[nagdu] Samsung Haven & Gusto

Fri Sep 10 15:55:31 UTC 2010

Marion and all,

I'm a proud owner of the Samsung Haven.

I was able to activate and configure the phone completely independently, 
something that I've never been able to do with the older LG phones.

All of the menus and functions speak with this phone with the exception of 
the stop watch and the My Verizon menu, but that may just be out of date 
info as I haven't tried it yet.  This phone allows for reviewing of text 
messages while sending and receiving.  It also allows you to edit contacts, 
assign ring tones, etc., all with voice output.  You also have access to all 
of the recent, missed, dialed and answered calls.

All of the settings with the exception of the two mentioned above, are 100% 
accessible with speech output.

The price of the phone will depend on your contract with VZW.  I have been 
eligible for an upgrade for two years, but was sticking with the LG phone I 
had because i didn't want to pay hundreds of dollars for phones with limited 
access that weren't all that stable.  I upgraded on line and paid only 
$39.99 for the phone with IL state sales taxes tacked on.  This was for a 
two year contract with the option to upgrade my phone after the two years 
was up.  This phone does not require a data plan, but you do have the option 
to purchase various text messaging plans, I chose the one with 250 messages 
a month for $5.

I ordered my phone on Sunday before Labor Day and it was here Wednesday 
morning; VZW also gives free over night shipping with on line purchases. 
<grin>

I'm not sure what size of phone you're looking for.  I was using an LG 8300, 
so I can compare the Haven to it.  Both are flip phones.  The Haven is a bit 
taller than the 8300, but it's slightly thinner.  It also doesn't have the 
stumpy antenna  on top.  There's a USB port and a headphone jack on the side 
of the phone as well as a volume slider.

The keys are slightly larger than the LG phone's, but they're not as 
tactile, so the larger size helps some.  The soft keys and the other keys 
used to navagate and make menu choices seem smaller to me than the 8300, but 
there are marks on the up, down, left, and right arrow keys, so you can use 
those to orientate yourself.

There are a few valuable resources to help people decide what phone is for 
them.

The first is a list for blind users of Verizon Wireless phones.  The Haven 
has been a hot topic lately.  They've discussed the Gusto, but we're getting 
conflicting information because finding an informed Verizon sales rep isn't 
always possible.  So far, I've heard that the Gusto has blue tooth 
capability that the Haven does not, but other than that, I couldn't say.

You can subscribe by sending an Email to 
blindusersVerizonPhones-subscribe at yahoogroups.com.

There have been a few members who made an extensive podcast giving step by 
step directions for activating and using the phone.  I don't have the link 
handy, but you should be able to find it once you subscribe.  I'm not being 
cagey, I'm just not comfortable passing out a link because I'm not sure if 
it's been uploaded to another server.  There was such a demand for it on the 
phone list that they had to move it from Dropbox to Sendspace.

Sorry for the novel.  <grin>  I've only had this phone up and running for 
about 3 hours but I'm already in love with it.  And to think sighted people 
have had access to these features for years and years.  Now I see what we've 
been missing.

Lisa

Come on, be honest... you don't really LOL when you text it now do you?

Lisa Belville
missktlab1217 at verizon.net

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marion Gwizdala" <blind411 at verizon.net>
To: <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>; "NAGDU List" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>; "FLAGDU List" 
<FLAGDU at NFBNET.ORG>
Cc: "Marion Gwizdala" <marion.gwizdala at verizon.net>
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2010 10:02 AM
Subject: [nagdu] Samsung Haven & Gusto

> Dear All,
>    I apologize in advance if this message is off-topic for a couple of the 
> lists, but it is blindness-related, so it is of general interest to all on 
> these lists. I read an article in the Matilda Ziegler Magazine about the 
> Samsung Haven. According to the author, this phone, available through 
> Verizon Wireless is completely accessible. I have contacted Verizon and 
> was told that they have another Samsung  phone - the Gusto - that comes 
> loaded off the shelf with Nuance speech. Does anyone know if this phone is 
> as accessible as the Haven? Merry and I want to purchase one and would 
> like to know if this is an option. Does the Nuance speech make it 
> accessible or are does it depend upon the phone itself?
>    Apparently, the only differences between the two phones is their size. 
> the Haven is slightly larger and, as the result, has larger keys. I was 
> told that the Gusto is about the size of the phone I am currently using. 
> Furthermore, the Haven costs $40 and although the Gusto costs $50, it has 
> a $50 mail-in rebate making it virtually free. any product review would be 
> greatly appreciated!
>
> fraternally yours,
> Marion
>
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