Leaked Screenshot Shows New iOS 5 Nuance Integration
August 7, 2011
If there were ever any doubt that Apple was planning on introducing substantial Nuance integration into iOS 5, it's finally time to put those concerns to rest.
In a pair of screenshots leaked to 9 to 5 Mac, we're shown a glimpse of just how far Apple's come with its speech-to-text activation format. And, as our fellow bloggers say, the employed methodology seems quite straightforward:
Just click the microphone icon next to the space key and start talking. Once the key is clicked, a new microphone overlay will appear as long as you are talking. After that, the text will appear in the text field...As cool as this functionality promises to be, there are a couple of unfortunate negatives hiding in this latest news. First, it appears quite possible that Apple's original approach -- which employed a spacebar hold to start the Nuance service -- has been eliminated in favor of a dedicated key. For those who text primarily with their right hand, the left-side toggle placement probably isn't a big deal. However, for us lefties, the layout could prove problematic (unless, of course, it's adjustable in Settings). Still, regardless of orientation, it's kind of questionable to cramp the iPhone's limited keyboard even a little bit further. The iPad keyboard, on the other hand, is a much better fit for such a strategy. But that's just the thing: Word is, iOS Nuance integration might be limited to the iPhone And iPod touch only, at least at first. Hopefully, Apple will reconsider its current stance with all this and accommodate everyone with an easy-to-use, super-streamlined, and fully-supported voice-recognition system. After all, the little nuances can often be what make or break a new product roll-out.