Last week, Apple introduced the foldable iPhone Duo, and there’s already accusations that it DISCRIMINATES. And no, not against people who don’t have $2,000 to spend on a phone. Although that too.
The phone won’t actually hit stores until next month, but early reviews say it’s a breeze to unfold and hold for RIGHT HANDERS . . . but for left-handed people it’s awkward and cumbersome.
Apple described the closed Duo as “compact and comfortable to hold,” with “essential controls moved to the side” so they’re “easy to reach.” But left-handers who want to hold the phone in their dominant hand say it’s not easy for them.
It’s possible that Apple could have a left-handed mode . . . but one commenter says it’s “more than software,” because with the location of “the Touch ID button, the outer display, and the cameras . . . they’d have to manufacture a mirrored version for lefties to have the same experience.”
Left-handers make up around 10% of the population, so this could be a major oversight if it DOES make the phone “unusable” for some folks.
But others are already downplaying it. Some left-handed people say they don’t mind holding their phone in their right hand . . . and some say that they are used to adapting to a “right-handed world.”
For what it’s worth, Apple’s promos DO show the Duo being used in some people’s left hands. And it’s hard to believe they would’ve completely forgotten to consider the different ways the phone would be held.
Also, let’s be honest. The Duo will feel a little strange to EVERYONE who isn’t used to having an iPhone that folds . . . so let’s revisit this after people have had a chance to actually get used to it.