Fastest Texting Teen Uses Fleksy To Break Guinness World Record

When Marcel Fernandes Filho was 13 years old, he smashed his Dell computer in a fit of rage because the monitor wouldn't stop flickering. Suddenly without a PC, the young teenager from Brazil began using his iPhone 3GS more often. Such began his journey to becoming the world's fastest texter, as recognized by Guinness World Records.

Part promotional stunt (okay, a huge promotional stunt), Filho broke the texting record using Fleksy, a third-party custom keyboard available for Android and iOS devices. He wore a Fleksy t-shirt as he pecked away on his phone, typing "The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human." It took him a mere 18.19 seconds to punch the characters out correctly, which was fast enough to undercut the previous record of 18.44 seconds, which was also achieved by a teen.

Lest anyone cast a stereotypical view on Filho as a kid who spends his entire days firing off text messages, he's quick to point out that there's more to him than just this world record.

"I don't know if you guys would be interested in knowing this, but I'm currently studying physics in UFSC," Filho said, according to CNET.

Text Message Champ

Fleksy works its mojo by offering up an oversized keyboard with accurate text prediction and gesture support. It's currently available (for Android and iOS) at a 50 percent discount, which brings the price down to $1.99, though there's also a free trial version available if you just want to kick the tires.