Smartphone typing speeds are catching up with traditional keyboards, according to a new study.
In the largest experiment of its kind, researchers from across Europe analyzed more than 37,000 users on mobile phones and computers.
And it turns out the “typing gap” is decreasing.
“We were amazed to see that users typing with two thumbs achieved 38 words per minute (WPM) on average, which is only about 25 percent slower than the typing speeds we observed in a similar large-scale study of physical keyboards,” co-author Anna Feit, of ETH Zürich, said in a statement.
“While one can type much faster on a physical keyboard, up to 100 WPM, the proportion of people who actually reach that is decreasing,” she continued. “Most people achieve between 35-65 WPM.”
I don’t want to brag*, but my desktop-keyboard typing speed is 111 WPM—faster than 99.31 percent of people who took the online test. My fastest sentence clocked in at 128 WPM.
Admittedly, I fared less well on my iPhone, where (using autocorrect) I averaged 61 WPM—95.15 percent faster than other test takers—with a 1.25 percent error rate.
The fastest speed researchers saw on a touchscreen was some wizard who managed a ridiculous 85 words per minute. (There is no word on whether said prodigy used advanced typing features like autocompletion and/or swipe.)
The ‘typing gap’ between mobile devices and physical keyboards is decreasing (via Aalto University)
I did learn touch typing in school, and spent hours on our home computer trying to outsmart Mavis Beacon. But with a smartphone in every hand and a social media account in every name, it’s no wonder young people are picking up higher speeds.
According to the study, 10- to 19-year-olds can type an average of 10 WPM faster than their parents’ generation—who grew up chatting face-to-face and passing folded notes in class.
“We are seeing a young generation that has always used touchscreen devices, and the difference to older generations that may have used devices longer, but different types, is staggering,” Antti Oulasvirta, a professor at Aalto University, said.
“This is a type of motor skill that people learn on their own with no formal training, which is very unlike typing on physical keyboards,” he continued.”It is an intriguing question that could be achieved with a careful training program for touchscreens.”
Want to type faster on a mobile phone? Researchers recommend using the two-thumb technique and enabling autocorrect. Word prediction is less effective.
“The given understanding is that techniques like word completion help people,” Sunjun Kim, a researcher at Aalto University, explained. “But what we found out is that the time spent thinking about the word suggestions often outweighs the time it would take you to type the letters, making you slower overall.”
Test your skills on desktop or mobile here.
* Yes, I do.
More on Geek.com:
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- E-Paper Keys Allow This Keyboard to Adapt to Any Task
- This Portable Keyboard Crumples Into a Pocket-Sized Ball
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