One-handed discussion

[Italianblend]

So, I don't have an iPhone 5. But I'm intrigued by apple's selling point that you can still use one hand while operating it because they didn't make the screen wider.

Now, I've seen the Samsung commercial, and the people in that commercial seem to be able to hold their phone with one hand. Of course, this is biased filmmaking and they wouldn't make it look otherwise.

Making the screen taller doesn't allow your thumb to reach the top of the screen, which actually hinders your ability to use it one-handed in comparison to the 4 or 4S. You can reach less of the screen. So it's actually worse, isn't it?

Apple could've made it wider, and tweaked the keyboard software to make the keyboard the same size as the 4&4s, with some extra screen to either side depending on your dominant hand.

I guess it's unique to make a phone that has dimensions that no other phone has. But I'm kind of skeptical about the usefulness of the argument that the thin wilderness helps you to control the phone. They could've allowed for a bigger screen yet innovated the software and operating system to compensate. Give us a few keyboard display options and let us choose.

What do you think of the whole one-handed argument?

 

[darster]

It leaves one hand free. For guys, that is important.

 

[willmtaylor]

I think a lot of people, Android defenders in particular, love to chime in and hate on Apple for small screens & people who "Must have small hands," regarding 1-handed operation. The idea ISN'T that someone can use just one hand to reach up/across the screen, it's that someone can do so without changing his hold on the phone.

For me, I'm 6'', 180 lbs., and have normal-sized hands, and I find myself having to slightly reposition when using my 5 vs. my wife's 4. If my 5 were any bigger, it would be annoying. Again it's not that I wouldn't be able to reach with a bigger phone; it's that I would have to change my grip to do so.

It leaves one hand free. For guys, that is important.

Why so sexist?

 

[Kimcha]

i have small hands and I have quite a lot of problems reaching from one end to the other. I have to reposition my hand and its quite annoying. I cant imagine being able to handle an even bigger phone. Back button is the biggest problem.

 

[Jimmy James]

Wirelessly posted

I think a lot of people, Android defenders in particular, love to chime in and hate on Apple for small screens & people who "Must have small hands," regarding 1-handed operation. The idea ISN'T that someone can use just one hand to reach up/across the screen, it's that someone can do so without changing his hold on the phone.

For me, I'm 6'', 180 lbs., and have normal-sized hands, and I find myself having to slightly reposition when using my 5 vs. my wife's 4. If my 5 were any bigger, it would be annoying. Again it's not that I wouldn't be able to reach with a bigger phone; it's that I would have to change my grip to do so.

It leaves one hand free. For guys, that is important.

Why so sexist?

I guess girls like to diddle around too.

 

[appswipe]

The whole "One Handed Operation" is one part truth and one part an excuse gone out of control.

The "truth" part is that, Yes, the iPhone is the best one-handed device on the market. Not only because of screen size but because of the OS. And based on a smaller than average hand on a 3.5" screen, then the thumb radius will have trouble comfortably reaching the side and top bezel without repositioning.

The "excuse gone out of control" part is that this reasoning wasn't accepted as "fact" until Apple users were told to believe it. And once they had their big excuse then they started spraying FUD all over the place.

- In reality then NO smartphone screen is one-handed. Just because you "can" type with one hand doesnt mean its faster than two handed use. In the short time I owned an Android phone I could type one-handed and amazingly quick with swype but it still doesnt beat two handed typing speed.

- The idea that a "scientific study" can prove that one-size fits all is utterly ridiculous.

- Smaller Android phones exist so this reliance on constantly bringing up the 4.5-4.8" models in order to prove a point is deflection from an actual discussion. Not every Android phone is a Galaxy Note or S3.

(Two different products, two different target markets.)

- Soft Keyboards are capable of scaling, yet that fact is constantly ignored. The Galaxy Note has a "one-handed operation" function that shrinks the keyboard and shifts it to make it one-handed so just because a phone is waffle sized doesnt mean it CANT be versatile.

- Most people who bash competing phones tend to have very little experience with them. Just because a screen is large doesnt mean the device is. Just like with the iPhone 5, many times Android phones claim screen real estate from using less bezel so what you get is a bigger screen on a reasonably sized phone.

- The ability to adapt isnt an Apple exclusive feature, its a human feature.

Notice the shift in hand positioning between the two models. In the hand of ladies (my wife) or hobbit sized men (commercial), when encountered with a dilemma of how to reach that top opposite corner then they subconsciously reposition their hand. That same repositioning happens with Android and Windows Phone users because humans are way too smart to go "Oh no, my thumb doesnt reach. Im screwed." (Well, most are at least)
iPhone Ad: Physics (While you're at it, I particularly like the iPhone: Cheese ad)


Anyway, I probably upset a bunch of people but thats not my intention. I am 100% iPhone and prefer the iPhone 5 above all others. But Im just sick of all the biased slamming of other products because, as we've seen with the 3.5 to 4" transition, things can change.

 

[Ntombi]

I almost exclusively use the iPhone one-handed. I got into the habit with my first iPhone years ago, can type very quickly, and never adjusted to typing in landscape mode. So for me, being able to type and browse and do everything but play a few games one-handed is a big deal.

I'm still awaiting my 5 (today!!), so I'll see if I can reach the whole phone, but I do know that if it were any wider, I'd have a problem. I'm a woman, and have medium to large hands for a woman, but they're not very big compared to most men.

I handle the larger Android phones fairly often, and I have to use two hands to type or reach the whole screen. Just yesterday, I was helping a friend with an issue on the HTC EVO, and was reminded for the 528th time why I don't like mega-screens.

 

[takeshi74]

What do you think of the whole one-handed argument?

Subjective matter (hands aren't all the same size and don't have the same dexterity). Generalized arguments one way or the other are fairly pointless. If you're wondering about it then try it out in person and see how it works for you.

 

[mattopotamus]

personally, I use my phone with one hand all of the time unless texting. When I had an S3, I had to use two hands at all times.

 

[meganator]

I'm a girl with average/small hands and as it is now I have trouble reaching the far top corner of the screen for things like the back button. If the phone was any wider I'd be able to reach considerably less of it, so to me it matters as a comfort thing. And I always type two handed but like to browse one handed.

 

[Jnardis]

The whole one handed discussion is one thing, but what really bothered me with the Samsung was actually putting the phone in my pocket. It was huge and made my pants look deformed. That led to me always carrying my phone in my hand which then left me with one hand even when I wasn't using it. I think apple has the right size for now ( I assume it will change over the years)...

 

[imazu]

I have a small hands.. As I 'm typing this, I think I don't have any issue at all while typing in one hand.. It's comfortable enough for me. But if I'm on a browser and needs to refresh the page I have to use both hands cause I'll prolly drop the phone if I use one hand.

 

[supersalo]

My problem with "one-handed operation" is keeping a grip on the phone.

With the previous models, the glass back provided more friction on my hand.

With this new aluminum back, I have to grip the phone harder to prevent it from sliding when I'm trying to type one-handed.

Sal

 

[soco]

Why so sexy?

FTFY.

I quite enjoy the feel of it in one hand. The phone.
Not the genitals.
(imeanboth)

 

[Jman13]

- Smaller Android phones exist so this reliance on constantly bringing up the 4.5-4.8" models in order to prove a point is deflection from an actual discussion. Not every Android phone is a Galaxy Note or S3.

You're right. But essentially ALL of the good ones ARE huge. Name a good 4" Android device released in the past year. The smallest good Android handset is the One S, which is a good phone with a 4.3" screen put into a smaller form factor than you'd think. Well, that's great, except I think 4.3" is still too big, but even if it weren't...it's still not a flagship device. It uses a crappy Pentile screen with lower resolution than the iPhone 4S despite having a much larger screen.

The One S is close...but it's still not there with regards to getting the top stuff, and it's still somewhat big.

Every 'flagship' device is huge now. The Galaxy Nexus, the Galaxy S3, the One X...and now the new Nexus device is rumored to have a 5" screen. There's a reason these phones are used for comparison.