Study: Apparently, people can now type nearly as fast on a screen as they can on a keyboard

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A new study has found that our average words per minute (wpm) while using our smartphones is now almost as high as our typing speed using a keyboard.

The research team from Aalto University in Finland, and Cambridge University in the UK found that the average person using the two-thumb typing technique could hit 38 wpm, only 25 percent slower than their typing speeds on a computer keyboard.

The data was gathered from over 37,000 volunteers across 160 countries, using a web-based typing test.

Increasing smartphone use has increased our typing speed

In news that really shouldn’t shock anyone, increased smartphone use is increasing our speed while using those devices. Younger people are more likely to do all of their typing on a mobile device. The average wpm on a computer keyboard worldwide is 52, with mobile users fast catching up with an average of 38 wpm.

• The max wpm for mobile typing was 85
• Most of the study respondents were women in their 20s, with Americans making up almost half the total
• Using two thumbs to type was overall faster than using one finger, even with predictive text and other smartphone aids
• Teenagers averaged 40 wpm, with those in the 50+ age group only managing 26 wpm
• The study participants averaged six hours of smartphone use a day
• Autocorrect improves speed by up to 9 wpm, while word prediction slowed speed by 2 wpm on average

If you want to test your own typing speeds, you can try out the test the researchers created.

Did you take the test? How did you do? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.