Since the introduction of iPhone Duo, the concept of having all primary interface navigation elements within thumb’s reach has been fascinating. Apple revolutionized smartphone navigation with the external display on iPhone Duo, making it seem odd that most smartphones still place important controls at the top.
Everyone misses the era when phones were smaller, mostly because everything was easier to reach. However, the trade-off was that the screen was quite small, and content consumption has evolved since then.
iPhone Duo addresses both issues by maintaining a reasonably large rectangular viewing area to the left of the dock and navigation area on the right. You still enjoy a large viewing area while keeping everything within thumb’s reach.
Since Apple revealed this design, many fans have suggested the idea of an “iPhone Solo,” meaning an iPhone Duo-sized display that isn”t foldable.
Although I doubt Apple would release this, I find it an intriguing concept that might make sense in the future depending on how successful iPhone Duo turns out. If you consider it, the current smartphone form factor is essentially by chance. We moved from 16:9 displays to eliminating bezels and the home button, which resulted in these unusually tall devices where nothing is easily reachable.
iPhone Duo reimagined what a smartphone”s form factor should be. Apple didn”t just apply standard iOS to the outer display and leave it at that. They redesigned it for optimal usability, and now I envy how short my phone is compared to this.
Top comment by Tony D
I actually like the layout of the screen on the a Duo. I”d love to see an option to put the dock on the side vertically on a regular iPhone. And the Duo”s control center is a nice touch as well.
We”ll see what happens. An iPhone Solo could easily happen if people receive the Duo”s outer screen well.What do you think of the iPhone Solo concept? Would you buy one? Let us know in the comments below.
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