5.5-inch iPhone 6 will get ‘one-handed mode’ for easier use

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iPhone-6-06-cd

When Apple pitched the iPhone 5 to the world, it was adamant that its 4-inch display was designed to still fit easily in one hand. And indeed it was, because the screen was only elongated. The width stayed the same.

It sounds like a small detail, but one-handed use is something Apple has always stressed in its design choices for the iPhone.

And that makes the prospect of a 5.5-inch Apple phablet puzzling. How will you be able to use such a big phone with one hand?

New details about the bigger of the two rumored iPhone 6 sizes have surfaced, and Apple has reportedly solved the problem with software.

In a big story today that also reveals new info about the iWatch, The New York Times mentions a special feature that will be in the 5.5-inch iPhone 6.

“To deal with concerns that a bigger phone will make typing with one hand difficult (the current iPhone has a 4-inch screen), some changes to the design of the iPhones’ software interface will allow people to type or use apps with just one hand — there will be a one-handed mode that can be switched on and off, two employees said.”

It looks like Apple will bake a feature into iOS 8 that lets the user manually switch the 5.5-inch device into ‘one-handed’ mode. Keep in mind that split-screen multitasking was originally reported to be coming to iOS 8, and we haven’t seen it yet. There’s always a chance Apple could choose to delay software features at the last minute.

The 5.5-inch iPhone 6 is widely expected to ship later this year.

Source: The New York Times

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