The iPhone Duo's design seems to ignore an important customer group

(Dan Tri) - The layout of Touch ID, physical buttons and interface on the iPhone Duo is causing debate as it can make using the device with the left hand less convenient.

iPhone Duo marks the first time Apple has entered the folding screen phone market. Besides the hinge, durability or screen fold, the product's design is giving rise to another debate: has Apple paid enough attention to the left-handed experience?

A recent hands-on video further tests this issue, showing that the answer is not entirely simple.

A series of details are concentrated on the right

Unlike many current iPhone models, iPhone Duo does not use Face ID. Apple has a Touch ID fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button located on the right side of the device.

That means users need to approach the right area to unlock with fingerprint. Other physical control buttons are also located on this side of the device.

Touch ID on iPhone Duo is integrated into the power button on the right side of the device (Photo: Android Central).

The arrangement continues to appear on the interface when users open iPhone Duo.

On the large internal screen, the vertical application bar is arranged close to the right edge. For people holding the device with their right hand, this position is quite convenient as the icons are close to the finger.

But when switching to the left hand, the distance to the application bar increases significantly. The user may have to stretch their finger to the opposite side or change the way they hold the device to operate.

iPhone Duo has many control elements arranged on the right side, sparking debate about the experience of left-handed people (Photo: PhoneArena).

This is why the design of the iPhone Duo seems to favor right-handed people.

However, the fact that a device has components on the right side is not enough to conclude that left-handed people will have difficulty in actual use. Each person's hand size, holding style, and usage habits can all make a difference.

A new video from Tom Hitchins, the man behind Byte Review, tested this by using the iPhone Duo entirely with his left hand.

Try using your iPhone Duo entirely with your left hand

There's one thing to note before looking at the results: Hitchins is actually right-handed. He proactively switched to using his left hand to simulate the experience of this user group.

When the iPhone Duo is closed, the 5.4-inch external screen does not cause too much difficulty. In the video, Hitchins can reach most of the screen area and perform basic operations with his left hand.

Tom Hitchins from Byte Review tried using the iPhone Duo entirely with his left hand to test the convenience of the design (Video: Byte Review).

The relatively small screen size makes it easy for fingers to move to many positions without having to change the way you hold the device too much.

The situation becomes different when the iPhone Duo is opened.

The large screen area makes using the device with one hand inherently more difficult, regardless of the user's handedness.

Notably, during testing, Hitchins did not manipulate the icons on the application bar located near the right edge of the screen. Therefore, the video still does not completely answer the question of whether the location of the application bar causes significant inconvenience for left-handed people.

Testing also shows that hand size plays an important role. People with large hands and fingers can reach distant areas more easily, while people with small hands will have more difficulty.

When opening the device, the vertical application bar is located close to the right edge of the screen, causing people holding the device with their left hand to have to stretch their fingers further to operate (Photo: Android Central).

In addition, being left-handed does not mean that a person always holds the phone with their left hand. Many people often change hands or use both hands, especially when operating on large folding screen phones.

Therefore, the limitations mentioned do not mean that iPhone Duo cannot be used well by left-handed people. They mainly raise questions about the level of convenience and ability to customize the interface for each usage habit.

Apple can partially fix it with software

Among the issues mentioned, the app bar position is the detail Apple can change most easily.

In theory, the company could add an option that allows users to move the app bar from the right edge to the left edge. Then, the interface can be more suitable for each person's dominant hand or way of holding the device.

This is not a problem that requires a change in hardware design and can be completely resolved through an operating system update if Apple chooses to implement it.

Important physical buttons on the iPhone Duo are arranged centrally on the right side, which can cause people holding the phone with their left hand to change the way they operate (Photo: Android Central).

The placement of Touch ID and physical buttons is another story.

Because these components are fixed to the body, a software update cannot move them to the opposite side. Left-handers will have to adapt to the current layout or use another finger to unlock.

PhoneArena thinks the real-world experience will only become clearer once the iPhone Duo is widely available and there are more reviews from real left-handed people, rather than simulated testing by a right-handed person.

Actual experience with iPhone Duo may vary depending on each person's hand size, way of holding the device and usage habits (Photo: Android Authority).

The problem is also notable because left-handers are not a very small group. Population studies generally estimate that about 10% of adults are left-handed, although the proportion can vary depending on the definition and the population group. For a product aimed at the global market like the iPhone, this is still a significant number of users.

The current debate is not enough to conclude that the iPhone Duo "forgets" left-handed people. However, the layout of Touch ID, physical buttons, and some interface elements suggest that the experience of this group of users may be significantly different from that of right-handed people, especially if they want to use the device with one hand.