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Ask HN: Which hand do you use to hold your phone?

1 points by HorizonXP ↗ HN
I'm doing some work right now on mobile apps and we were discussing the differences between iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry 10. On BlackBerry 10 and iPhone, handedness is less of an issue due to the absence of a back button. In both cases, it's in the actual app and is on the left side, which follows what most left to right readers would expect. The hardware volume buttons are on the right side of the device.

On Android, this is a bit different. On a Galaxy Nexus, the back button is on the left, and so are the hardware volume buttons. On a Galaxy S3, the menu button is on the left, while the back button is on the lower right. The hardware volume buttons are on the right too.

I usually use my phone in my right hand, so the iPhone, Nexus, and BlackBerry make sense to me. Apparently some of you hold your phone in your left hand.

I'm wondering what the distribution is. I don't think it has much to do with which hand is your dominant hand, because if it did, I can't explain why Samsung would switch sides. Could it be due to reading direction?

Interested in reading the responses.

2 comments

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Simucal
I hold my phone (iPhone) in my left hand and it goes in my left front pocket when I'm done using it. Even though I'm right handed, this has always felt natural to me.

My left hand has enough dexterity that navigating menus and scrolling is never a big problem and it frees me up to occasionally do something with my right hand at the same time like write something down.

ErikRogneby
Left handed Android user.

hold to talk: left hand

operate 1 handed: left hand

operate 2 handed: right hand holds, left hand drives

stored in right front pocket. (keys and money clip incumbent in left front)

I wonder if mouse use in the right hand has any impact on left hand use?