Need a simpler way to answer the phone!

Question

Level 1

3 points

Need a simpler way to answer the phone!

The iPhone 4s requires 1 of 2 things to answer a phone call, depedning on whether the phone is locked or not. If the phone is unlocked, I'm presented with a couple of buttons to accept or reject the call. If the phone is locked, I'm required to swipe a slider on the display to answer the call.

There are a couple of problems with these UI behaviors. First, if one has gloves or mittens on, the touch screen doesn't work and one has to take off one's gloves to use the display and answer a call. The second problems is that in many cases, swiping a slider requires two hands - one to hold the phone and one to swipe the slider. If the phone isn't locked, the situation is a bit better, since pressing a button on the display can be done one-handed, more easily than moving the slider. I could set auto-lock to "never" so the slider doesn't come show up, but this also keeps the display on and runs down the battery rather rapidly. So ideally, I need:

1. A way to use the Home button to answer calls. Our iPhones live in Otter Boxes and it takes intent to actually press this button. It's not easy to do it by accident.

-- OR --

2 A way to auto-dim the display after a set period of time without auto-locking the unit. This would be a 2nd best solution, since I'd much rather just push the Home button to answer calls.

Maybe there are some apps that can help with this. Any solutions will be appreciated.

Posted on Dec 7, 2011 3:58 PM

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Answer 1

Dec 7, 2011 4:06 PM in response to fmouse

The easiest solution is a headset, either wired or Bluetooth. My Q2 I simply say "Answer". A wired headset squeeze the mic/switch.

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Answer 2

razmee209

Level 10

199,452 points

Dec 7, 2011 4:18 PM in response to fmouse

You can swipe your phone using one hand, using your thumb to swipe the bar while your other fingers holding the phone.

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Answer 3

fmouse Author

Level 1

3 points

Dec 7, 2011 5:08 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

This is a workable solution, assuming I'm wearing a bluetooth transceiver, which I do when I'm driving, but not everywhere. My old mobile phone could be answered by pressing any button or key if it was ringing, so in this regard the iPhone is a step down.

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Answer 4

fmouse Author

Level 1

3 points

Dec 7, 2011 5:11 PM in response to razmee209

Yes, assuming you grab the phone in a way so that your thumb is in a position to do this, and if not, you have to set it down, or grab it in the other hand, and reposition it. Meanwhile, it's ringing .....

And this doesn't address the issue of what to do when one is wearing gloves.

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Answer 5

Dec 7, 2011 8:15 PM in response to fmouse

Maybe if enough people request it they will add the feature. Good luck!

http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

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Answer 6

Dec 8, 2011 6:54 AM in response to fmouse

fmouse wrote:

My old mobile phone could be answered by pressing any button or key if it was ringing, so in this regard the iPhone is a step down.

Was your old phone a touch screen phone?

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Answer 7

KiltedTim

Level 10

228,006 points

Dec 8, 2011 7:06 AM in response to fmouse

You can buy gloves that work with capacitive touch screens almost anywhere now relatively inexpensively.

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Answer 8

fmouse Author

Level 1

3 points

Dec 8, 2011 9:47 AM in response to steveappleotp

I think this is a very helpful answer, steveappleotp. This such a logical feature that not having it appears to be an oversight or ommission on the part of the designers. I've made the suggestion to Apple, as you suggested. I hope others have done so too.

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Answer 9

fmouse Author

Level 1

3 points

Dec 8, 2011 9:54 AM in response to KiltedTim

KiltedTim, this is useful to know, but I see no reason why I should have to buy special gloves just to be able to answer my phone when I'm doing something that requires gloves or mittens. All the gloves and mittens I have are already "special" gloves or mittens for different purposes, and they're adapted for these purposes - working with heavy tools, lumber; keeping my hands warm when it's extremely cold, etc.

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Answer 10

fmouse Author

Level 1

3 points

Dec 8, 2011 9:58 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

Meg St._Clair wrote:

Was your old phone a touch screen phone?

No. It was an LG flip-phone. If it rang, I could just flip it open with one hand and mash it to take a call. Very handy!

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Answer 11

Dec 8, 2011 10:05 AM in response to fmouse

fmouse wrote:

Meg St._Clair wrote:

Was your old phone a touch screen phone?

No. It was an LG flip-phone. If it rang, I could just flip it open with one hand and mash it to take a call. Very handy!

I'm not sure why you expect a touch screen phone to work like a basic flip phone. If that sort of feature is important to you, touch screen phones are not the device for you. It sounds as if you failed to consider what features were important to you and then properly research your phone purchase. While it's possible Apple may add other buttons to the phone in the future, there is no indication that current phones will ever be answerable any other way (the same is true of every Android phone I've used as well, by the way). So, you can either decide that the many other features that an iPhone has that your old LG didn't are worth this small inconvenience or you can return/sell the iPhone and go back to a phone with buttons. You can also try one of the several options for solving your problem that have been offered.

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Answer 12

KiltedTim

Level 10

228,006 points

Dec 8, 2011 10:08 AM in response to fmouse

Maybe you should just go back to a flip phone...

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Answer 13

razmee209

Level 10

199,452 points

Dec 8, 2011 10:10 AM in response to fmouse

What other position would you hold your phone that you couldn't use your thumb to swipe. why would you need to set it down and then use your other hand to answer the phone.

Maybe you should just wear the headphones that was included in the box at all times so that you may answer your phone with ease.

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Answer 14

wjosten

Level 10

95,369 points

Dec 8, 2011 10:11 AM in response to fmouse

Hire someone to carry your phone & answer it. If it's someone you want to talk to, they can then give you the phone 😎.

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Answer 15

fmouse Author

Level 1

3 points

Dec 8, 2011 10:25 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

Meg St._Clair wrote:
I'm not sure why you expect a touch screen phone to work like a basic flip phone. If that sort of feature is important to you, touch screen phones are not the device for you. It sounds as if you failed to consider what features were important to you and then properly research your phone purchase. While it's possible Apple may add other buttons to the phone in the future, there is no indication that current phones will ever be answerable any other way (the same is true of every Android phone I've used as well, by the way). So, you can either decide that the many other features that an iPhone has that your old LG didn't are worth this small inconvenience or you can return/sell the iPhone and go back to a phone with buttons. You can also try one of the several options for solving your problem that have been offered.

Well we bought iPhones primarily because - guess what!! - they're phones 🙂 I like the additional features, and wouldn't want to give them up at this point, but serving as a mobile phone is still the primary use for our iPhones. The feature I'm asking about is a very simple one, and there's no reason it couldn't be offered as an option, and there's no reason that Apple shouldn't or couldn't do this. I don't care if every other Android or iPhone works this way, Apple tries to be the head of the pack and go the extra mile, and can do this easily if they want to.

The LG flip-phones have served us well, and were it not for the fact that we're going to be travelling out of the US, and need the international calling features of the iPhone, we'd probably still be using them.

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