The keyboard is an essential part of using your smartphone, so if it’s not working properly, you’ll notice right away. Over the past few months, I’ve really noticed how much better the Google Pixel’s keyboard experience is compared to anywhere else, and it’s a little crazy that no one else seems to be able to match it.
The keyboard you use on your smartphone will vary by device, but modern operating systems tend to have plenty of third-party keyboard options as well.
On Google Pixel smartphones, the out-of-the-box keyboard is Google’s Gboard, which is also used on many other Android smartphones. The G board is comparatively The focus is on simple keyboard apps. It supports input in different layouts and languages, and also offers theme options to customize the look. But beyond the basic features, you also get GIF insertion, a floating or split keyboard for larger displays, one-handed options, and more. It’s not the most full-featured keyboard option, but it has almost every feature most people will use.
But what’s really great about Gboard is that it makes sense. For lack of a better description, it simply works.
In Gboard, Google’s autocorrect is powerful, but not mandatory. If a word has been modified and you don’t agree, simply press the backspace button to undo the modification. There’s no need to delete or retype entire words. It’s quick and easy.
On the other hand, the voice-to-text conversion on the Pixel is second to none in my eyes. It recognizes text quickly and accurately and is very good at entering punctuation marks.Compared to others I’ve used, his Gboard, especially on the Pixel, is just the best When inputting voice.
Contrast this with the default keyboard experience on Apple’s iPhone and Samsung Galaxy devices. Both are extremely unpleasant at the moment.
Earlier this year, I looked into the current state of Samsung keyboards, and they were objectively terrible.
Autocorrect barely works, the keyboard functionality is a bit buried, and speech-to-text conversion is downright terrible. Fortunately, switching to his Gboard on your Samsung smartphone solves the problem. largely This gives you an almost Pixel-like experience. The only thing missing is voice-to-text conversion, but I still find Gboard much better than the Samsung keyboard.
Next is the iPhone.
I think Apple’s default keyboard is a very good typing experience. The keyboard is very good for two-finger and swipe input. Speech to text conversion is also not possible. bad, However, I don’t think it’s as good as the Pixel. However, Apple’s keyboard is seriously lacking in functionality. For example, I can’t believe there’s no GIF input.
However, the main problem is autocorrect.
Autocorrect on the iPhone, at least in iOS 17, is incredibly overkill. When you type a name or a word that is not commonly used, the keyboard often “corrects” the spelling. Even if I go back and fix it, this problem keeps happening again and again. The keyboard never learns, it always forces you to do what it thinks is right. Even worse, autofixes can be applied in unexpected situations. If AutoCorrect thinks the last word in the sentence needs to be corrected, it will do so. When you press send. So even if you scan the message and find that everything is correct, the keyboard can change the message once it’s out.
In other words, iPhone AutoCorrect works as if it’s impossible for you to know any more. This is a frustrating way to use a smartphone.
My preference for how the keyboard works on the Pixel is probably due, at least in part, to the time I’ve spent with it. But I truly believe it was the best experience overall. I’ve been told many times that the iPhone’s keyboard and voice input get better the more you use them. And I think it will happen. However, the missing features and proactive auto-fixes remain the same. And the Samsung keyboard, as it stands, is beyond me.
It’s hard to understand why this core experience of using a smartphone varies so much between devices, and why Google Pixel has such a large lead in this regard. Will others ever catch up? I certainly hope so!
What do you think? What kind of keyboard do you use? Discuss in the comments below!
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