would get better and I would be rewarded for my efforts. When their release version came out i got an email the next day with a $2 discount and that my beta version was expired.

So now in addition to my time they want to take my money. And they won't even let me keep using the beta to avoid paying.

At least it wasn't as bad as solid explorer. They didn't even offer a discount. Just flipped all of their beta testers the bird and shut down the beta.

So is this behavior typical of developers? I think the least they could do is give their app for free to the beta testers that contributed to making their product market worthy.

Hmm, I've had the complete opposite experience. Swiftkey's beta program has been great to me. Either because I purchased Swiftkey 2.x or because I also signed up as a VIP to receive Swiftkey 3 beta (from awhile ago), I receive updates and emails about their betas usually the day of or day after blogs publicize them. Seems great to me, especially since they include the direct apk in each email. I don't see the issue here.

You sound unnecessarily riled though, they gave you a $2 discount off a $4 app for beta testing it. Additionally, Swiftkey frequently has a sale on their tablet and phone app even outside of holidays. Swype, before they included OTA updates, had a measurably worse practice. The only way you knew about newer betas was because your version stopped abruptly when you typed and you had to log into their site to download a newer beta. There was no supporting email system like what Swiftkey has.

Edit: I just checked and Swiftkey is $2 right now. Hasn't it been on sale since Swiftkey Flow was officially included?

Originally Posted by SlimSnoopOS

Hmm, I've had the complete opposite experience. Swiftkey's beta program has been great to me. Either because I purchased Swiftkey 2.x or because I also signed up as a VIP to receive Swiftkey 3 beta (from awhile ago), I receive updates and emails about their betas usually the day of or day after blogs publicize them. Seems great to me, especially since they include the direct apk in each email. I don't see the issue here.

You sound unnecessarily riled though, they gave you a $2 discount off a $4 app for beta testing it. Additionally, Swiftkey frequently has a sale on their tablet and phone app even outside of holidays. Swype, before they included OTA updates, had a measurably worse practice. The only way you knew about newer betas was because your version stopped abruptly when you typed and you had to log into their site to download a newer beta. There was no supporting email system like what Swiftkey has.

I'm not sure I'm at the "riled" stage. More just surprised. Seems a little nickel and dime since if they don't have beta testers they'll just have to deal with customer complaints which will cost more in the long run than the $2 they made off me and a few hundred others.

Originally Posted by Gibscreen

I'm not sure I'm at the "riled" stage. More just surprised. Seems a little nickel and dime since if they don't have beta testers they'll just have to deal with customer complaints which will cost more in the long run than the $2 they made off me and a few hundred others.

But you do though, just from the tone in your OP. I added an edit as well to my prior post. Why couldn't you use the $2 discount to get the app for free? According to different blogs, it has been on sale since officially updated the other day.

Originally Posted by Gibscreen

Kinda shot yourself in the foot there. You were trying to belittle my point and instead you proved it. I didn't even know they offered the same discount to everyone. So they really offered nothing to their beta testers.

Herein lies the misunderstanding. I read it as they gave you a $2 discount for beta testing where you would get the app for free. The latter part of your post doesn't warrant a response.

Originally Posted by Gibscreen

Well since this post has devolved into name calling, it's not about the money retard. It's value for services. And get your head out of the sand. Every other industry lets beta testers keep the product for free.

But go right ahead and give away your time for free. When you start crying about not getting paid by your employer I'll just say they gave you shelter for 8 hours a day in exchange for your work.

That's a false equivalence if I've ever seen one. If I were working 8 hours a day on improving software I would expect to be reimbursed for my time. But then again, that would mean I would be employed by the software company and payment for my extensive services would be customary.

Swiftkey is a keyboard app for a phone. I'm already going to be using a keyboard app on my phone anyway. They let me see the fruits of their labors long before the average customer does so in return I report any problems I run into. That's the relationship.

so is this where i say i bought swiftkey back in the day for $0.10 and when flow went to the full app, it's now included with my original dime purchase?

it was one of those 10 apps for .10 week's.

Originally Posted by frankspin

To this day I will never understand the rationale of people who complain about the cost of an app when they have a $50/month smartphone plan and a $500+ smartphone.

---------- Post added at 04:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:05 PM ----------


I'm going to call BS on this one. Me thinks you came here looking to have someone give you the apk so you could avoid paying for it.

Seriously? Anyone who doesn't know how to get the app for free is an idiot. For those of us who want to go about getting it legitimately, carry on.

The OP was intended to discuss the somewhat unfair practice of developers taking people's time to develop their product, which they then sell to other people. All while they penny pinch and fail to appreciate the contributions of their beta testers. I'm truly shocked that people are so developer minded that they can't even look at this issue objectively and see that the developer gets a HUGE benefit for pretty much nothing in return. We get the privilege to use their buggy product for a few months? That's the benefit?

This could have been something that a developer could have noticed and said to themselves "you know these people do provide me with a benefit. How about if I show them I'm grateful." Not likely but at least possible. Instead they'll look at this thread and carry on as usual. Congratulations.

SwiftKey 4 is fantastic on my phone. I've beta tested a lot of things and I never once expected ANYTHING in return. I have gotten things but never sought them out.

Re: Swift Key 4

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I don't like swift key. The space bar is too small. I keep accidentally hitting the period instead which.makes.my.writing.look.like.this.

Did they change this in version 4? Or heck, at least give the option to?

Edit: nope. The period is still. Ridiculously big for no reason, taking up. Precious space bar space. Time to. Uninstall again. I apparently had this keyboard purchased from back when it. Was on sale for like. 40 cents.

Edit: I took screenshots of the stock Android keyboard and SwiftKey and found them identical in length. It was probably a mental thing. I do hate how this thing auto spaces after pressing period though. I also dislike the number layout. These are things I wish the developer would consider making options for.

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