An approach to IOS 7 Input method

For the vast number of Chinese iphone users, input method is for everyone has been criticized and helpless part. On the one hand, as a user from the Nokia Era function machine, generally are accustomed to the input method of high efficiency nine input method. On the other hand, the input method for iOS system High privilege application, must go through the jailbreak to install Third-party Input method, high installation threshold. As a result, the iOS system to increase the nine input method has been very high, and finally in the recent iOS7 BETA4 version, Apple complied with the hearts of the public, the input method to improve, increase the nine keyboard. In this paper, the new input method is analyzed from the layout logic, the characteristics and the 3 dimensions of the difference.

Layout & Logic

IOS7 The new nine keyboard is named 10 keys. As you can see from the figure below, the panel is divided into 3 areas. The left is basically the keyboard switch entrance, the user clicks into the symbol, the number and so on panel. In the middle of the input key area, the user can encode input operation and select the corresponding pinyin and candidate words. The right side is basically the function key area, the user can delete and line wrapping. Plus the gray, white partition of the UI design, this layout is more at a glance.

For such a layout, Apple's old users are not hard to find that looks familiar. It is not difficult to find out the layout of the two iOS6 by comparing them with the keyboard of strokes. It is not difficult to speculate, Apple is intended to be the same as the Chinese user's usual stroke keyboard as a reference to the Pinyin 10 keyboard, but also in the basis of the strokes made a corresponding adjustment.

There are 6 keyboards in the keyboard: Pinyin, English, numerals, mathematical symbols, symbols, complex symbol keyboards.

They share the same nine layout, in the switch panel does not exist jumping feeling, but this no jump sense of the switch, and sometimes easy to let users confused, I do not know what the current panel. The layout of the nine is not applicable to each keyboard, such as the symbol Panel and the English panel. Nine symbol, English panel will reduce the user's input efficiency, the later text will be described in detail. The 6 keyboard switch logic between the Pinyin ten keys is shown below.