Category: accessible Devices
Hi,
I'm looking to get a new cell phone, preferably an accessible one.
I'm due for an upgrade and looking for recommendations.
I've heard about the Motorola q9c as well as the Voyager.
I want to be able to text, but don't necessarily care if I can surf the Net.
Can anyone give me any recommendations?
Thanks.
Hey, I havVerizon and I have the LG Voyager. I know that the phone I have isn't available in all stores but you can get it from the warehouse. You can call 1-800 922 0204 and follow the prompts. I know that the LG env2 and the LG env3 are accessible. I'm not sure about the env touch though. I'm not sure if that phone is able to work without being able to se the touch screen or not, but you could check it out I guess. I know the Env Touch is the replacement to the voyager, so that's why stores no longer carry it.
The Samsung Gleam and a few other Samsung phones are accessible in a smiliar way as the LG Ones mentioned above. Also if you want to go the route of an unlocked phone it may be worth investigating if the nokia e75 will work on the verizon network as its a GSM.WCDMA world phone.That way you can use talks/mobile speak and have more of the phone be accessible, accessible gps if thats something you are interested in, and have a seperate number pad and QWERTY keyboard. Of course thisoption will be considerable expensive as the lowest price i have found the e75 for is around $300, but you shouldn't have to renew your contract and can just go month to month with verizon.
It depends on which accessibility you want.
Off the shelf are the lg's mentioned. Also there are some Samsung's. I think it is still on the front page, but under accessible electronics, I posted about the Samsung phones.
If you want to go the mobile speak route. Some offerings are samsung saga, smt 5800, xv 6800 and the xv6850 touch pro. There is a a few more on the code factory website.
The moto q9c is also available. Verizon is doing that deal with talks, or you can pay more and install mobile speak on it.
Good luck!
thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. I really appreciate them.
So there are some you can get off the shelf then? Because I'm considering changing to verizon, but I don't want to pay a lot of money to put anything on the phone, so do you know of something that they might have in store? Also what is the deal with talks that they're doing?
You can buy a phone from Verizon that talks right out of the box, but you may want to go check out what they have before making a decision. Those phones do have speech, so you can read your contact list and send text messages. But the speech in those phones isn't as advanced as what you'll get with Talks or Mobile Speak.
Here's a link that should tell you everything about Verizon Wireless and TALKS:
http://wirelesssupport.verizon.com/faqs/Features+and+Optional+Services/talks.html?t=5
i use the q myself, it's a great phone with mobileSpeak installed on it. texting is pretty easy once you learn the keyboard, and if you do want net ability it's handy for that too bia it's own web browser or even using it as a modem for a braillenote if you set up the settings right
the samsung and LG phones with out of the box accessibility are great if all you care about is being able to access your contacts list and send and recieve text messages. I don't believe you can browse the web or use gps or any ot that stuff with them. Also if you plan to connect it to a vraille note or laptop to use as a modem i am not sure how these will work for that purposes. The Windows mobile phone will give you alot more accessibility with these things. Also one thing to remember atleast with the LG phones i have seen you can only have it read the whole message to you at a time .. you can't go word by word line by line through the message like you can with talks/mobile speak. This has alot to do with why i ended up switching from verizon, I am not a fan of windows mobile and there isn't much accessible nokia phones in the CDMA world. But verizon does have the best nationwide network for voice and data though, and yes i have noticed a few more dropped calls on ATT than i had on verizon but nothing too herendous. But i may have just found a fix for that. and the like.
cumbiambera2005, if you are coming from a phone with talks or mobile speak, you may find it hard to go backwards. For lack of a better word.
Since the lg vx4500 back in 2004, the off the shelf accessibility is all I have known. For me, it has been great! Not to mention, very cheep in comparison.
With that said, the verizon and talks deal is pretty cool. I have heard very mixed thoughts on the moto q9c. Some people say it is very out dated and not worth it. I think the latest price I saw, was $249 with 2-year contract. This will be the phone with talks installed.
I have the lg env2, and it has been brilliant. I have really thought of switching carriers and going the full accessibility route, but I just can't bring myself to do it! *lol*
I have the LG EnV3, and it will also read you some things in the music section of the phone. Yes, it can also read text messages and the contact list. The music section of the phone is very easy to navigate.
Well, I have the MotoQ9c. It was recommended to me by my best friend who's had it for a couple years and never had a problem. Personally, I find that mine has a few small annoying issues but is good for the most part. It's definitely got a lot of features. However, I don't have a speech program on it because I can't afford one right now, so I've never really been able to fully explore or appreciate all my phone has to offer. sad smile
One feature about the motorola Q9C that would bug me is that you can't use talks or mobile speak while on a call. Knowing how i use my current phone that would bug me personally .
monkeypusher69, I agree with you. If I'm going to go through the bother and expense of getting an accessible phone, I want to hear caller ID during a call, and send or receive a text during said call.
Inu-Princess2006, if you have the moto q9c, what network are you currently on?
Does anyone know if the following phones are accessible? I want to be able to text (hear my texts and also hear what I'm typing in reply). I'd also like to be able to add and manipulate contacts easily.
HTC Ozone
Blackberry Curve
NV Touch
I spoke with the Verizon rep this afternoon and he said taht the Motto q9c is no longer made.
Thanks in advance for all your help.
right out of the box blackberrry isn't going to work but they are supposed to be coming out with a software for that. I no that right out of the bix for what you are looking for the nv3 is going to do all that you were wanting
the ozone apparently works with mobile speak as well.
Polka Dots and Moonbeams, I have Verizon. And wow, I didn't know that about the MotoQ. That would bug me too. Hmmm... guess I'll get a new phone when I get a speech program.
Becky
Becky, as far as I understand it, if you currently have the moto q9c, you can get talks for $99. That is the vzw deal.
For the person wanting to hear as they reply to a text, keep in mind, you can hear as you type each letter, but you can't review your entire reply. Also, as you backspace to delete something, that needs to be done by memory. It won't speak each letter as you delete it.
This is my experience on the env2, maybe things have changed on the env3.
I don't know if the NV Touch is accessible or not.
Polka Dots and Moonbeams you are right i have the Env3 and it does say the letters as you are typing the reply but you can not hear what you typed in the whole reply. and also yes you still have to erase by memory it does not speak that either yet.
No the Env touch is not accessible. Not fully. You are better off to get the Env 3. It has some accessibility. I mean, there are things that the Env touch can do, but the touch screen is really sensitive.
hi,
I myself have verizon too and just recently renewed my contract. I got the HTC Ozone phone and I already have a Mobile speak smartphone license to use it with (previously, I had the moto Q9m).
However, to all of you here reading, please be ware that if you get a blackberry or a windows mobile phone, Verizon will enforce a data plan on you that you can't cancel. According to them, "these phones always need to be connected to the internet". I just argued with VZW on this and they are relentless: I have to pay $29 each month for a data plan that I will probably hardly use. It's unlimited.
I guess this policy came in on 11/14/2009. Just read this post for more info on a forum.
http://cellphoneforums.net/verizon/t296358-mandatory-data-plan-verizon-fcc.html -
So if you don't want to pay the data plans, don't get a blackberry or a WM phone. I expect that most users will not need a data plan - though I myself am a code factory beta tester and so I guess this will be good for me in the longrun. You'd probably better be off with the ENV or another phone with basic speech, or flashing a nokia phone onto their network (As far as I know simbian phones aren't effected)
with best regards-
Tomi
I am looking into getting a phone, but would prefer to install Talks or Mobilespeak myself. I can get phones through qwest as they now own that cell company. I was on the handitech website and they offer both mobilespeak and talks and they have a 6 or 12 months payment plan for them, but they don't sell the phones, I think. At least that's how I understood it. They are based right in my state, so I'm going to call them on Monday and check everything.
From everything I read, most phones have to be a symbian 60 or 80 series, whatever that means and most seem to be Nokia phones listed on most of the Talks and Mobilespeak home sites and dealer sites. Maybe, I'll get lucky with verizon, though.
Chastity
Tomi, will you write more about your experience with mobile speak and the ozone?
Last i check alot of the accessible nokia phones were GSM which means they wont work on verizon. Tony, if you are a long tennored verizon customer as in you havee been there for about 10 years or so, you may be able to work the system to your advantage. if you are still within that window where you can c cancel your contract, tell them you will, They will then transfer you to a customer retainment specialist who is authorized to make decisions the usual sales and customer service reps aren't allowed to do. They will ask why you want to cancell, and tell them you want a phone that runs windows mobile (and explain why) and you don't want to pay a for a data plan... this may mean giving up the ozone though. I have heard of this working before, but i can't garantee it will. Otherwise since you are paying for it you could try browsing the web on your phone from time to time, verizon does have a fast data network so it shouldn't be too bad. And to the poster 24, i do believe verizon has a deal where you can get talks for windows mobile for $99 with certain phones, used to be just the motorola Q9C (which from all i heard about it, i wouldn't reccommend) but they may offer it with other phones. Otherwise there is the mobile speak deal for $89 with a couple of at&t phones. This is a less expensive option as talks and mobile speak are $300 just about with out those discounts.
The Motorolla-Q phone with speech is no longer being sold with speech. I checked. As for ATT; they offer 5 specific phones that you can get either with Mobile Speaks installed for you can install it yourself for the $89 deal. Two of the phones are Nokias, but I can't remember the others. I think one was a Nokia E-71-X, but don't quote me on that.
If you want to stay with Verizon; go to the code factory website and check out the list of phones there. The new HTC-Ozone isn't on the list, but it works with Verison as well as an I think it's an SGT-5800, but not sure on the letters for that one.
Note: people that have Ontel as a carrier will soon be part of the Verizon network as deal is due to be signed in beginning of October. If you have Qwest, you can also get Verizon phones, but the standard sale reps know nothing about speech accessibility.
Chastity
Hi Chastity,
Could you post the address of the code factory website you mentioned in your previous post, please?
Okay, the site address is below and these are the phones that specialize in the mobile speak speech program.
http://www.codefactory.es/en
The main headquarters for this company is located in Spain, but they should have a dealer list selection by country if you're looking to get mobile speaks. If you need the program for a phone and need a payment plan try:
http://www.handytech.us
This company offers payment plans for both Talks and Mobile Speak.
Chastity
Also just for a comparison, here's the main website for the Talks speech program and this one has dealers spaced throughout the world as well. I was told that this program is compatible with symbian 60 and 80 series phones and not windows mobile smart phones. Anyway, there's a huge list of phones on here too.
http://www.nuance.com/talks
This will bring you right to the Talks page, otherwise just use the
http://www.nuance.com
t go to the home page.
No, the five phones that ATT supports with speech are not Talks phones, but Mobile Speak smart phones and all except 1 have the qwerty keypads.
Again the handytech site has a payment plan for Talks too over 6 or 12 months, but don't buy the phone from them.
Good luck.
Chastity
Tomi,
I to would like to hear more about your experiences with MobileSpeak on the Ozone. I am currently using a SMT5800 and it is OK, but don't like the qwerty keyboard on it.
Also someone asked a while back about Blackberries. Currently they are not accessable, however Humanware and Codefactory are coming out with a screen reader for them soon. It is called Orator. It will not work on any of the existing Blackberries with the possible exception of the Tour but there should be some new Blackberries out soon that it will work on when it is released.
Scott
actually tactually to correct two things that were said above. The nokia phones that AT&T offeres with their mobile speak deal will also works with talks, its just that you can't get talks at a discount through AT&T. Talks does have a windows mobile version it just doesn't seem to be available to the general public yet, but Talks for windows mobile was what verizon was offering with the motorola Q9C.