2018-07-03 06:09:18

Hi.
Really interesting topic.
A friend of mine bought a Pixel two years ago. Google have already announced that the phone has been discontinued, and he will not get more updates. I assumed Google would send out updates to their phones for longer than two years. Especially when he payed the same price like an iPhone. However, I don't know how important those updates are. But I would prefer myself to have the latest version of Android.

Best regards SLJ.
Feel free to contact me privately if you have something in mind. If you do so, then please send me a mail instead of using the private message on the forum, since I don't check those very often.
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2018-07-03 06:21:07

Hi,
having been using android off and on for a while now, I dont think I would consider moving to Android away from IOS unless apple does something wierd such as get rid of voiceover or something.. wink
Not as my primary device,anyway.
Not trying to start a android vs apple debate here, just putting in my thoughts

Thank you at those who answered my question although the A3 is meh,and a6 is a bit too expensive. I guess I will just get a redmi note 5 pro when and if finances allow.

@SLJ, that is one thing with android thats a major pain, that is when you get a device no matter how new or old well not old anyway, you can never be sure for how long you will continue to get updates and if they come, how long they are going to take to arive to your phone. and no, I am not talking about operator specific OS updates but updates direct from the manufacturer to your device.
Grryf

Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.
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2018-07-03 13:05:26

Hi.
Galaxy S7 still a good option.
that's what I'm going to buy.
cheers.

2018-07-03 16:35:10

@Gryf and SLJ. 99% of Android phones released nowadays are supported for up to two major OS updates. Said updates are also, unfortunately, usually dependent on your network operator unless you buy unlocked or find a workaround. The problem with manufacturer updates, even, is that they need to smooth things out with the network operators to make sure the OS will work on their network with their settings configurations, which is why it can take longer. But with project trebble, all phones released in the last year or so and later should be geting much more timely updates.

@Hadi and Arcmeister. Voice assistant performs great, and you can indeed have both screenreaders installed. If interested, I can do a demo and compare the two, at least briefly. And keep in mind that getting a galaxy s9 isn't just about an awesome screen and camera which also helps with OCR and other photo / text recognition, but you're also getting a very ruggidly built phone which can handle most kinds of dropping or even splashing, with a great processor and snappy response. So the galaxy s8 / s9 isn't only worth geting for the pretty screen and camera.

Discord: clemchowder633

2018-07-04 05:02:31

Hi smoothgunner

I used an LG Nexus 5X for two years and now I'm using a HTC U11 Life. Both are mid-range phones and therefore not as expensive as a Samsung Galaxy S8 or other flagship phones. I think it's not about the brand of the phone but about the implementation of Android that it runs. You see, most manufacturers like Samsung or Sony usually add their own layer of customization that makes the experience more full of features that in the end you may never use.

I personally prefer to go with phones that have "pure" Android. Phones with pure Android can be slightly cheaper than some flagship phones, run more smoothly than other phones on the same price range, receive security and system updates as soon as Google releases them, and come with TalkBack, Android screen-reading software, installed by default and you can turn it on from the moment you start setting up your phone.

The way to get the pure Android experience nowadays is through the Pixel line of phones, with the Pixel 3 scheduled to be released later this year, or through phones under the Android One program. Some of these phones include: HTC U11 Life (which I currently have and runs smoothly), Motorola Moto X4, Xiaomi Mi A1, Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, and Nokia 6. From experience, I'm very happy with the way TalkBack runs on my HTC U11, it's very responsive with no lag whatsoever.

2018-07-04 07:23:53

Hi.
Regarding Android updates: Even the Pixel phones from Google will only get updates for two years. If I wana buy an Android phone in the future, I think I'll get the Pixel.

Best regards SLJ.
Feel free to contact me privately if you have something in mind. If you do so, then please send me a mail instead of using the private message on the forum, since I don't check those very often.
Facebook: https://facebook.com/sorenjensen1988
Twitter: https://twitter.com/soerenjensen

2018-07-05 17:54:05 (edited by pulseman45 2018-07-05 17:55:59)

@Ronand: I agree Android One was a pretty good idea from Google, and I can only hope it will have a fair bit of success, though certain manufacturer skins deserv at least some respect for bringing things that have been implemented in stock Android since then, or simply for offering something different, with Samsung's Voice Assistant being a good example.
In fact, I even considered selling my OnePlus 5T as I felt I didn't need that much power after all, and I read somewhere one could sell it for more than it's starting price. But I doubt it's true and so I'll probably keep it. If I had to change I would probably go for the Xiaomi Mi A2 when it's released. I also like HMD/Nokia but unlike Xiaomi, there's nothing you can do when one of their phone is no longer updated as installing a custom rom is impossible on their devices.

2018-07-06 00:53:54

I do not know how to install roms on a xiaomy device, but I read somewhere you can install just fine a rom on nokia devices.

I am myself and noone is ever gonna change me, I am the trolling master!

2018-07-06 13:02:01

Good to know about the ROMS, honestly this is the one major sticking point for me, and I believe that Android will never be even half as good as Apple on this issue.
Even if it's kind of inevitable because of the large amount of variation between manufacturers, it's still a giant pain in the ass and I don't feel like being forced to sell my soul to a phone contract just to get a new phone when my 2 years are up.

2018-07-06 14:44:32

@32: Strange, I thought it was still not possible to unlock the bootloader on a Nokia device, if anything it's probably possible with one that runs Android Nougât because an unofficial way to do it was discovered at the time, but I'd be surprised if it still applies to Oreo.

2018-07-06 15:04:40

Not sure if it works on oreo, that is true, but I think I can for example rol back, unlock the boot loader and install oreo from there.

I am myself and noone is ever gonna change me, I am the trolling master!

2018-07-06 18:05:58

once again, thankyout o all for the suggestions. someone tell me, what is so good about installing roms on your phone???? seems like you all really push the limits with these phones, I suppose that is a good thing tho

can i get a peace double harmony burger? no chaos

2018-07-06 22:39:38 (edited by pulseman45 2018-07-06 22:41:06)

To be honest even if I like to talk about it I never installed a custom rom for the moment, and I'm not even totally sure if one would need sighted help or not, as it may as well depend on the phone you have. It's not exactly easy and even dangerous as your phone may pretty much stop working if you do something wrong, then you have to find a Google Apps package with Talkback and you might even have to modify something so the accessibility shortcut would be available on setup.
So, it's hard and quite discouraging when said like that, but it may also allow one's phone to be updated longer/more regularly than how the manufacturer wants it to, and as such is quite interesting to consider. Plus there might be given features you may like in a particular rom, but that I don't know much about unfortunately.

2018-07-08 03:55:09

I'm so happy to see this thread.

I too am going to switch over to Android from Apple. For me, this is a done deal, no matter what, regardless of what most of my friends and family are saying to try and change my mind.

I admit to being something of an outright hater of Apple. Let's just say that my experience with an IPhone, the first smart phone I ever bought, which I got two years ago and am almost finished paying it off, was so bad that I am swearing off all Apple products. It was a nightmare like experience for me.

I too am trying to decide what kind of android phone I want to get when the time comes to buy a new phone.

I admit to wanting a Samsung phone so bad, mostly because I was a huge Samsung fanboy back between 2005-2008, back during the age of flip phones and when I could actually see for the most part.

If I ended up going with a Samsung phone, I'll probably want to get a Galaxy 7 simply because it still has a physical button for the home. I mean, I understand that they're smart phones but seriously! Stop taking all of our physical buttons away from us!

Though I've heard some interesting things about Galaxy 8. Not so sure about Galaxy 9 though.

I've also heard some good things about Pixel and Nokia, so I might look into them as well.

Honestly, I just want a decent phone that is accessible and will work right. I want to be able to listen to music and watch movies and view documents without having to deal with a terrible forced program like ITunes. I want to be able to check my messages and email with no hassil. I want to actually be able to make calls and receive/check voice messages without any problems.

I blog a lot, mostly with Tumblr and Wordpress and I've been curious to know how accessible, if at all, are either or both apps with an android screen reader.

I also do a good bit of Youtubing and would like to have a decent camera to take videos with......

2018-07-08 10:39:53 (edited by pulseman45 2018-07-08 10:42:28)

I'm not too fond of Samsung myself because I prefer less heavier takes on Android with more frequent major updates, but if accessibility is what matter the most to you Samsung is a good way to go. I never tried blogging on Android so I can't talk about it unfortunately.

2018-07-08 20:42:49

and, an added benifit for samsung s phones is that they have good stereo microphones installed, so field recording with them is good.

Power is not the responsibility of freedom, but it is actually the responsibility of being responsible, it's self, because someone who is irresponsible is enslaved by their own weaknesses.

2018-07-08 22:49:45

Yes, I can confirm that for sure, I used mine alot for recording for youtube.

I am myself and noone is ever gonna change me, I am the trolling master!

2018-07-09 14:34:30

Yeah, I can't seem to find a single blind or visually impaired person who blogs with an Android to tell if either or both are accessible enough.

I mean, I tend to use my computer more often then not anyway, but it would be nice to post with a phone when I'm out and about and away from said computer.

I tried doing so with the garbage that is the current phone I have but I hate the controls you are supposed to use to do so.

Good to know that the camera/Youtube filming function is good enough.

Is the photos/video app/section on Android, specifically with Samsung easy to navigate and use? Because I find the one Apple has to be overly complicated and unhelpful in the extreme.

2018-07-09 14:52:20

On my s7 edge it was, but I can not seem to understand the one on the Nokia.

I am myself and noone is ever gonna change me, I am the trolling master!

2018-07-09 17:49:28

Maybe if a sighted friend would let you borrow their phone for a day or some old tablet they don't care much about you could try it out.

2018-07-10 06:45:15

Heh, I wish I had a friend that was nearby that had an android. All of my friends locally seem to all be into Apple and super hardcore about it. One of my best friends is even upset because I'm planning on switching to an Android once this phone is finally paid off.

2018-07-10 09:01:42

Hi all! For me, Samsung J5 2017 is a great phone; works great using talkback. I was searching for a good braille virtual keyboard like the Soft Braille Keyboard that, unfortunately, isn't in the playstore any more. For now I use the Swift Braille keyboard and its a very nice keyboard.

Claudio

2018-07-10 10:48:50 (edited by pulseman45 2018-07-10 11:05:13)

@46: Each time I switched phone I also switched brand, and I guess I will continue to do so for the time to come. Too much brand and ecosystem loyalty can be really dangerous for the future. Look, it's not that I really dislike IOS, but I'd hardly justify buying a new IPhone considering what I'd get for the price, and I'm pretty sure the loyalty to Apple's brand and ecosystem are the main cause of the current situation. I have to admit in the case of Apple there's another thing to consider that doesn't make one want to switch, it's the fact you can't transfer your apps from IOS to Android. When you bought them and have to buy them again it is certainly frustrating, and that's assuming they are available in the first place which may of course not be the case.
Then there is Samsung and that is a bit different, at least when it comes to their flagships. Look at the S9 for examplle, it's not exactly the cheapest but it has Micro-SD slot, stereo speakers, headphone jack, water resistance, and is bundled with AKG headphones that are said to be quite good. For any other flagship from 2018 you can be sure one or several of those things aren't there.
But then comes the midrange segment, and suddenly what I said about Apple starts applying to Samsung, with A6 and A8 being good examples in my opinion.
I take Apple and Samsung as examples, but it's true many brands are like that. I have a OnePlus phone, the brand get's more popular as time goes on and for each new generation of phones the price goes up, slowly but surely, for improvements that are incremental at best.
Of course feel free to do as you want, but so far I didn't have any reason to stick to a particular brand.

2018-07-10 22:28:24

Yeah it's true, the same thing is happening to the Moto G series, small improvements with downgrades to balance them out, but I guess that's just how the budget market works, you don't have allot of room to work with when your trying to emulate the flagships, so you have to make sacrifices.
And most of the time those improvements are with the screen resolution, or camera resolution, which is perfectly reasonable, but mostly useless for blind users.

2018-07-11 03:04:45

This is all great and all, though there's one thing I really, really, really really must know....
How the rofl are you managing to type with massive lag? I have a samsung j7 2016 version, which works, it's decently responsive, though when it comes to typing, I get about half second to a second of lag to find out what a key is.
I've tried soft braille keyboard, though that has a nasty tendency to drift it's keys around as I type and I've tried all the ways to orient the keyboard.
The modern fleksy is so overbloated that it makes my poor samsung phone cry. I remember it didn't used to be that way, and I actually used to use fleksy as my main keyboard years ago when I got my first android.
Could really use your thoughts on this subject as I'm really wanting to also move away from apple...