Apple unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, this week, but left-handed buyers claim the new device is unusable for ten per cent of potential customers.
Following months of anticipation, the technology company revealed its book-style handset featuring an inner screen that is wider than it is tall when opened. While the iPhone Duo goes on sale next month, left-handed users immediately flocked to social media to complain about the usability of the new design.
Writing on social platform X, one user noted that while they liked the phone and found it fancy in many aspects, the device is pretty much unusable for them simply because they are a left-handed person. Another buyer stated that the iPhone Duo would not work for them because the controls are built for right-handed operation, explaining that they carry their phone in their left pocket and keys in their right pocket. A third user joked that Apple appears to hate left-handed people based on the product announcement.
Left-handed user complaints on social media
The usability issue stems from the interface display when the handset is folded open. Lock Screen controls, the Home Screen Dock, and app navigation controls all appear on the right-hand side of the device, creating difficulties for people who tap with their left hand.
Discussions on Reddit highlighted similar concerns regarding the interface layout. One user questioned why Apple did not allow users to move the dock for left-handed use, calling it an obvious oversight for a company focused on user experience. Another buyer commented that all main functions are positioned as far away as possible, adding that because every tenth human is left-handed, they will not be able to use the phone properly. One commenter joked that owners should break the phone in half and duct tape the halves from opposite sides.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Apple for clarification on whether the software dock can be moved to the left-hand side of the screen.
Screen specifications and hardware features
Priced at £1,999 and $1,999, the iPhone Duo shares a squat, book-like shape with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8. Both the inner and outer displays share a 1.4 aspect ratio, ensuring that applications do not distort or leave dead space when switching between views.
The outer display measures 5.4 inches across, while the inner screen extends to 7.6 inches. Users can operate the device in any orientation or position, including leaving it half open to prop up and watch movies hands-free or holding it partially folded like a physical book.
Powered by Apple's new A20 Pro chipset, the foldable smartphone supports multitasking by running different applications on either side of the screen simultaneously. Apple confirmed that the display supports the Apple Pencil, making it the first iPhone model to feature stylus compatibility like an iPad.
On the back, the iPhone Duo features the same 48-megapixel camera system used on the iPhone 18 Pro.
Early history of Apple computers
The announcement comes as Apple continues a history of consumer hardware releases spanning five decades. Founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne created the company on April 1, 1976, selling computer kits assembled by Wozniak to hobbyists. Their first product was the Apple I, followed in June 1977 by the Apple II, which became the first personal computer built for the mass market.
Steve Jobs became chairman in 1981 before Apple introduced the Macintosh in 1984. The computer was advertised during a Super Bowl commercial break and officially unveiled at a launch event, before being discontinued a year later when Jobs left the firm. Apple released its first colour Mac, the Macintosh II, in 1987. Jobs returned to Apple as interim chief executive in 1997 following a $400 million acquisition of NeXT software, before officially taking the CEO role in 2000.
Launch of the iPod and iPhone
In 2001, Apple introduced iTunes, OS X, and the first-generation iPod music player at an event in Cupertino, California, on October 23. Capable of holding up to 1,000 songs, the MP3 player marked a major shift for the company. Apple subsequently unveiled the first iPhone in 2007, followed by the launch of the iPad tablet in 2010.
Jobs resigned due to illness in 2011, handing executive leadership to Tim Cook before dying from pancreatic cancer in October of that year. Apple introduced the Apple Watch in 2014 alongside its first larger smartphones, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Following the acquisition of Beats from Dr Dre, the firm launched Apple Music in 2015 to compete with streaming platforms such as Spotify.
In 2016, Apple announced the 4-inch iPhone SE while navigating a legal dispute with the FBI. Federal authorities sought access to a locked device used by Syed Farook, who died in a shootout after carrying out a deadly attack in San Bernardino, California, with his wife in December. The court order was dropped on March 28 after the FBI unlocked the phone with help from a third party.
Recent product launches and executive changes
Apple launched the iPhone X in 2017, removing the home button to introduce an edge-to-edge screen and FaceID facial recognition using sensors and lasers. Operating system iOS 12 added device management tools in 2018 following shareholder demands to address smartphone addiction among children and teenagers. In January 2019, Apple reported its first decline in revenue and profit in a decade, with Cook citing revenue drops in China.
In March 2020, Apple closed all brick-and-mortar retail stores outside China during the coronavirus pandemic. Cook announced a goal to make the company carbon neutral during an Earth Day virtual event in April 2021, ahead of the iPhone 13 launch later that year. The iPhone 14 followed in September 2022, featuring car crash detection sensors and camera upgrades.
Apple reintroduced the voice-controlled HomePod smart speaker in 2023 to compete with Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices after discontinuing the first generation. In 2024, the company launched Apple Intelligence to introduce artificial intelligence features across its lineup, with several features delayed until the following year.
Most recently, Apple announced a major executive transition. Tim Cook stepped aside after 15 years as chief executive officer to become executive chairman, with hardware chief John Ternus, 51, taking over as chief executive officer on September 1, 2026.
