Top 5 mobile phone brands for the blind in 2022
If you’re blind or have low vision, which is the best mobile phone for you? There are many different brands of phones out there and it can be challenging to find the one that will work best for your needs. This blog post will help guide you through what you need to know about top five mobile phone brands for the blind or people with visual impairments.
What should I consider when choosing a phone? What kind of screen should my phone have? What hardware should I look for? These are all important questions that could make or break your decision on which brand of cell phones is right for you. Let’s take a closer look at some popular brands below!
1. Apple’s iPhone – the best mobile phone brand for the blind
Apple has been an industry leader in smartphones with their top notch iPhones as well as amazing built-in privacy features in the recent times. Something that gets less attention and recognition about iPhones is their tremendously accessible system. VoiceOver, the built-in gesture based screen reader, works really well with the iOS. VoiceOver supports several gestures you can perform with one hand, which makes it easy to use your phone while walking or commuting. You even have the option of customizing what gesture does what for yourself. VoiceOver is only available on iPhones and cannot be used Android phones.
VoiceOver works so well because of the iOS’s focus on making its UI accessible. Apart from the screen reader, the camera quality of iPhones are unbeatable. Why would a visually impaired individual need a camera, you might ask. With growth in the use of AI in today’s world, there are plenty of tools that could scan the world around us through the camera and provide valuable insights to the blind user. For example, you could think of scanning a page from a book. If you have a good camera, the picture taken would be splendid, making it easier for an OCR software to convert the image to text form.
Performance wise, Apple products have a reputation to be best in class. iPhones can be easily be compared with flagship Android phones in terms of performance. Everything is smooth because of tremendous efforts made by Apple to optimize the iOS.
Another important factor for blind users is voice support. Android phones have Google Assistant, while Apple has Siri. These virtual assistants are best in class and provide great experience for the user with visual impairment.
While Apple’s iPhones do not have similar batteries to the Android phones, they do work decently. Most of the iPhone’s batteries, despite being relatively low ampere hour in comparison to most Android phones, could last a day or two once fully charged. Of course, this also depends upon your use. Also, iPhones receive support and updates for over 5 years!
Overall, Apple’s focus on making accessible UIs has definitely made it the best smartphone for a visually impaired individual. However, it is also quite expensive compared to its Android counterparts, but its worth the cost to be honest.
Top iPhones to purchase for the blind
| Phone | Release Year | Action |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 11, 64GB | 2019 | View on Amazon |
| iPhone 12 Mini, 64GB | 2020 | View on Amazon |
| iPhone 12, 64GB | 2020 | View on Amazon |
2. Google Pixel – the best Android phone brand for the visually impaired
Google Pixel is currently one of the best Android smartphones in the market. It has a build quality that matches iPhones and also comes with an AMOLED display, which is quite good for those who like larger screens on their phone (such as myself). I personally think its better to have larger screen for a visually impaired person as it is easier to navigate while also more readable for those with low vision issues.
The best feature about Google Pixel phones are its wide range of accessibility features integrated into its software. Pixel’s default UI is good enough to be accessed through a screen reader. Being an Android phone, it also has wider range of apps available from Google Play. The built-in screen reader Talkback is decent, but I would still prefer to purchase Commentary Screen Reader for its features.
The Google Pixel phone has the highest camera quality in Android phones, hands down. Therefore if you want to use your phone as a magnifier and need optical zoom or for OCR and scanning reasons, it’s ideal.
In terms of performance, the Google Pixel phone is one of the best. It’s fast, fluid and responsive. All Google Pixel phones run most of the apps without any freezes. Also, Google Pixel phones receive 18 months updates for Android, which is the most in any Android smart phones.
Similar to iPhones, Google Pixel’s battery lasts for about a day when fully charged.
While not quite costly as iPhones, Google Pixel phones cost above what I consider average smartphone price. However, it ranks at the top of the list of best Android mobile phone brands for the blind.
Top Pixel phones to purchase for the blind
| Phone | Release Year | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Google Pixel 4 XL | 2019 | View on Amazon |
| Google Pixel 5 | 2020 | View on Amazon |
| Google Pixel 5A – 5G | 2020 | View on Amazon |
3. OnePlus – accessibility with the OxygenOS
OnePlus’s OxygenOS is amongst the best derivatives of Android OS for the visually impaired users due to its focus on accessibility. The UI of the platform is readable for the screen readers for the most parts, while sometimes you might face slight difficulties. As it is an Android smartphone, you can use the default Talkback or Commentary as per your preference.
Being an independent smartphone brand, OnePlus has brought a variety of phones with varying features in the market. You might just be able to choose from different battery capacities, screen sizes, camera quality as well as performing capabilities based on your budget and requirements. Isn’t that nice?!?
Top OnePlus phones to purchase for the blind
| Phone | Release Year | Action |
|---|---|---|
| OnePlus 9 Pro Morning Mist | 2021 | View on Amazon |
| OnePlus 8T | 2020 | View on Amazon |
| OnePlus 7 Pro | 2019 | View on Amazon |
4. Xiaomi – accessibility with MIUI
MIUI (pronounced Me You I) is a modified version of Android developed by Xiaomi for its smartphones. MIUI’s accessibility can be compared with OxygenOS – readable UI making it easier for the screen reader.
Just like OnePlus phones, you can also find Xiaomi’s phones to fit your budget. Only reason it is slightly below OnePlus is because the Xiaomi phones seem to be less durable than their Chinese competitor. Durability could vary from individual to individual.
Top Xiaomi phones to purchase for the blind
| Phone | Release Year | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi Redmi 9 64GB, 4GB RAM | 2020 | View on Amazon |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite (128GB, 6GB) | 2021 | View on Amazon |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 4GB RAM + 128GB | 2020 | View on Amazon |
5. Infinix – the surprise inclusion
When I got an Infinix phone, I was not expecting much. New company and relatively less-known brand, I was just hoping the phone would be usable for me. But oh boy, this phone blew me away.
Infinix phones are much cheaper in comparison to the brands mentioned above, but they are packed with much more rigid hardware. Fluent usages without lags as well as unbeatable battery life even when I use screen reader, this certainly beats several top known brands in terms of accessibility.
I have used several phones but was never blown away as much as by an Infinix phone. This was probably due to low expectation based on the price I spent, but it still counts! This certainly deserves a spot in the top five mobile phone brands for the blind.
Top Infinix phones to purchase for the blind
| Phone | Release Year | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Infinix Note 10 Pro | 2021 | View on Amazon |
| Infinix HOT 9 | 2020 | View on Amazon |
Further mentions
If you are a tech and phone enthusiast like me, you must have noticed that this list excludes several notable brands, a couple of them being Samsung and Huawei. Samsung is a decent phone for the visually impaired, which deserves a honorable mention. However, I feel Infinix edges it out from the top five list based on my experiences.
Huawei, on the other hand, is not made for the visually impaired. They suck at making their systems accessible. If you are looking at mobile phone brands for the blind, you should avoid Huawei.
Conclusion
Making a purchase decision on choosing a mobile phone brand for the blind basically boils down to three major factors – accessibility, usability and performance. The brands mentioned above are ranked based on these features and I hope this has helped you in making a purchase decision.
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