2016-09-20 01:01:37

Just wait for the iPhone 8. Imma stick with my 6

Pics or it didn’t happen

2016-09-20 01:21:29

Hello,
I will make my final comment on this topic concluding what I think about accessibility, Apple and Android.
As far as my mind tells me, it drives me to believe that I am pro of the thought “your device should work for you, and not you, for it.” This is from an accessibility standpoint. The reason is because everyone who is not blind let’s his device do the work for him. An his work, is not on an inaccessible environment. For example, a sighted person with an Android device does not need to download another keyboard for more accessible typing, neither does he need to download another Mail client because the built-in one is not accessible. And what happens to a blind person with an Android device is staggering. He/she will need to replace almost half of the built-in apps to create an accessible environment. Sometimes, he/she will even need to pay for accessible and better software. For instance, only an inconsiderable number of Talkback users use the default Google TTS. Most of them buy text-to-speech voices from Code factory or Acapela to improve the performance with Talkback. Hopefully, the number of users who buy other accessible keyboards for daily use is not as great as the number of those who buy text-to-speech software. The question is, why should the user be forced to buy even the most elementary apps and services to gain access to his device? Perhaps because he’s being treated as a second-class citizen? Perhaps because he, belonging to another community, considered to be equal to all the other people of different communities or societies, should work and pay more to have the same access because he’s not part of other communities who are different from his? Or, possibly the company, who is a giant distributor worldwide, does not respect the laws concerning accessibility standards? Maybe, and we may go on with questions and assumptions, but keeping in mind that we should have the right to buy and use these technological products just as accessibly as all the other part of the world. It may be too harsh, and probably rather offencive to say that I’m not responsible for being blind. After all, it wasn’t myself who took away my sight. Accessibility is a standard and not a bonus. Well, at least in this small world of technology which is more artificial than the real world.
Now, talking a little about Apple, I’ll show my reasons why I will stay with iOS, despite the removal of the headphone jack. By the time you unbox your iPhone, you just press the homebutton three times consecutively and you have full access to your device. You do not need to install an extra screen reader, neither call a sighted friend to turn it on for you. Also, you do not have to install another homescreen, another keyboard, another music/video player app, another mail client, another phone manager, and another PDF viewer. You have the possibility to do it, but in most of the cases, you do not get the same quality as you do with the built-in apps. It’s true that you need to download other apps such as software for productivity, communication or messaging, but you need not necessarily download them. What is true is that you’re not downloading them as a replacement to the built-in apps as a result of inaccessibility. Voiceover will cover all the areas on your phone and you won’t need to occasionally look for sighted help as you may do on Android. It is easy and simple to navigate, plus you’re instructed in most of the cases what to do. Everything can be accomplished quickly, from answering a call to typing. And let’s pay a little attention for a minute to typing.  The Braille keyboard on Voiceover is one of the greatest features on this screen reader because you can type nearly  in the same speedas you do with a computer keyboard. You can even use it on the bus or school, as your fingers will be easily accommodated to the dots on the screen, and the only thing you need to do is to let your fingers do the typing while holding your phone in landscape position with the homebutton facing your right hand, and the top of the screen touching the palm of your left hand. There are hopefully a good number of languages supported both by voiceover and text-to-speech service, so you can use high-quality voices and full integration with your language. Internet, being one of the most used services nowadays, is fully supported by Voiceover, and you can browse with ease using roter and left-right swiping/flicking. Being a student at faculty, I have had the need to use many PDF books part of the curriculum of my subject, and believe me, it has been a great pleasure for the first time to read PDF books on my phone. iBooks didn’t crash like Adobe reader and it switched pages automatically without having to manually do that. From February up to now, I have never asked for sighted help, and this is the reason why I defend Apple, who, despite of using accessibility marketing for profitable purposes, (which I think is of little interest), I praise them for what they’ve done towards accessibility and I’ll continue to use their products as long as they offer me reasonable access.
Ironically enough to mention again,
Apple is not my God!
Cheers!

2016-09-20 12:21:57

Accessibility is a right. case closed.  since I'm currently mad and on the subject,
I ask you simply to keep watching that page.  You know what they gained by taking out the stupid headphone jack?  Nothing!  Nothing at all, other than a chunk of plastic!  You know what they lost?  Potential customers!  Shut up, Apple!

When life gives you oranges, demand lemons since everyone else is obviously getting them.

2016-09-20 15:18:31

Everyone knows Android is very fragmented and that accessibility varies widely from one brand of phone to another. It sounds to me like you've gone out and found a worst case scenario to put down Android and build up Appple. Why? Are you afraid your arguments for Apple won't stand on their own merits?

So you like Apple. That's great, I'm glad you found something that works for you.

But while Android may have a ways to go to catch up to Apple, it is catching up.

Something else everyone knows, just as they lost the PC market to IBM Compatibles and Windows, Apple also lost the mobile market to Android And if the trend continues, they'll lose the accessibility race too. It's just a matter of time.

2016-09-20 15:49:09 (edited by Nightmare 2016-09-20 15:50:05)

It's not a big deal now that headphone jack is gone. USB type-C could be potentially replacing the headphone jack of smartphones in the future, although it's not confirm yet. Whatever decision it is, Apple haters gonna continue to hate Apple, and vice versa for Android. No technology can claim to be a one-off solution that fits all. When Apple move to not include that 3.5MM jack, other companies, those who made the accessories starts making adapter to accommodate those. so it is possible to listen to music while charging, though I do not know if Apple does have such things included in the box.

Guys, seriously, have fun debating and it will go nowhere. It's the businessman's pockets that gets loaded, be it Apple, be it Google, or anyone.

2016-09-20 16:05:02

Ahoy all

Couldn't agree more with afrin

I don't think What afrin has been talking or writing about android is one of the worse scenarios, believe me, there are far far worse ones out there.

I read this somewhere and this is what I have always followed, I use the hardware, the hardware doesn't use me
so I don't really take a part on these apple vs android debates, but as things are right now, android doesn't even come close to the ease and the levels and the features that apple devices have.
You can take my Iphone away, and I wouldn't mind as long as you gave me a android in exchange that works just as fast as IOS and voiceover does,and has even 80% of the features that IOS does.

I wrote a post on this topic saying that according to me or what I feel is apple truly care about accessibility and its not just a marketing gimmick, to which a few people disagree, but all I gotta say to that is
If apple didn't really care about accessibility in their products, they could have done far less and still be the top in accessibility market and still used it as a marketing device, but contrary to that I see new features, and agreed slow but sure bug fixes.
When I say it cares I don't mean its apples care of accessibility in their products that dtrives 90% of their inovations and efforts and just a mere 10% that's done for marketing, but it does care more than the other companys out there, or that is what I have observed anyway.

Are you afraid your arguments for Apple won't stand on their own merits?

coming from a guy using IOS and not android, I'd say you ought to know whether afrin's arguements would stand up on their own or not.

But really I don't really see it as putting down android as much as a comparison between the top 2 Mobile OS's and how worse one is as compared to the other when it comes to accessibility

I agree android has come a long way when it comes to accessibility from the days of 4.0 and below to now, but it still has a Long long long way to go. far to long of a way for me to go with it just yet, I'm afraid.

With all that out of the way,
I wouldn't mind a review of the plus
as I'm thinking of upgrading from the 6 plus that I have to the 7 or a 7 plus, but its kinda unlikely at the moment considering I recently bought a laptop

grryf

Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.
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2016-09-20 16:38:29

Figment, I'm not offering my recommendation based on preference, but based on accessibility standards, which iOS maches better than Android, sadly. It's not something that works only for me, but for everyone who wishes to get aside personal preference from actual reality.

I've not imagined what I wrote in my previous post, but it's from my personal experience with Android, and also collecting some experiences of other Android users over time.

I bought a Samsung Galaxy S3 with Android 4.4.2 which would correspond with iOS 7. I bought it at the time when people were discussing about Android Lollipop, and gave it to my brother when Android 6.0 was being offered to some devices. I chose Samsung, because Samsung offers some nice features for people who use accessibility services. For example, you can answer and end calls using the home button, and power button respectively. It also has a nice homescreen which is similar to iPhone, and S voice, very similar to Siri on iOS. I used Google keyboard in replacement to the samsung's default keyboard and downloaded some other aps which I needed for my phone. I used Google translate, google docks, dropbox, Facebook, Messenger, youtube, what'ssapp and some more. It was a little difficult to quickly type a long message with the google keyboard because I would get embarrased very quickly. I loved the idea of a braille keyboard, but at that time on Android there were none. Browsing the web was a real frustration because the screen reader didn't support HTLM element navigation, so you would find the elements on the screen, either by exploring with your finger, or by swiping left and right, as you would do with the Tab key on Windows. I used to read docks files with Google docks and that was a nice experience using the Ivona voices, but reading PDF was not possible. So on February, I decided to switch to iOS, because I couldn't take advantage of all the features on my phone as I normally do with my Apple device.

Note: this isn't from a Fanboy's prospective.

2016-09-20 17:10:55

That last post does answer some of my questions. I know that android is fragmented enough for me to need to ask what model and OS version being used. Accessibility does matter to me a lot. The removal of the headphone jack on the IPhone seven is not really to my liking, but apple has roughly two years to prove me wrong on that regard. Now that Apple has done this, other companies may also see this as a chance to do the same on theirs. Has anyone use android 6.0? If so, how did it work for you. How has the Samsung Galaxy S6 stand out to the IPhone seven? It seems like the Samsung Galaxy S3 has been out for a while and am wondering what improvements was made between Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 when it comes to the blindness perspective. I am trying to figure out where things may be going in the next few years. As for my IPhone 6S, I am planning on keeping it for at least the next two years or so in hopes that it works well for me within that time period. Although, I wish I could hook in an SD card at times, and the fact that I really don’t like ITunes.

All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.
DropBox Referral

2016-09-20 21:22:47

The latest galaxy s phone is actually the s7.
@Afrim, it sounds like you're basing your experience with android 4 and assuming that the system is still the same now with version 6. I can tell yu, based on the friends I have who are blind who use android, it's a huge step up from 4... and everything you mentioned isn't necessary anymore... so I find your second to last post listin out the worst case scenario a little ironic as you're comparing an outdated version of the OS. But I digress. I'm not trying to offend anyone here. Just observing based on my short time with the galaxy s6,, which I actually quite enjoyed. The only problem I had was the same as I would with geting used to a different way of doing things... but the OS itself was very smooth and responsive.

Discord: clemchowder633

2016-09-21 02:35:25

Let's wait for Google Pixel coming on October 4th. Android 7 out of the box.