Icon Proximity Problems For Left Handed Users

[savagelizards]

I have been having problems with dropped calls, most of which seem to happen when the phone is being held to my head.

It turns out that they weren't dropped calls. The Icon's screen was simply turning on and then my cheek was touching the end call button. I returned to the Microsoft store and they determined that it's because I am left handed. The Icon's proximity sensor is located on the right hand side of the screen, so it is not scanning the back of my head as it would if I were right handed. As a result, the screen turns on and the call is quickly lost.

I dropped the same caller four times in five minutes today, which is what prompted my trip to the Microsoft store. I am told that the sensor sensitivity is NOT adjustable. They suggested I hold the phone with my right hand.

This is the craziest problem yet, but there is no way to move the sensor or adjust it - so I am stuck with it. C'mon Nokia!

 

[anon(7900571)]

I wonder if this is the same on Lumia 930 :\

 

[bayanii]

Hmm. That's retarded.

 

[NotSafeForWork]

I have the same problem with my Lumia 720, I am left handed and when I take calls my cheek presses everything on the screen because the proximity sensor is positioned for right handed people. Frustrating but I adjusted by jamming my phone against my ear so that the proximity sensor surely registers

 

[MobileVortex]

that is retarded. I'm right handed, but ALWAYS use my left hand to hold the phone to my ear... Never had this problem.

 

[Kage Maru]

I'm left handed as well and don't have this issue.

 

[Laura Knotek]

That's weird. I'm right handed, but I always hold a phone in my left hand when I talk, since I got used to doing that back in the days of landlines so my right hand would be free to hold a pen if I needed to write something.

I haven't had issues with dropped calls and proximity sensors on my 900 or 920.

 

[anon(7901790)]

I hold mine to my left ear too, and never had a dropped call. I kinda question what the Microsoft store guy said.

 

[NotSafeForWork]

Hmm interesting. So my phone's proximity sensor would be defective somehow?

 

[savagelizards]

I hold mine to my left ear too, and never had a dropped call. I kinda question what the Microsoft store guy said.

Well, we got to it by testing the proximity sensor.

If you look at where it is located on the Icon, it's clearly offset to the right hand side of the phone. He looked it up on a help site and the Icon proximity sensor is pre-calibrated to turn the screen off if there is an object within an centimeter of the sensor. I can't tell exactly because it's hard to look at the side of your own head but he was able to stand to my side and had a better view. He said that the could see that the separation between the sensor and my head was often greater than that, and we were able to reproduce the error.

They actually suggested that I get a Bluetooth earpiece. I didn't really feel like setting the time machine to 2009, so I vetoed that suggestion. I may as well have switched to a Blackberry.

 

[anon(7822191)]

The right-hand bias doesn't end there. I noticed it especially when I had a 1520- the entire interface is designed around a right hand user. For example, to bring up settings and options for say, a photo on the phone, the three little dots are located at the bottom right, which is much closer to a right handed user's thumb than a left handed user. It's not so bad now that I'm using an Icon, but on a 1520 this was waaay far across the screen for me to be tapping, when a right handed user hardly would need to move their thumb. That kind of stuff is annoying!! But I'm sure the majority of left handed users don't find it too crazy given the majority of things in the world were made with right handed users in mind, haha.

 

[bertongbadtrip]

He was definitely just trying to get you to buy a bluetooth headset.

 

[anon(7901790)]

That's interesting since most right handers hold it to their left ear so they can write and vice versa for lefties. I actually use my phone left handed even though I'm predominantly right handed so I do see your point about the positioning of certain things.

Being that the majority of people are right handed this is expected.

 

[wayn1ak]

The right-hand bias doesn't end there. I noticed it especially when I had a 1520- the entire interface is designed around a right hand user. For example, to bring up settings and options for say, a photo on the phone, the three little dots are located at the bottom right, which is much closer to a right handed user's thumb than a left handed user. It's not so bad now that I'm using an Icon, but on a 1520 this was waaay far across the screen for me to be tapping...

You don't need to tap the three dots to bring up more options. Simply tap anywhere in the bottom region of the screen and the menu will pop up. Visually it could be annoying for left handers so maybe Microsoft could implement a left hand mode option where the three dots could appear on the bottom left.

 

[Oliverspin]

I had the same problem with a 928, but time and a reset fixed it. I don't think it's a design error, but a bug.

 

[savagelizards]

That's interesting since most right handers hold it to their left ear so they can write and vice versa for lefties. I actually use my phone left handed even though I'm predominantly right handed so I do see your point about the positioning of certain things.

Being that the majority of people are right handed this is expected.

It is indeed a right-handed world.

You have me thinking about how I hold my phone. I don't normally put my phone in my right hand, even if I have to write. If I need to use a pen, I normally hold the phone with my left shoulder. I have done this with phones forever ( the way back to the ones with the cord), including several smartphones, with no problem.

I think I keep my right hand free because that's the hand I would use a mouse with. I can't use a mouse with my left hand. It feels so unnatural.

Anyway, I initially thought using my shoulder might be the problem. But then I discovered that I was having the same problem even when I held the phone to my head.

 

[savagelizards]

He was definitely just trying to get you to buy a bluetooth headset.

Then shame on him. Any usefulness they have is trumped by their social awkwardness. As a society we have moved on. Nobody wants to be that guy.

 

[psiu_glen]

No, it's defective. Get a new one.

Edit: I'd say the guy was trying to avoid a warranty return or swap. Pretty creative too! What an a-hole...

 

[anon(7901790)]

You don't need to tap the three dots to bring up more options. Simply tap anywhere in the bottom region of the screen and the menu will pop up. Visually it could be annoying for left handers so maybe Microsoft could implement a left hand mode option where the three dots could appear on the bottom left.

You bring up a good point. My Galaxy Note II allowed me to select right or left handed mode. That would be a nice option. Especially with the 5" and larger displays.

 

[onlysublime]

you already created a thread on this (http://forums.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-icon/268986-day-20-icon-its-feeling-limited.html). kind of unnecessary to create another thread. people will end up repeating the same stuff.

I'm left-handed as well. We talked about this in the other thread. There is no way the screen should be on when the phone is against your face. all it takes is a hover up to an inch away to turn off the screen. When the screen is off, there's no way to end the call. you don't even need to have the phone touch your face to turn off the screen. hold your finger an inch away from the sensor and it will turn off the screen.

Multiple people in the other thread offered you the solution. Exchange it for another as your Icon should not be behaving like that.