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I'm convinced: iPhone was designed for lefties

N

nStyle

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Dec 6, 2009
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Don't believe me? Hold your iPhone in either hand, relaxed. Leave no pressure on any finger or do not strain to try to touch a button.

Relaxed, the iPhone feels much more natural in the left hand. The forefinger effortlessly touches the power button, and the thumb easily glides up to the volume buttons / silent switch.

Granted, either thumb works equally well for touching the screen and home button, but the other "issues" are glaringly obvious to me.

I just find it funny since most products are designed for right handed people. I would MUCH rather have the control scheme layout flipped as a right handed man.

Also, just did some digging: Ive is left handed.
 
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nStyle said:
Don't believe me? Hold your iPhone in either hand, relaxed. Leave no pressure on any finger or do not strain to try to touch a button.

Relaxed, the iPhone feels much more natural in the left hand. The forefinger effortlessly touches the power button, and the thumb easily glides up to the volume buttons / silent switch.

Granted, either thumb works equally well for touching the screen and home button, but the other "issues" are glaringly obvious to me.

I just find it funny since most products are designed for right handed people. I would MUCH rather have the control scheme layout flipped as a right handed man.

Also, just did some digging: Ive is left handed.
Click to expand...

HA!

Now all you dextrals know what it's like to be a sinistral in a dextral world!

Oh...the suffering of the sinistral!

Oh, the the agony of the sinistral!

Sure we are an oppressed minority!

Sorry...that got a little out of hand...didn't it?:eek:

It is an interesting observation you made...:D

;) :rolleyes: :p
 
I'm right-handed and have always held the phone in my left. It just makes more sense since I am going to be typing and tapping with my right hand.
 
Same here, and I think most people are going to be using their left thumb to dial a number.
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
That makes no sense as the iPhone is symmetrical. It's all in the different method of holding it that makes it easier.
Click to expand...

:confused: iPhone is not symmetrical? Try visually folding it in half - the buttons (excluding home button) would not fold over themselves as something truly symmetrical would. It's simply not symmetrical by virtue of the fact that there aren't two power buttons and there aren't two sets of volume buttons.

The only thing symmetrical is the home button and body design itself, as I noted since you are able to use either thumb without issue during actual use.

My point is that even right handed people gravitate towards using their phone in their left hand, without even thinking about it, because its more ergonomic. I still prefer using my phone in my right hand since I'm right handed but its quirky to use was my point.
 
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Most people hold the phone in their left hand anyway. The volume buttons and power button is easier to use with the left hand. That frees up the right hand for writing, typing, etc. :cool:
 
I am right handed and hold my phone in my right hand and type with my right thumb.

I must say I never noticed this, but the OP makes sense lol
 
I'm convinced. The world is as lazy as me. At least I use TWO hands to use my iPhone. IDK why you guys are so driven to use a device with one hand while you jump on a pogo stick or whatever you do with the other hand...

If I could just.....get....my...thumb....upp....thaat...high!
 
nStyle said:
My point is that even right handed people gravitate towards using their phone in their left hand, without even thinking about it, because its more ergonomic.
Click to expand...

Uh, no, we hold it in our left hand so we can use our dominant hand to type and touch things.

In other words, you're correct. It IS designed to be held in the left hand. But that's proof that it's made for righties. You got the reasoning right but the conclusion wrong.
 
To add my 2¢ to this. I'm right handed and EVERY phone I have ever used I have always held the receiver in the left hand. Wired, cordless and wireless phones.

In the case of my iPhone 5 I hold it in my left hand and use my right middle finger. I have used my right thumb on occasion but for me this in an accident waiting to happen. I'm not dextrous enough to maintain a grip on the phone and do any kind of rapid touching of the screen with my thumb, especially if I have to reach.

Forget it with the left hand altogether.
 
Small White Car said:
Uh, no, we hold it in our left hand so we can use our dominant hand to type and touch things.

In other words, you're correct. It IS designed to be held in the left hand. But that's proof that it's made for righties. You got the reasoning right but the conclusion wrong.
Click to expand...

No, I can hold it and use it in one hand all day long. It's not even about what I do or you do though. It's more comfortable to hold it left handed and use it one handed with your left hand than it is with your right hand. That is the point. It's due to button layout and its really not arguable since human's hands and fingers generally bend the same way.
 
IpadSC400 said:
I'm convinced. The world is as lazy as me. At least I use TWO hands to use my iPhone. IDK why you guys are so driven to use a device with one hand while you jump on a pogo stick or whatever you do with the other hand...

If I could just.....get....my...thumb....upp....thaat...high!
Click to expand...

I do not find it that large of a stretch to use my right thumb on the entire screen. I only rarely use both hands because it is not much more convenient to do so.

While I don't have small hands, neither are they huge.
 
nStyle said:
No, I can hold it and use it in one hand all day long. It's not even about what I do or you do though. It's more comfortable to hold it left handed and use it one handed with your left hand than it is with your right hand. That is the point. It's due to button layout and its really not arguable since human's hands and fingers generally bend the same way.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry, you may be right about one handed-use, but I use my phones two-handed. Maybe I'm just not dextrous enough, IDK, but I have had more close calls of dropping my phone because I tried to use it one handed than I care to remember.
 
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Givmeabrek said:
Most people hold the phone in their left hand anyway... That frees up the right hand for writing, typing, etc. :cool:
Click to expand...

...and dialing.

perry-rotary-phone.gif
 
nStyle said:
:confused: iPhone is not symmetrical? Try visually folding it in half - the buttons (excluding home button) would not fold over themselves as something truly symmetrical would. It's simply not symmetrical by virtue of the fact that there aren't two power buttons and there aren't two sets of volume buttons.

The only thing symmetrical is the home button and body design itself, as I noted since you are able to use either thumb without issue during actual use.

My point is that even right handed people gravitate towards using their phone in their left hand, without even thinking about it, because its more ergonomic. I still prefer using my phone in my right hand since I'm right handed but its quirky to use was my point.
Click to expand...

Read the OP again. How can the thumb "effortless reach the power button" when using the left hand but the same cannot be said of the right hand? Agree about the volume buttons but that's beside the point.
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
Read the OP again. How can the thumb "effortless reach the power button" when using the left hand but the same cannot be said of the right hand? Agree about the volume buttons but that's beside the point.
Click to expand...

You stated that the iPhone was symmetrical. It's fact that it isn't, it's asymmetrical. I'm going with the least common denominator here. There are more aspects of the phone designed for the left hand than the right.
 
nStyle said:
You stated that the iPhone was symmetrical. It's fact that it isn't, it's asymmetrical. I'm going with the least common denominator here. There are more aspects of the phone designed for the left hand than the right.
Click to expand...

True that it's not perfectly symmetrical. I'm not sure if it's actually designed for the left hand. They may have put the volume buttons on the left because they're not used as much and for cleaner feel when holding with the right hand the vast majority of the time. It's even less of an issue now that we can now push up quick settings in iOS 7.

Besides, holding it with the left hand and typing with your index finger is rather girlie. Sorry if that offends some of you but it is what it is.
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
True that it's not perfectly symmetrical. I'm not sure if it's actually designed for the left hand. They may have put the volume buttons on the left because they're not used as much and for cleaner feel when holding with the right hand the vast majority of the time. It's even less of an issue now that we can now push up quick settings in iOS 7.

Besides, holding it with the left hand and typing with your index finger is rather girlie. Sorry if that offends some of you but it is what it is.
Click to expand...

Well in that case, iPhone is made for leftie girls :)
 
I agree with the OP.

The iPhone is more suited for left handed users IMO. Didn't know Ive was left handed. I hope they keep the iPhone that way.

And not only the iPhone but the whole touch UI(iOS, Android, WP) are more suited for left handed usage. Buttons such as "back" are located in the top left corner, which is logical for a back button, but are also much easier to reach when using a whole with your left hand, especially if the phone has a large screen.


Lindsford said:
Am I the only lefty who holds it left handed?
Click to expand...

No, you're not.
 
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