Apple To Enable One-Handed Use On Larger iPhones

Look ma, one hand! With the iPhone 6 and 6L expected to clock in at 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches, respectively, you might think they'd be harder to operate with one hand, but Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) reportedly has it covered.

The Cupertino, California, tech powerhouse has developed a new one-handed function that can be toggled by users based on preference, unnamed Apple employees told the New York Times on Thursday. Previously, Apple had famously poked fun at larger-screen devices, notably in a 2012 ad for the 4-inch iPhone 5 titled “Thumb,” which bragged that the smartphone could be operated entirely with one hand.

But that narrative began to change in 2013 and 2014 when reports and rumors began swirling about Apple’s plans to build a larger iPhone.

While this is Apple’s first time developing a one-handed mode for larger mobile devices, it's not an industry first. When Samsung (KRX:005930) released its 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3 in 2013, the company introduced a featured called “one-handed operation,” which enabled users to shrink the size of the home screen to a portion of the display.

It’s not yet known if that's what Apple has implemented on the iPhone 6 and 6L, but we’ll know soon enough. The company is expected to unveil the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6L during its Sept. 9 media event at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino, which will be livestreamed. Apple is also expected to unveil a new wearable device, dubbed the iWatch, alongside the new iPhone models.