Most good readers, can read the following with ease. Phonetic readers, not so much.
Arocdnicg to rsceearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pcale. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit pobelrm. Tihs is buseace the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
As others have pointed out, there is a BIG difference between learning to read phonetically and how one reads after becoming proficient.
I can’t speak for others, because I quite literally cannot remember knowing how to read. But from what I’ve read those who are natural sight readers will pick up reading without strain, while phonics allows those who aren’t natural sight readers to develop proficiency.