SwiftKey introduces $1.99 branded keyboard themes, starting with Disney’s Frozen

2014 has been a big year for SwiftKey, the slick, predictive keyboard app that raised $17.5 million last September to help it get smarter and grow bigger.

For the uninitiated, SwiftKey replaces your phone or tablet’s default keyboard and learns your writing style over time. It even predicts your next word before you’ve started typing, based on historical patterns.

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Having made a name for itself in the Android realm over the years, the London-based startup finally launched a version for iOS this year, in the wake of Apple opening things up to third-party, system-wide keyboards. News also emerged that Stephen Hawking is using SwiftKey to type twice as fast.

But perhaps one of the most notable shifts, from a business perspective at least, was when it moved to a completely free model, having initially charged users $3.99 to download the full app after a 30-day trial period had expired.

Having notched up tens of millions of users on Android already, going free was effectively an easy way of widening the appeal to others. But it also meant having to look at other ways of monetizing its consumer-focused applications, which it did by adding an array of premium (i.e. paid-for) keyboard themes, in different colors and configurations.

21 million theme-downloads on, the premium keyboards store remains an Android-only affair, though we’re told that it should be arriving on iOS at some point in the future. But SwiftKey is now giving a glimpse of what’s to come across the board, as it begins rolling out branded keyboard themes.

Frozen meets SwiftKey

For launch, SwiftKey’s branded themes will be limited to Frozen, Disney’s ridiculously popular computer-animated kids’ movie. Six themes are available, covering the film’s main characters — Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf.

If you’re already a SwiftKey user, you’ll know all about its Swype-like Flow feature that lets you type words by gliding your finger across the keyboard without removing your finger. For the Frozen themes, you’ll note an animated trail of snow follows your finger, before “melting” at the bottom of the screen.

SwiftKey is licensing the content through a tie-up with branded content platform SwyftMedia, and each theme will set users back $1.99, or $4.99 for the full pack.

While this may seem rather punchy for what is effectively the same SwiftKey keyboard except with a major lick of paint, it’s important not to underestimate the lure Frozen can hold over younger audiences. The movie has played a major part in Disney’s revenues over the past year, which includes an assortment of merchandise. That said, we would question how many active SwiftKey users are also fans of the Disney flick.

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This is only the first step for SwiftKey in terms of branded content, and the company says it is “actively engaged” in discussions around other partnerships.

Indeed, SwiftKey says it sees huge potential in entertainment and sports, so there’s no reason why you won’t perhaps start seeing themes for your favorite baseball or soccer team in the future, or even ones specifically tailored for Breaking Bad fans.

This isn’t the first time brand-specific keyboards have been made available to mobile users. Israeli startup Kibo has developed standalone branded keyboard apps for both the Chelsea and Manchester City soccer clubs in England and is currently working on others.

But as one of the major third-party keyboard providers now across Android and iOS, SwiftKey has identified a clear conduit to bolster its revenues even more, letting users buy and swap multiple themes within a single keyboard app.

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The new Frozen branded themes are live now.