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Poll: Do you use one-handed mode on your smartphone? What mode again?

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By Mariyan Slavov

Updated: Feb 23, 2022, 2:56 AM

Polls

Poll: Do you use one-handed mode on your smartphone? What mode again?

UPDATE: Results are in - a little over 11% of the voters use one-handed mode all the time. Most of you guys, however, don't use this mode at all - maybe smartphone are two-hand operation devices now?

Smartphones nowadays are huge - pushing the 7-inch display mark. I remember the time when a 5-inch phone was considered big, and a few years later “compact” smartphones came with 4.7-inch displays. Now we have an iPhone that’s called “mini”, sporting a 5.4-inch screen, and things aren’t going to get any better with the foldable giants.

The latest and greatest (no - really, it’s the best Samsung phone out there) Galaxy S22 Ultra model is huge with its 6.8-inch display, and this creates a problem. While I was fiddling with the Ultra during our preview shots, I found it hard to operate the phone with one hand, I mean it was near to impossible.

Not only is the Galaxy S22 Ultra quite big and heavy but it’s also pretty slippery. That’s where the one-handed mode comes into play. Or it should, at least. This is the focus of today’s poll - do you ever use one-handed mode?

What is one-handed mode?

Okay, It’s not like everyone knows smartphones come with such a feature. If it wasn’t for my job I wouldn’t have known. One-handed mode is basically a clever trick that shrinks the screen to one side in order to allow easier (I mean to make it possible, let’s be frank) one-handed operation.

One-handed mode dates way back to the Galaxy S5 and the iPhone 6 Plus

Different manufacturers implement this in different ways but the result is the same - the screen shrinks to the right or left side (depending on the hand you’re using) to allow your thumb to reach every corner.

Do you use one-handed mode?

I know I don’t. There’s something diminishing about it - having a 7-inch phone and looking at just a portion of the screen in order to be able to operate it. To me it’s a basic design flaw. If you need to shrink the display to operate your smartphone comfortably, why not make it smaller in the first place? I know, consuming media and stuff - yeah, yeah, yeah - everything looks better on a bigger screen.

Do you use one-handed mode on your smartphone?

Yes, all the time

11.6%

Yes, rarely

20.69%

Tried it once and didn't like it

20.69%

No, I've never used it

37.93%

No, I didn't know it existed

2.98%

I don't care

4.23%

Other (in the comments)

1.88%

638 Votes

Nevertheless, I’m pretty curious how many of you guys use the dreadful one-handed mode on your smartphones? Hit the poll and share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.

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