[Electronics-talk] Best Cell Phone

[Sarah Clark]

To the person who was asking about the best cell phone for a blind person. 
I do believe it is the iPhone. Apple has gone far beyond any other mainstream company in ensuring accessibility of their products, and based on comments I have heard from Tim Cook etc, it doesn't sound like that is going to change anytime soon. They seem to see that as their purpose. iOS 8 did have some bugs, both voiceover related and overall, but that is going to happen any time you put out such a major upgrade. It would happen with any company. They just had to release it and then see what the issues were from user feedback, and address them as they come in. I just upgraded to the new iPhone 6 less than a week ago, and I am not really seeing much of anything as far as bugs are concerned, so I think 8.1.1 has been a good upgrade.

I understand the iPhone can be frustrating to learn, but just stick with it. You will be glad you did. I know someone who got one a couple of years ago after recommendation from my husband and me, and when she first got it she hated it. She was so frustrated I think she wanted to throw it. lol. And I know she was wondering about us "what did you get me into?" But she purchased Apple's 1 to 1 training and started working with someone at her local Apple store (someone who knew voiceover -- that helps), and she got quite good at it. And now you couldn't pry her iPhone away from her.

The 1 to 1 training from Apple costs $99 for a year, and normally you have to buy it from Apple at the same time that you buy your phone, so of course you would have to buy the phone from an Apple store. If you purchased the iPhone just recently, you might still be able to return it from where you got it, and go repurchase it from an Apple store and buy the 1 to 1 training at the same time. (They may try to tell you that the 1 to 1 is only available with the purchase of a mac, that is what I've been told once before, but that is not the case, or at least it doesn't have to be, because our friend I mentioned above got it for her iPhone and she does not have a mac.) Just tell them you are a new user and use Voiceover so you need the training to help you learn how to use it.

Or if you are beyond the point of being able to return the phone, maybe you know someone who uses it with voiceover and can help you in person? Short of that, there are iPhone/Voiceover tutorials that I hear are really helpful. Check out the Apple Vis website for lots of info about learning the iPhone.

I hope this helps.
Sarah