Minor Feature Request: Allow rotation in any orientation

[pdwalker]

Hi Mike,

I've got a relatively trivial request - can you allow rotation of the application in any direction?

The reason I ask is that I often plug in my headphones when reviewing my flash cards so as not to bother anyone. As the headphone jack is on the bottom of the phone, I'd prefer to rotate the phone 180 degrees so that the jack is at the top, rather than at the bottom where the cable comes under stress.

Yes, I could use landscape view, but I prefer the vertical view.

Possible?

#1 stressin' muh cables!

#2 better, but not tall enough

#3 cable relief, but I cannot read sideways


Thanks for your consideration.

 

[mikelove]

I don't believe it's possible to use any iPhone apps in upside-down mode like that, actually - iOS system 'feature.'

 

[pdwalker]

*cough* xcode project properties *cough*

 

[mikelove]

On iPad, yes, and in fact that box is checked in our app already; if you try to use Pleco on an iPad upside-down it works just fine. It just doesn't work on iPhone regardless of whether or not you check that box.

 

[pdwalker]

Nooooooooooooooooooo!

(I could have sworn it worked in iOS 3 when i last looked at the xcode compiler)

 

[rizen suha]

180 dg rotation: would it be too difficult to implement this as an app specific feature? i find myself wishing for it continually, especially when reading for prolonged periods, by my desk or when holding and resting the iphone on my leg/knee/armrest

 

[pdwalker]

180 dg rotation: would it be too difficult to implement this as an app specific feature? i find myself wishing for it continually, especially when reading for prolonged periods, by my desk or when holding and resting the iphone on my leg/knee/armrest

No can do. It’s not supported on the iPhone for some reason.

Thanks Apple.

 

[rizen suha]

@pdwalker i am referring to the possibility of the pleco app itself showing things "upside down"

 

[rizen suha]

No can do. It’s not supported on the iPhone for some reason.

Thanks Apple.

i can only think of one motivation: apple does not _like_ the idea of anybody using the iphone upside down since that would be detrimental to the perceived perfection of the iphones design, to the user himself and innocent bystanders might be offended ("oh yuck, speaker grills exposed", "oh my, cable sprouting") and that would all be bad for apples know-it-all and know-it-best without-even-thinking brand ego. makes you wonder. such a near-perfect product whose main shortcomings are due to ego quirks. with the x phones accentuated top-down assymetry i think we can forget about apple offering 180 dg rotation anytime soon. end of rant.

 

[JD]

iPad works in any orientation, and has the same speaker grid and lightning ports as iPhone, so I wouldn’t point to just a design bias.

 

[Shun]

I think Apple considers iPad/a tablet as just a neutral flat area that can be used in any orientation, whereas an iPhone turned upside down would mean that the microphones are where the ears are, and the speakers are where the mouth is. (when a call comes in) To me, it totally seems like a design decision, unnecessary as it might seem. Where technology theoretically allows too much freedom, an artificial barrier needs to be introduced.

 

[rizen suha]

I think Apple considers iPad/a tablet as just a neutral flat area that can be used in any orientation, whereas an iPhone turned upside down would mean that the microphones are where the ears are, and the speakers are where the mouth is. (when a call comes in) To me, it totally seems like a design decision, unnecessary as it might seem.

also they may consider that a home button that is up and harder to reach is too much to handle for the mindless user whom should thus be protected from such silly business

 

[rizen suha]

I think Apple considers iPad/a tablet as just a neutral flat area that can be used in any orientation, whereas an iPhone turned upside down would mean that the microphones are where the ears are, and the speakers are where the mouth is. (when a call comes in) To me, it totally seems like a design decision, unnecessary as it might seem. Where technology theoretically allows too much freedom, an artificial barrier needs to be introduced.

shun, your explanation is excellent and of course the only possible one. also to be honest, it somewhat justifies the design decision (although i think they should have offered a setting to enable full rotation). your explanation also motivates why it is very unlikely that apple will ever enable full rotation on the iphone (not even via a special settting). therefore it would be very interesting if pleco could offer this feature as part of the app itself.

 

[Shun]

Thanks, you flatter me.

Pleco could certainly do so, perhaps with significant programming effort, but if the App Store Review team notices it, perhaps they might have to reject the app. Though I don't know.

 

[rizen suha]

haha

Thanks, you flatter me.

Pleco could certainly do so, perhaps with significant programming effort, but if the App Store Review team notices it, perhaps they might have to reject the app. Though I don't know.

haha yeah wouldnt surprise me if they did (dont get me started again, ranting tends to get me rambling

 

[mikelove]

Even if we were sure it wouldn't get rejected, it would be useless on the X and presumably all of the 2018 iPhones since now you'd have to exit Pleco by awkwardly reaching up to the top of the screen and swiping down, so wouldn't be worth the trouble to implement now.

 

[JD]

I think Apple considers iPad/a tablet as just a neutral flat area that can be used in any orientation, whereas an iPhone turned upside down would mean that the microphones are where the ears are, and the speakers are where the mouth is. (when a call comes in) To me, it totally seems like a design decision, unnecessary as it might seem. Where technology theoretically allows too much freedom, an artificial barrier needs to be introduced.

It’s funny...now that you say that, it’s the first time I really noticed that, shockingly. I’ve used an iPhone for years, but always with a Bluetooth headset, wired earbuds, or speakerphone....I’ve never ever *thought* of its form-factor as a “phone”. I’ve just thought of it as a really tiny tablet. Thanks for the perspective shift!

 

[Shun]

It’s funny...now that you say that, it’s the first time I really noticed that, shockingly. I’ve used an iPhone for years, but always with a Bluetooth headset, wired earbuds, or speakerphone....I’ve never ever *thought* of it’s form-factor as a “phone”. I’ve just thought of it as a really tiny tablet. Thanks for the perspective shift!

My pleasure! True, I guess it's a relict from the original iPhone and iPhone 3G, where the fact that it was a phone was the big thing. Today they could change how they conceive of the device, but of course, Apple would never become forgetful of their glorious legacy.

 

[pdwalker]

Huh. Interesting observations.

I’d still like apple to enable full rotational freedom. I’m an adult, I can handle it, and if I can’t, there’s always rotation lock.

Do the android phones allow full rotation? Anyone know?

 

[Shun]

Huh. Interesting observations.

I’d still like apple to enable full rotational freedom. I’m an adult, I can handle it, and if I can’t, there’s always rotation lock.

Do the android phones allow full rotation? Anyone know?

Just tried it on a OnePlus 3T, it didn‘t rotate to reverse portrait, either. But it did rotate to landscape both ways. I guess on Android, Mike made it like the iPhone for the sake of consistency, but he wouldn‘t have to as far as Google is concerned. Am I right?

Edit: I read on Stack Overflow that this limitation comes from the Android OS. Though this should be easier to circumvent there, or at least with relative impunity.