The iPhone Duo may have two screens, but it may be designed with only one hand in mind.<\/p>\n
Apple unveiled its first-ever foldable iPhone Wednesday, marking the biggest physical overhau<\/a>l of its signature smartphone since the original iPhone first hit the market.<\/p>\n But the flashy $1,999 device has left left-handed users quick to point out a design flaw in the soon-to-be-released smartphone they fear could make it awkward or even \u201cunusable.\u201d<\/p>\n Apple\u2019s foldable iPhone Duo was unveiled during Apple\u2019s special event on September 9. STAN OLSZEWSKI\/EPA\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n The tech giant touts the device\u2019s largest-ever inner screen: a 7.6-inch display alongside a 5.4-inch outer screen, and its dynamic weight of just over half a pound. The titanium phone folds down to just over 3 inches, making it a better fit in your pocket.<\/p>\n Apple described the closed Duo<\/a> as \u201ccompact and comfortable to hold,\u201d with \u201cessential controls moved to the side\u201d so they\u2019re \u201ceasy to reach.\u201d<\/p>\n But lefties are asking: Easy to reach for whom?<\/p>\n Unlike a traditional iPhone, where navigation bars and controls generally stretch horizontally across the top or bottom of the screen, the Duo\u2019s controls sit along one side of the device, including Touch ID \u2014 which replaces Face ID on the Duo \u2014 built into the side button.<\/p>\n A person holds the new foldable iPhone Duo during Apple\u2019s event. REUTERS<\/p>\n That\u2019s exactly why left-handed iPhone users who hold the phone with their dominant hand are concerned.<\/p>\n \u201cAny other southpaws out there that use their phone one-handed with their left?\u201d one user on Reddit<\/a> asked. \u201cI\u2019d love to have this phone, but I have a feeling they aren\u2019t going to implement a left-handed mode.<\/p>\n Another lefty said Apple\u2019s side-placed controls could turn something annoying into an actual usage issue and argued that a software setting alone may not give lefties the same experience.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s more than just software, the Touch ID button, the outer display, the cameras\u2026 they would have to manufacture a mirrored version for lefties to have the same experience as right-handed people,\u201d one YouTube<\/a> commenter argued.<\/p>\n And they were not alone in feeling discriminated against.<\/p>\n \u201cFinally someone mentioned. Thank you. I already hate the idea,\u201d the user wrote. \u201cI use my left hand, and I don\u2019t want to hold it upside down even if they fix software.\u201d<\/p>\n One commenter questioned the design as a possible accessibility oversight.<\/p>\n \u201cMy first thought was how are they going to make it accessible for us?\u201d the left-handed user wrote. \u201cAnd what if someone has had a stroke or otherwise can\u2019t use their right hand?\u201d<\/p>\n Apple does, in fact, tout the Duo\u2019s built-in accessibility tools for users with vision, mobility, hearing, speech, and cognitive needs, including AssistiveTouch, Switch Control, Voice Control, and Eye Tracking.<\/p>\n Early hands-on impressions are marginally positive, though.<\/p>\n New York Times consumer technology writer Brian X. Chen described the Duo as extremely thin while opened and said that, folded shut, it felt almost \u201cdainty\u201d \u2014 about the size of a passport and less bulky in his pocket than other foldables he had tested.<\/p>\n Left-handed people don\u2019t seem to be fans of the new design. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n