Apple discriminated against me and three recent US presidents with the iPhone Duo
Apple might not feel compelled to make any changes to its first foldable.
The iPhone Duo discriminates against three recent US presidents | Image by Apple
The iPhone Duo discriminates against me. The first foldable iPhone is also biased against recent presidents like Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Before you turn this into a political thing, let me add that George H.W. Bush is also discriminated against by the iPhone Duo. If you're guessing what the issue is, here is a clue for you. The iPhone Duo is dextral, which means that it is designed and optimized for the right-handed world.
Traditionally, Apple iPhone models have the volume controls on the left side of the device
Traditionally, the iPhone has always had its volume controls on the left side of the phone. This was the case when Apple changed from a single volume rocker on early iPhone models to separate circular buttons on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s, and then to the individual pill-shaped buttons with the iPhone 6. Despite some tweaks here and there, that design has remained the one in force since 2014.
Left-handed iPhone Duo owners might not be comfortable reaching over to tap a control or press a sensor
With the iPhone Duo's Touch ID sensor (there is no Face ID on the first foldable iPhone) in the right corner, along with other important controls, lefties like me will need to reach over the screen to use our dominant hand, or feel a little awkward using our weaker hand to activate one of the controls, or tap an icon in the dock.
The foldable iPhone Duo. | Image by Apple
Resting your finger on the Touch ID sensor will unlock the device or you can press it to wake the screen and unlock it at the same time. You can adjust the volume on the first foldable iPhone by pressing the volume controls on the right side of the iPhone Duo.
Apple could alleviate some of the issues by adding Face ID. But even if it were able to add accessibility software, physical controls can't magically change sides. And you really can't blame Apple since only 10% of the global population is left-handed. Just as we lefties have to acclimate ourselves to a right-handed world, that is what I had to do to use my Pixel 6 Pro.
Apple promotes the iPhone Duo by calling the phone "compact and comfortable to hold." The tech giant says that it moved "essential controls...to the side" so they’re "easy to reach." Uh, not if you're left-handed.
The vertical dock might be an issue for left-handed users
Think about the horizontal dock on the bottom of your iPhone. On the Duo, this is vertical and is placed along the right edge of the external and internal screens. You can see how this would be harder for southpaws.
If you were left-handed, what would you do about the iPhone Duo?
2 Votes
Still, there are some who believe that having a dominant hand doesn't necessarily mean that you will favor that hand when using your smartphone. For example, some lefties naturally use their right hand when navigating their handset.
This is looking more and more like a situation that Apple might be able to escape from without having to make any changes. I am a lefty and while it might be a little uncomfortable to use my right hand on the controls found on the right side of the phone, if I really want the first foldable iPhone as my daily driver, I will learn to deal with it.
There is still time to think before committing money to pre-order the Duo on October 16
Lefties still have some time left to do some heavy thinking before they can pre-order the iPhone Duo. Pre-orders will start on October 16 with a release date scheduled for October 23. If you're a lefty, how much of a deal breaker is it that Apple has placed key sensors and controls on the right side of the foldable iPhone Duo? You can let us know by typing a response in the comment box below.
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