Women User's Issues: Acrylic nails and inability to use the iPhone

OK, I know that this may seem to be a trivial issue at first glance. However, did no one at Apple actually have women who wear artificial nails (AKA acrylic nails) Beta-test the iPhone's touch screen?

My girlfriend wears them. Her current phone has to be replaced, so I walked her into an Apple store and had a salesman demo the iPhone. My sweety loved 95% of its capabilities and features - it lacked only a voice-activated dialing feature.

Here's the reason she did not purchase an iPhone on the spot: You have to use your fingers to use it! Women with long, natural nails, and in this case, artificial nails can't make skin contact with the screen. Forget trying to type in an email or text message. The salesman obviously had never encountered this particular end-user "bug" and had no work around. My girlfriend spent a half-hour fumbling around, using her knuckles, the sides of her fingers, etc. and finally the salesman threw up his hands and said that he had to go help other customers. Gee, thanks for the help buddy.

Since the iPhone can't be used with a stylus, what's the work around? And no, my girlfriend, and all of the other women who wear artificial nails are NOT going to stop wearing them. Only a techno-geek would suggest that as a viable alternative.

What has worked for you ladies?

Thanks so much.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.1)

Posted on Feb 9, 2008 7:24 AM

Reply
21 replies

Feb 9, 2008 7:43 AM in response to RDPowell

There was another long discussion about this a couple of months ago. I have moderately long acrylic nails (well past the tips of my fingers, but not curved "dragon lady" nails) and I have no problems whatsoever using my iPhone. It took a couple of days to get used to, sure, but then I was fine. I use the flat pads of my fingers to type instead of my fingertips, that's all. I'm very fast and accurate, it just took a little practice and getting used to.

To pinch or unpinch, I use two fingers instead of my thumb and one finger like they do in the ads. Everything works perfectly and I couldn't live without my phone now.

-SB

Feb 9, 2008 7:42 AM in response to RDPowell

RDPowell,

I have seen two suggestions on these discussions, holding your hand at a flatter angle so that the pads at the end of the finger touch.

Another user posted they use the side of their fingers.

Here are some threads that discuss what others have done:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1227227

Medium length fingers mentioned in the second post:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1029547

Suggestion to use thumbs:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1057740

Using knuckles is mentioned in this thread:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1300856

Hope this helps,

Nathan C.

Feb 9, 2008 8:07 AM in response to RDPowell

If she uses the sides of her fingers or the flat part of her fingerpad, she should be able to do it with a little practice. I wouldn't call fake nails a "bug" and the person at the Apple Store can only make so many suggestions of what to try.

I was watching a girl at the mall with dragon lady fake nails using the side of her finger to type on an iPhone. There is also supposedly a special stylus that works with the iPhone but I have never tried it.

Feb 9, 2008 7:13 PM in response to RDPowell

actually, no I have never had this issue with my razor because I could push it in with my finger pad since the screen is flat on an Iphone the nail gets in the way.. trust me.. its a girl thing,

I have had cell phones since they came out and this is the first one I couldnt use with my nails, I can use most touch screens because of this.. again they DONT push in with the pads of your fingers which allows the nail to be out of the way the nail hits before the pad does.. just trust me on this

Feb 9, 2008 9:33 PM in response to RDPowell

I've had my iPhone now since the first week they were available. My acrylics are at least 1/2" beyond my fingers. I have no problem whatsoever using the phone. I can dial, text, whatever and my nails don't bother me. I use the fleshy part of my finger pads and my nails never touch the phone. My nails are curved, although not exactly "dragon lady" style, so I'm not sure why some women are having a problem. I can see how that would be really frustrating though.

Feb 10, 2008 3:07 AM in response to RDPowell

Well it doesn't appear that we've hit a consensus on this. I am getting tempted to go out and try some acrylic nails for myself to experience the issue firsthand. (After all I did get kidney stones specifically to understand labor pains.) Any recommendations on which brand would do well with my wide, flatish nails and pasty Irish skin? How about polish? I had thought of black, but that's a little too Marylyn Manson. Does anyone make like a charcoal gray polish with that pearl kind of sheen? I'd want to keep this experiment masculine, yet stylish.

Thanks,

Kevin

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Women User's Issues: Acrylic nails and inability to use the iPhone

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