Hi Ajay and Aakash, Thank you both. Your comments have given me some useful things to think about, particularly around how the day-to-day TalkBack experience might hold up over time and how much the software itself can influence the overall experience of a phone.
I’m glad I asked the group about this, because hearing from people who actually use these devices has been much more useful to me than simply looking at specifications and reviews. I really appreciate your input. If I have any questions in the future, I’ll get in touch with you personally. Warm regards, Meesha On Sat, 3 Oct 2026 at 6:54 AM, AAKASH SINGLA < [email protected]> wrote: > Hi Meesha, > > I would like to share some recommendations regarding Android smartphones > for blind and visually impaired users who rely on TalkBack. > > Based on my experience, I do not recommend phones running ColorOS-based > software, especially devices from Oppo, Realme, and OnePlus. Recent > versions, particularly those based on Android 16, have introduced > accessibility challenges. Some previously available accessibility features > and sliders have become difficult to use, and the notification panel can be > less accessible, often requiring additional time to locate and activate > buttons using TalkBack. > > For users who prioritize accessibility, I strongly recommend Google Pixel > devices. Pixel phones provide an excellent stock Android experience and > generally offer very good accessibility support for TalkBack users. > > If a Pixel device is not an option, I would also recommend: > > • Nothing Phones - They are close to stock Android and offer a clean user > experience. > > • Motorola Phones - Motorola devices also provide a relatively stock > Android experience with good accessibility. > > • In general, I recommend purchasing phones that use a less customized > version of Android, as they tend to work more smoothly with accessibility > features. > > I can also recommend Samsung premium devices, which generally offer good > accessibility support. However, I would be cautious about Samsung's > lower-budget phones, as some models may provide slower performance due to > their processors, which can affect the overall user experience. > > If you would like more guidance or have specific questions, please feel > free to reply to this email or contact me at +91-7404347074. > > *Best Regards* > > *Aakash Singla* > > *Our Accessible World* > > *Contact: +91-7404347074* > > *Folo us:* > > *Youtube <https://youtube.com/@ouraccessibleworld> | Facebook > <https://www.facebook.com/share/177aUcSBGW/> | WhatsApp > <https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDZBbf0Qeah6I8uSH1R> | Telegram > <https://t.me/accessibleworld>* > > > > *From:* [email protected] <[email protected]> *On > Behalf Of *Ajay Minocha > *Sent:* Friday, October 2, 2026 8:58 PM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [AI] Talkback accessibility on OnePlusNord 6 versus Iqoo15R > > > > One plus is a very low risk move considering I've used color OS a bit and > did not find major accessibility issues. + we have a lot of users who can > guide about the specifics specially in the early days. > > One note: Initially Android will feel a bit overwhelming, You have to keep > at it for at least 2-3 weeks, you'll easily sail through. > > > > Cheers, > > Ajay > > > > On Tue, 29 Sept 2026 at 15:24, Meesha Arora <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi everyone, > > Thank you so much, Sameer, Nitin, Shankar, Sunil and Uma, for taking the > time to share your experiences and thoughts. I really appreciate it. > Hearing from people who actually use these phones with screen readers is > much more useful than simply looking at specifications and reviews. > > The feedback has given me quite a lot to think about. The experience > shared with the Nord -one plus phone was particularly reassuring — knowing > that it has been used for three months with very good battery life and > responsive TalkBack is exactly the kind of real-world feedback I was > looking for. The other positive experiences with OnePlus have also been > encouraging. > > I could especially relate to the comments about Samsung. When you’ve spent > a significant amount on a flagship phone and then find yourself struggling > with something as basic as navigating the device because TalkBack is > lagging or the focus isn’t behaving properly, it must be incredibly > frustrating. I think most of us who depend on accessibility have > experienced that feeling at some point. > > Uma, the feedback about iQOO was particularly useful for me as I was > seriously considering the iQOO 15R because of its processor, battery and > specifications. Hearing about the accessibility problems experienced with > OriginOS, especially after using it for almost two years, has definitely > made me rethink that option. At the same time, the positive experiences > with OnePlus have been reassuring. > > The concerns about OnePlus’s future and the move towards ColorOS are still > something I’m keeping in mind. > > I’m currently using an iPhone 13, and although Apple’s accessibility is > generally very good, it certainly isn’t perfect. My biggest frustration has > been the battery. It wasn’t particularly strong for my usage even when the > phone was newer, and with the battery getting older, even moderate use can > leave me needing to recharge after only a few hours. > > Accessibility also varies considerably from app to app. Google apps, > WhatsApp and Facebook generally work well for me; Amazon is mostly > accessible, while Flipkart and some banking apps can be quite inconsistent. > Sometimes it is difficult to tell whether the limitation is with the app > itself or how it interacts with the accessibility framework. > > File management is another area where I find iOS restrictive. Photos can > be transferred relatively easily, but moving things such as music, books > and other content isn’t as straightforward as simply connecting the phone > and copying files. I’m hoping Android will give me a little more > flexibility in that respect. > > This will also be my first move from iPhone to Android, so I’ve never used > TalkBack as my primary screen reader. That will probably be the biggest > learning curve for me, although I’m hoping that with some help from the > community I can get comfortable with it. > > Pixel is another option I’m considering because of Google’s strong > accessibility support. My understanding is that its Tensor processors > aren’t generally in the same performance class as the latest Snapdragon > chips, so I’m weighing that against the accessibility advantages. > > At this point, OnePlus is still my strongest contender, although I’m > keeping the ColorOS transition and the company’s future direction in mind. > The feedback here has certainly made me more cautious about iQOO, despite > its very attractive hardware. > > Thank you again, everyone. Your responses have genuinely given me a lot to > think about, and I really appreciate you taking the time to share your > experiences. > > Warm regards, > Meesha > > > > > > > > On Tue, 29 Sep 2026 at 1:48 PM, Uma Shankar Veeravalli <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Hi Meesha, > > I have been an iQOO user for almost two years and have struggled > significantly with its software accessibility. Even with their latest > OriginOS, the experience has not improved. The TalkBack integration is > half-baked and poorly executed. While it may be a great gaming phone for > sighted users, it presents numerous bugs for visually impaired users. > > For instance, the screen refreshes every time you turn TalkBack on or off. > If you are on an Amazon payment screen and need to turn off TalkBack so a > sighted friend can click an inaccessible UI element, the screen refreshes > and sends you back to the app's loading screen, forcing you to restart the > process. This behavior is also inconsistent, making it hard to predict what > will happen when toggling the screen reader. > > I previously used OnePlus for five years and always had a smooth > experience with screen readers. While the software has since shifted closer > to ColorOS, several visually impaired friends who currently use OnePlus > devices continue to report good feedback. Although there are rumors about > OnePlus leaving India—which they have strongly denied—I don't see it as a > major dealbreaker if you plan to use the phone for 3 to 4 years. > > Long story short: skip iQOO and stay sane. > > Cheers, > Uma Shankar > > > > On Tue, Sep 29, 2026 at 12:51 PM Sunil Sangtani. < > [email protected]> wrote: > > Hi, the reason I suggested not to go with OnePlus: > list of 2 items > 1. > Future versions will come with ColorOS, so they may or may not be as > accessible as they are today. They are giving up their simple and very > popular OS. > Also, based on media reports, OnePlus has already been discontinued in > many countries, and chances are they will do the same for India in the > future. This > may create problems as they merge operations with Oppo phones. > 2. > Second, about the iQOO phones: they come with OriginOS, and I am not sure > whether it is accessible or not. > list end > One more suggestion: even if you go with Pixel, you probably will not get > a good experience with Google TTS; you would need to change the TTS for a > better > experience. > > Managing Director| Chandra bazaar|India|. > E: [email protected] > workphone: +918233422212 <+91%2082334%2022212> > website: www.chandrabazaar.com > lets get social! > facebook.com/chandrabazaar > instagram.com/chandra_bazaar > We Create The Lifestyle You Desire! > > > > > > On Mon, Sep 28, 2026 at 2:18 PM Meesha Arora <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi everyone, > > I’d really appreciate your first-hand experience with either of these two > phones: > > • OnePlus Nord 6 > • iQOO 15R > > If you are actually using either phone with TalkBack, I’d especially love > to know how you find the *overall accessibility experience*—whether > TalkBack is smooth and responsive, navigation and gestures work reliably, > controls are properly labelled, and whether you face any significant issues > with apps, typing, notifications or general use. > > I’d also be grateful for your thoughts on the phones overall, particularly * > performance, battery life, speaker quality and responsiveness*. > > If possible, please mention which model and RAM variant you use, how long > you’ve been using it, and your current OxygenOS/OriginOS version. > > I’m mainly looking for genuine day-to-day experiences from people who are > actually using these phones, so even a few lines about what works well or > what doesn’t would be extremely helpful. > > Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I really appreciate it! > > Warm regards, > Meesha > > -- > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of > the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. 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AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "AccessIndia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CACpHEFLOyB5BENBHk%3Dm3NZK4EKwm0nvUEG3t_rgU6ZH9_BMMMQ%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CACpHEFLOyB5BENBHk%3Dm3NZK4EKwm0nvUEG3t_rgU6ZH9_BMMMQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of > the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "AccessIndia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CAJCzk0_MqKWkE0VUiKHWVc%2BderzJJLff0AJdocjGoZ5HppfTfg%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CAJCzk0_MqKWkE0VUiKHWVc%2BderzJJLff0AJdocjGoZ5HppfTfg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > > > > -- > > Ajay Minocha > Mobile: +91-9584076767 > Email: [email protected] > [email protected]. <[email protected]>in > > -- > Disclaimer: > 1. 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