Why Purchasing an Android Device Is Not Easy for a Totally Visually Impaired Person

Many people look for Android devices as they are more cost-effective than iOS. However, they are not easy for blind people due to the varied experience in Android. Unlike iOS, the Android user experience varies a lot.

Even in the same brand, the device which I am using and the device you are using will not give the same level of accessibility experience. This is due to:

  • Combination of UIs, Manufacturer Agreements, and Google's way of dealing with software changes.

Different brands use different UIs, and sometimes even in the same brand, the UI changes. Also, Google is very slow to react to accessibility problems and very abrupt with software changes which might break accessibility. Due to this, the accessibility experience varies greatly. Along with this, manufacturer agreements and decisions also affect how accessibility features are provided and updated.

The most recent thing I can remember is that my friend bought a Samsung phone and got the Samsung TalkBack, which is different from Google TalkBack. In it, the latest features are not rolled out, while other people using Google TalkBack already have those features. Others is that happened to me 7 years back — Google broke the accessibility of YouTube’s “send comment” button and took many months to fix it.

So that is why, when purchasing an Android device, please research about its accessibility. If cost is not a factor, stick with the Google Pixel series of devices.    

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