I love Pixel 11's Rambler, but SwiftKey just gave every Android phone a free alternative

Google always adds new AI features with its Pixel phones, and the same holds true for the Google Pixel 11 series.

The new phones introduced several AI features, including Magic Capture, but the one that immediately caught my attention was Rambler.

Like other new-age AI voice-typing tools, Rambler promises a much better voice-typing experience on the Pixel 11. Instead of transcribing everything you say word for word, it removes fluff and filler words, understands corrections as you speak, and formats the final text.

I've been using Rambler almost every day since the Pixel 11 launched, and I can say it is one of the most underrated features of the new Pixel 11 phones. That exclusivity, however, is starting to disappear.

SwiftKey is bringing a similar AI voice typing feature to other Android phones, so I put both side by side to see how they compare and whether Pixel 11 owners still have an advantage.

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SwiftKey brings Rambler-like AI voice typing to everyone

You no longer need Google's latest Pixel to get smarter voice typing

Like many other features Google gatekeeps for its newest Pixel phones, Rambler remains exclusive to the Pixel 11 series. That means no other devices, including the Pixel 10 series or phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 that support Gemini Intelligence, have access to it.

But now SwiftKey, the popular keyboard app, is bringing a similar AI voice typing feature to Android. And the best part is that SwiftKey isn't limiting it to a handful of flagship phones. The feature works across Android devices, meaning you no longer need a Pixel 11 to get a better AI-powered voice typing experience.

For now, the feature is only available in the SwiftKey beta, so those using the stable release will have to wait a little longer. But if you want a Rambler-like experience right now, you can install the SwiftKey beta and use it on your Android phone.

How SwiftKey's AI voice typing compares with Pixel Rambler

I tested both to see where Google's exclusive feature still wins

In the beta version of SwiftKey, tapping the microphone icon now prompts you to try the new "AI voice" typing feature. The app downloads an AI voice model to your Android phone. Processing can happen on-device, and the feature works without an internet connection.

Pixel 11's Rambler offers an offline mode, but there's a catch. You can use basic AI voice typing offline, but Rambler's more powerful features require you to be online and use Google's Gemini 3.5 Transcribe model.

For transcription, both are surprisingly good. I dictated the same sentences using SwiftKey and Rambler, including deliberately messy ones with filler words and pauses, and both did a great job of turning them into properly formatted text.

Both easily removed filler words like "umms" and "uhhs," added punctuation automatically, and did a good job of recognizing more complex words. For basic voice typing, I don't think you'll notice a huge difference between the two.

For transcription speed, I found SwiftKey slightly faster. Since the model is downloaded onto the phone and runs locally, the transcription appears quickly. Rambler isn't slow either, but because it is an online-first tool, transcription speed depends on your internet connection.

Rambler pulls ahead when you speak more naturally and correct yourself mid-sentence.

For example, I said, "Hey, I was thinking we could meet maybe tomorrow. Actually, no, Friday would probably be better." Rambler understood that I had corrected myself and cleaned up the final sentence to use Friday instead. SwiftKey mostly transcribed what I said as-is, including the correction.

Rambler can also understand instructions while you're dictating when you're online. You can ask it to add an emoji or change the tone of what you've said, and it'll make those changes. SwiftKey can't do that yet.

If we compare them purely on capabilities, I'd still say Rambler is the better AI voice-typing tool. It's better at understanding mid-sentence corrections, can change tone, and add things like emojis without you having to stop dictating.

But SwiftKey gets surprisingly close on basic voice typing, and the bigger advantage is availability. Rambler remains exclusive to the Pixel 11 series, while SwiftKey brings this new-age AI voice-typing experience to most Android phones.

SwiftKey proves Google should bring Rambler to more phones

If you want an AI voice-typing tool on your Android phone, I don't think you need to look much further than SwiftKey. It works really well and gets most of the basics right.

That makes me wish Google would bring Rambler to more devices, or at least other powerful Android phones capable of running it. There's little reason something this useful should remain exclusive to the Pixel 11 series. But then again, Rambler isn't the only thing Gboard could learn from SwiftKey.