The iPhone 13 is guaranteed to launch with software upgrades thanks to iOS 15, but one improvement in particular is rumored to make Apple's smartphone less obnoxious.
According to a recently obtained patent, Apple is working on making autocorrect more intelligent. The patent proposes a version of autocorrect that can correct word fragments and automatically move the cursor to the location of identified errors. This would make it easier to rewrite words or phrases that were initially incorrect.
The patent, discovered by PhoneArena, was filed by Apple in 2017. Earlier this month, the USPTO granted the Cupertino-based company protection for the autocorrect enhancement.
The iPhone's autocorrect feature has long caused frustration (and some laughter) by incorrectly correcting phrases and words. Autocorrect can even change words that users have written with the correct spelling.
Over time, the iPhone keyboard becomes a bit more intuitive and recognizes frequently used words and proper nouns. There is also an option in the Keyboard section of the Settings app to bypass autocorrect for certain phrases or disable autocorrect altogether.
If Apple were to introduce the cursor movement feature detailed in the patent, it would provide another alternative to autocorrect. However, this feature is likely to be more cumbersome than the autocorrect we know.
I am not sure I would want the iPhone to automatically move the text cursor for me, even if I make a mistake. Most of what I type on my iPhone is short messages, and I don't want to have to correct every single mistake I make. In such cases, I either correct the message or start typing again from the beginning.
However, I would also argue that an update to autocorrect would improve the intelligence of the feature and possibly reduce the number of erroneous corrections. Of course, since this is a patent we are talking about, we make no promises that we will see its contents come to fruition . Apple protects hundreds of ideas and projects that never see the light of day.
Future keyboard improvements will be revealed when the company unveils iOS 15 at WWDC 2021, which will effectively be held in June.
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