[BlindTlk] Cell phone

Mon Jun 3 18:27:47 UTC 2019

One thing I don't like about phones with physical keys is in an
accident, those keys can fall out and won't be easy to find.  Probably a
membrane over physical keys with membrane having concavities to
accommodate physical keys in up positions would take care of that
problem but with the myriad options available in all of these years I've
not read about that one.

On Mon, 3 Jun 2019, Steve Jacobson via BlindTlk wrote:

> Date: Mon, 3 Jun 2019 13:32:31
> From: Steve Jacobson via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> To: Blind Talk Mailing List <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Steve Jacobson <steve.jacobson at outlook.com>
> Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] Cell phone
>
> Judy,
>
> What I see happening too often is that there are multiple options for cellphones but there isn't a good way to categorize the options.  For example, there are people who just can't get comfortable with touch screens and there are people who don't want a smart phone.  Some of the Android phones, as you have described, are really very powerful smart phones even though they have physical buttons.  However, for the person who simply wants a phone, without needing to deal with downloading apps or agreeing to a software update, having physical buttons is only part of the answer.  They may well find the Android phones with physical buttons almost as frustrating as using an iPhone.  Someone who wants a phone really has to try to understand the differences, or at least figure out what they are truly wanting or willing to learn.
>
> This issue of GSM versus CDMA is also pretty important here in the United States.  In many areas, CDMA phones do have better coverage, and it has been my observation that there is more likely to be CDMA repeaters inside buildings where service is otherwise poor.  One can find oneself with no coverage in a building where others have reasonably good coverage.
>
> This is not an easy area to quickly understand if someone is just asking which phone is the best for a blind person.  It is really pretty complex.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Steve Jacobson
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BlindTlk <blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Judy Jones via BlindTlk
> Sent: Monday, June 3, 2019 10:33 AM
> To: gwunder at earthlink.net; 'Blind Talk Mailing List' <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Judy Jones <sonshines59 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] Cell phone
>
> There are just lots of choices that aren't necessarily advertised.
>
> What would be interesting is if there were a way to do a survey of blind
> people using phones with physical buttons, what daily activities they
> perform with them, what they like best about their phones, and what they
> wish their phones could do.
>
> A great phone list that is primarily Android, but not limited to, is the
> Antad group.
> Antad+subscribe at googlegroups.com.
>
> Then, of course there is the blindphones list.
> Blindphones+subscribe at groups.io
>
> The dangerous thing about technology for the blind is that, although one or
> two things get popular, the rest is shoved to the side, not unlike what
> happened to the Optacon when OCR technology came into being.
>
> Judy
> "Embrace the day with its mercies and blessings."
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BlindTlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Gary Wunder
> via BlindTlk
> Sent: Monday, June 3, 2019 5:18 AM
> To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
> Cc: Gary Wunder
> Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] Cell phone
>
> I appreciate this, Judy. Perhaps it is better not to run.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BlindTlk <blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Judy Jones via
> BlindTlk
> Sent: Saturday, June 1, 2019 11:04 PM
> To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List' <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Judy Jones <sonshines59 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] Cell phone
>
> Your kidding, I watch for the Monitor in my e-mail.
>
> You may or may not have seen my comments, but I have concerns about this
> phone, the biggest one being that the company did not post the phone specs,
> but were going on the premise that the blind need this phone, with no links
> to comparisons of other models out there.
>
> When I first found out about this phone, I watched the video that only
> showed the features, but no specs, so I wrote in with my questions.
>
> I got a call back from customer service, and here is what I found out.
>
> * This phone operates on 3G, not 4G.  They hope to get a 4G device out, but
> isn't happening yet, and no time frame available.  If you buy this phone for
> $299, you are on borrowed time.
>
> * The phone works on GSM, not CDMA, so check with your carrier with a list
> of this phone's specs in hand before you go shelling out the bucks.
>
> * This phone runs on a custom Linux OS,, and when they mean text and talk
> only, that's what it is.  This phone uses no data.
>
> It runs on an ARM9 processor, and has an internal memory capacity of 8GB,
> with expandable memory up to 64 GB.
>
> This phone, however, is not the only game in town when it comes to
> accessible phones with physical buttons, and some of you may be able to add
> to information on other similar phones.
>
> Take a look at the Kyocera DuraXE, a flip phone with physical buttons.  It
> runs on GSM 4G LTE.
>
> PROS: 4G LTE and dual-band Wi-Fi support. Good call quality, earpiece
> volume, and speaker volume. Rugged build. Long battery life. CONS No
> built-in app store. Noise cancellation could be better. BOTTOM LINE The
> Kyocera DuraXE is an ultra-rugged waterproof and dustproof feature phone
> that runs Android, but you definitely won't confuse it with a smartphone.
>
> The OS is a custom Android, and apps cannot be downloaded maybeside loaded,
> although the phone is equipped for e-mail and internet use.
>
> My husband has this phone, and it is a solid, water-resistent phone with a
> leather texture exterior and external battery.
>
> From what I could find on Amazon, the phone generally runs cheaper than the
> Lucia mobile phone, and offers more features.  It is also possible that ones
> can be found on Ebay for less, new and unlocked, and with 4G LTE support, it
> will be supported for quite a while.
>
> The next phone is an Android smart flip, the Galaxy Folder 2 from Samsung,
> which I have as a backup phone and love it.  It runs on Ebay new and
> unlocked today at $234.00.  This is a fully functional Android phone, and I
> have my one hundred plus apps all nicely organized on it.  The drawbacks to
> it is that I needed sighted assistance to install Talkback on it for me, but
> only took five minutes.  I proceeded to turn on the Direct Access option
> within the accessibility settings, and check the box for Talkback so I can
> wake it up at any time from anywhere.  The camera is not the flagship
> example, but I installed the Open Camera one can voice activate.  It runs on
> Android 6.1, and although not the latest in Android versions, is still
> supported.  It has a 16 GB internal memory and holds my 128 GB SD card very
> nicely.  It also has several programmable features and buttons you can
> dedicate to your programs of choice, plus a console that comes up by
> long-pressing the asterisk key with 9 spaces for your favorite apps.
>
> It does not have a physical headphone jack, but is a dream with bluethooth
> connectivity.
>
> These are the phones I know about, and if I come up with more, will forward
> the information to you.
>
> Thanks for sharing this.
>
>
>
> Judy
> "Embrace the day with its mercies and blessings."
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BlindTlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of gwunder---
> via BlindTlk
> Sent: Saturday, June 1, 2019 8:13 PM
> To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
> Cc: gwunder at earthlink.net
> Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] Cell phone
>
> Okay, as long as you don't give up reading the Monitor, I'll share this on
> list:
>
> New Accessible Basic Cell Phone Available:
> 		A new basic mobile phone is now being offered by a company
> called RAZ Mobility.  RAZ Mobility claims that the phone, called Lucia,
> allows people who are blind to use a basic mobile phone just as effectively
> as people who are sighted.
> 	Lucia achieves accessibility in two ways: first, it has a tactile
> keypad with big buttons in different colors and shapes.  Second, Lucia has a
> voice guide that informs the user of what is on the screen and what buttons
> have been pressed.  RAZ Mobility claims that the combination of these two
> features allows people with vision loss to "access every feature of the
> phone with unparalleled ease."  The user does not need to learn how to use
> gestures to navigate a touchscreen.
> 	Importantly, this phone focuses on the basics: talk and text.  So if
> you are looking for internet access and other advanced features this phone
> is not for you.  But if you want a phone with basic features, such as one
> that has speaking caller ID, speaks your contacts, allows you to enter
> contacts, speaks your text messages, announces your battery strength and
> signal strength, reads your text messages, and more, Lucia sounds like a
> great option.
> 	The Lucia cell phone for people who are blind costs $299 and is
> available on RAZ Mobility's website.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BlindTlk <blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Robert Feinstein
> via BlindTlk
> Sent: Saturday, June 1, 2019 4:17 AM
> To: Gary Wunder via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Robert Feinstein <harlynn at panix.com>
> Subject: [BlindTlk] Cell phone
>
> Gary, I am, believe it or not, a dos user.  I have a simple flip phone from
> Sprint.  It probably won't work all that much longer.  I'd like to get a
> phone with buttons that I can text on, but I'm not interested in an iphone.
> Can you tell me about what you have, and its ease of operation?
> I am not good with technology.
>
> Thank you so much.
>
> Bob in NY
>
>
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