Other We need to have a discussion of the ergonomics of a flat sided iPhone 12.

[Tsepz]

As it appears, there has been a tremendous amount of posts all over social platforms regarding how the new iPhone will have flat edges, akin to the iPhone 4 through iPhone 5s. The reaction is normal, and honestly excited, however, what’s peaked my curiosity is the idea that “iPhone with flat edges would be the best iPhone ever”.
Has anyone noticed a resurgence in these sorts of posts over the last few months? I figured it would go away, but it’s a really active conversation to me. This would be totally fine, however, some people are taking it to the extreme and making claims like

“If the next iPhone doesn't have it, I WON’T be upgrading” or, “as long as it has flat edges, I’ll be upgrading”, or “the rounded edges promotes a new design language that means I have to upgrade”

To me, this is all just too silly. I can understand wanting to upgrade for a new design, but the design change is quite minimal at most. And most importantly, it’s not a good design change. The flat edges themselves looked cool, but they are unwieldy in today’s smart phones. As phones have gotten larger, the need to curve the sides of the shell were made so that the phone does not cut into your hand or feel rough over extended periods of use.

Based off of current leaks, it appears that all the new iPhones this fall will have flat edges. In the long run, this won’t be a big deal, however, I am curious to see how some consumers react after holding their large phones with flat edges for a long period of time (albeit it’ll be a small fraction that won’t make a big deal out of it.

I understand that a majority of you likely won’t read this and make drive by posts. However, could you at least share some perspective as to why it’s better than the curved sides we currently have in terms of ergonomics, and not aesthetics?

I totally get you are coming from.

I love the rounded design, I have always found phones with rounder designs to be a pleasure to use especially for longer periods of times. Flat edges really can get painful.

My is that Apple finds a way to combine having a flat edge with a slight rounding towards the end to keep that good ergonomic feel, I hope they find a way to pull it off. I feel as though the leaks may be missing some minor details such as that.

Apple surely has conducted plenty of R&D to ensure they get the best most highly ergonomic design out there.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

It’s always quite interesting when you come online to places like this and see discussions on the finer details of iPhone design and see the passion people display over things I wouldn’t think twice about usually. I mean, from an ergonomics point of view a flat side is easier to grip by design. I’m fairly confident if Apple let slip they’d changed a corner rad by 0.7mm we’d get a plethora of people admitting they loved it when it was 2.3mm and so forth, but then that is what makes discussions interesting and diverse.

 

[jouster]

My 4 and 4s were better looking but less pleasant to hold than the first gen/3/3gs. I expect the same from the 12.

 

[Internet Enzyme]

As it appears, there has been a tremendous amount of posts all over social platforms regarding how the new iPhone will have flat edges, akin to the iPhone 4 through iPhone 5s. The reaction is normal, and honestly excited, however, what’s peaked my curiosity is the idea that “iPhone with flat edges would be the best iPhone ever”.
Has anyone noticed a resurgence in these sorts of posts over the last few months? I figured it would go away, but it’s a really active conversation to me. This would be totally fine, however, some people are taking it to the extreme and making claims like

“If the next iPhone doesn't have it, I WON’T be upgrading” or, “as long as it has flat edges, I’ll be upgrading”, or “the rounded edges promotes a new design language that means I have to upgrade”

To me, this is all just too silly. I can understand wanting to upgrade for a new design, but the design change is quite minimal at most. And most importantly, it’s not a good design change. The flat edges themselves looked cool, but they are unwieldy in today’s smart phones. As phones have gotten larger, the need to curve the sides of the shell were made so that the phone does not cut into your hand or feel rough over extended periods of use.

Based off of current leaks, it appears that all the new iPhones this fall will have flat edges. In the long run, this won’t be a big deal, however, I am curious to see how some consumers react after holding their large phones with flat edges for a long period of time (albeit it’ll be a small fraction that won’t make a big deal out of it.

I understand that a majority of you likely won’t read this and make drive by posts. However, could you at least share some perspective as to why it’s better than the curved sides we currently have in terms of ergonomics, and not aesthetics?

flat edges make things harder to pick up

 

[nordique]

A lot of it is preference. I remember when the curve design with iPhone 6 came out how many people preferred it because it didn’t dig in their hands anymore

I didn’t really care one way or another. I’m sure after 6 years of square people will want curved again. These things seem to cycle haha

 

[Nütztjanix]

I honestly never had any problems holding my 4S/5S for extended periods of time.
And they both looked better than the following models in my opinion - but that’s entirely subjective.

 

[freeagent]

Flat edges on a phone like an XS Max would be terrible. Just saying.. if you don’t know what it’s like to hold a big phone. 7,8,SE2 is not a big phone.

 

[Nütztjanix]

XR at the moment. Not much smaller than the XS Max.

 

[Macyourdayy]

For me personally, curved edges have always been harder to hold. The iPhone 4 & 5 series were so easy to hold (not because they were smaller). The squared edges give it more bite and I've never found them uncomfortable.

Exactly. The 6 form factor has been the proverbial bar of soap and the button placement has infuriated me from the start. Trying to take a screenshot, trying to use the volume buttons for anything, especially as a camera button, almost always results in the wrong interaction. Like the user aggressive design of the butterfly keyboards, they’ve persisted for far too long with this hopeless idea.
Even the iPads were difficult to pick up and hold safely till the redesign. Losing the headphone jack on the “Pro” models seems particularly spiteful and idiotic though as it makes no lag, stable audio monitoring much harder and more expensive to integrate in a workflow.
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Flat edges on a phone like an XS Max would be terrible. Just saying.. if you don’t know what it’s like to hold a big phone. 7,8,SE2 is not a big phone.

Terrible? Trying to safely hold and operate a Plus/Max phone, even with man hands, is stupidly inconvenient and difficult.
Just saying...
You know, from experience. Even with a silicone cover.

 

[DailySlow]

Did the original 2016 SE have the squared-off design?

Yes- have had 3 all square edges.

 

[bushman4]

Square edges fit everyones hand regardless of grip. Glass edges with under screen digital buttons would be better.
Its coming just a question of time

 

[44267547]

Square edges fit everyones hand regardless of grip.

Could I make the same argument that rounded edges fit everybody’s hand? I think what you’re missing is, ‘squared edges‘ aren’t necessarily comfortable in everybody’s hand, as ergonomically we round and square both fit in peoples hands at least in some form. But it comes down to the comfortability, does it not? (Rhetorical)

 

[Neepman]

Personally I’m not a fan of the flat sides, I think it’s ugly and industrial-looking. The rounded sides make iPhones look much more current in my opinion. I agree that holding a large iPhone that has flat sides will be uncomfortable after a while.

Slightly off topic but don't even get me started how uncomfortable it is to hold the newer iPad pros for more than a nanosecond with those cornered sides piercing the palm of your hand.

 

[maj71303]

the design isn't what makes a phone slippery, it is the material its made of. Glass phones means less friction, which makes them easier to move and slide. Having the shape change doesn't do anything for that. For those folks that constantly drop or have there phone slipping out of their hands all the time, that is an individual issue called butterfingers / clumsy. Going from a rounded glass phone to a squarish flat side glass phone is not going to negate that individual issue.

Squarish glass phone with flat sides and still a massive camera bump....not the type of design innovation that says forward thinking IMO. That type of design I figure will be having big drawbacks with bigger screen / size phones. A phone like the 4 - 5 series got away with it because of the smaller overall size. I had a Razer Phone 2 which was square. It was a nice phone but trying to put and keep in your pocket........well iPhone users will find out I guess later this year if true.

 

[akash.nu]

I mean, there’ll always be people who don’t like a certain design. It’s always a subjective thing anyway but I’m sure Apple has the money and the means to name an informed decision so that the device is acceptable/ usable by the masses. Not stressing much here.

 

[blairh]

I think everyone here is missing a very important detail. So the rumors are that the iPhone lineup will adapt the flat edges of the iPad Pro. Right? So I think it's logical to assume that it will essentially look identical in that regard. If that is the case, that means the edges will be flat with rounded edges. Not the sharp edges of the iPhone 4/4S/5. For that reason, I think this redesign should be a lot more comfortable in-hand versus the previous flat edged iPhones.

I still think a curved iPhone would be a lot more comfortable in-hand, but I'm not expecting the pain of the previous flat edged models.

Also it appears these flat edges are coming to all the new iPhones, not just the Pro line. So if you want a redesigned iPhone this fall, you have to accept the flat edges.

 

[johnnylarue]

I think everyone here is missing a very important detail. So the rumors are that the iPhone lineup will adapt the flat edges of the iPad Pro. Right? So I think it's logical to assume that it will essentially look identical in that regard. If that is the case, that means the edges will be flat with rounded edges. Not the sharp edges of the iPhone 4/4S/5. For that reason, I think this redesign should be a lot more comfortable in-hand versus the previous flat edged iPhones.

I still think a curved iPhone would be a lot more comfortable in-hand, but I'm not expecting the pain of the previous flat edged models.

Also it appears these flat edges are coming to all the new iPhones, not just the Pro line. So if you want a redesigned iPhone this fall, you have to accept the flat edges.

I was gonna say that about the soft edges of the iPP. Maybe the best of both worlds?

 

[trigonometry]

Personally I think the ergonomics of the iPhone has more to do with the size as opposed to whether it has flat or curved edges. I have broken the screen on every iPhone (6, 6S, 7, X) since the size increased. 11 Pro not yet, fingers crossed. But before that (“2G”, 3GS, 4, 4S, 5, 5S), I had never broken a screen from dropping. Except for when my 4 was thrown across a room:
.

 

[Nütztjanix]

In contrast, I have not broken a single screen in my whole iPhone career since 2009. In all these years, I think I dropped the phones maybe twice - combined. I also never use a case.

 

[akash.nu]

In contrast, I have not broken a single screen in my whole iPhone career since 2009. In all these years, I think I dropped the phones maybe twice - combined. I also never use a case.

Yep that’s me too.

 

[Ignukas]

I never liked iPhone 6 design. I’m still using iPhone SE as my main phone as it was last good looking (to me) and reasonable size (to me) iPhone. To me iPhone 4/4S were the best iPhone designs, 5/5S/SE still being acceptable. I was waiting for acceptable design for 2.5 years since I bought my 5S and had to buy SE as iPhone 7 leaks did not promise anything good to me.

I’ve got iPhone 8 as company phone When it was released. At least it has got a glass back, which makes grip slightly better. I’ve never felt any discomfort regarding squared/flat SE sides. But I’m not sure how it would be feeling in a bigger, 5.4 inch format. But I’m quite positive grip is going to be better. I’ve been looking forward for this model for years.

 

[Nütztjanix]

To me, the iPhone 4s was the best looking iPhone, overall. I still have mine, because I just couldn't give it away

 

[RAM ENTER]

I use a phone case and it does not make a difference. I like them both.

 

[Atticustas]

I have to admit, I’ve often compared curvy edged iPhones to bars of soap. I pretty much put each of my iPhones straight from the box into an Apple leather case.

The square edged iPhone 4 was much easier to hold.

Either way, it would be nuts not to keep your iPhone in a case. It’s like a motorcycle - it’s not a question of if you’re going to drop it, it’s a question of when.

I never have my iPhone in a case. I have an 8 plus which I’ve had since launch and have only dropped a couple of times. It’s holding up fine. I hate using my phone with a case because I don’t get to feel the design of the phone and the case makes it too bulky. I had an iPhone 5 for three years which I never dropped.

 

[JagRunner]

I prefer the flat edges which is why I use a case that gives me flat edges lol