r/Blind • u/ChipsAhoiMcCoy • 3d ago
Thinking about switching from iOS to Android - Things to be aware of, and your experiences with OnePlus?
Hey!
I have been having non-stop issues with my iPhone 18 Pro that I purchased recently, and I was thinking that it's probably about time to potentially jump ship to Android, but I had a few questions, as the last time I switched over to Android was before I lost my vision.
I'm aware that most folks recommend Pixel due to the integration with Android being made by Google, and their own devices getting updates first, but I wanted to ask, what about brands like OnePlus? From what I know, they tend to mostly stick to the plain Android experience for the most part, albeit with a few tweaks for responsiveness and such, but does this come at the cost of accessibility?
From my small glance into the space, it seems like the main issue is both update rollout, as well as OEM apps which aren't accessible. So you might encounter an app on SamSung which has terrible accessibility, and you might be behind on an Android OS update that Pixel users got ages ago, all the while not dealing with the accessibility problems with first-party apps that Samsung users would face. Is this the case with OnePlus as well?
Also, for those of you who had to convert from iOS to Android, how did you handle the switch? Right now I use an iCloud email, I have AirPods Pro 3, I have a MacBook Air M5, an Apple TV, so I'm pretty deep into the ecosystem. Honestly, if I had to switch, I would probably sell most of this stuff, and get the Android equivalents. But swapping everything from one email to another sounds like a total nightmare. Is it as bad as I'm thinking it's going to be?
Sorry about the wall of questions, just thought I would ask, and figure this is the best place to ask as well.
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2d ago
[deleted]
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u/ChipsAhoiMcCoy 2d ago
I think you might have replied to the wrong person
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u/War-Carr 2d ago
You are absolutely right! My response was meant for the other person whose message I quoted! Sorry about that, friend.
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u/Saint_Sm0ld3r 2d ago
Your best choices among the global phone manufacturers for accessibility (the blind in particular) is going to be the big 3 with Apple by far having the best reputation as the gold standard for accessibility. Both Google and Samsung are going to be the best mainstream alternatives, which actually do some things better than Apple but Apple has the best overall support for accessibility on the whole.
If the "big 3" aren't doing it for you, you may want to look into specialized phones catered to the visually impaired/blind. BlindShell and Raz Mobility both make tactile-keypad phones built from the ground up catering specifically to the blind.
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u/datzzuma 3d ago
Oneplus isn't even close to stock, and I've read that quick settings do not work with talkback. Also, oneplus is being discontinued in places that aren't china and india (if i recall correctly)
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u/ChipsAhoiMcCoy 3d ago
Strange I always thought that folks said Oxygen OS was pretty close to stock
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u/datzzuma 3d ago
Yeah it might've been, atleast the looks were, then OxygenOS 11 (i think) happened.
I had Oneplus 11 and it was ok, swapped it for a Galaxy S25+ and I prefer One UI now. Though only accessibility features I use are bigger text size/display zoom so I can't comment on that
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u/War-Carr 2d ago
It is in some sense, besides its own implementations (which is true for most) and I am only speaking from my experience of using a OnePlus device that I had to return. I returned it not because it was running the Oxygen OS, but it just wouldnt' work on my carrier here in the States. It was not going to be my main driving phone as I'm locked to the Pixel line, but I thought it wasn't going to hurt to try a diffrent brand and so I got it as well as getting the Nothing Phone, which I also returned because just like the OnePlus, my carrier didn't support it at the time. We're talking about three years ago and it's most likely a lot has changed with respect to the carrier compatibility.
They both had some unlabeled buttons and the camera wasn't accessible either.
I think that for a blind person on Android, the Pixel phone has the best camera experience. lately the Samsung Camera is catching up but not at the level of the Pixel phone. This is funny, given the fact that the very first Android phone that came with an accessible camera, especially the first to give us a face-detection was from Samsung in the way of the Galaxy S5 back in 2014. One would think that they would be the leader in this area, but they slept on the wheel.
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u/lethal_lawnmower 2d ago
Curious to see how this plays out, I know one plus isn’t really gonna be a thing in the US anymore. For me personally I’ve been looking into motor roller since they’re coming out with a flagship if and Samsung.
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u/Ray_Calatallu_5742 2d ago
Pretty sure you can use your iCloud email on android, you'll probably need to set up an app specific password or whatever it's called.
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u/HateKilledTheDinos 2d ago
Or just go to icloud website and set icloud to forward to the new gmail, no app specific password needed.
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u/Any-Description-4625 2d ago
I am using a OnePlus device currently. On the setup screen, you need to hold and long press the volume keys to enable the TalkBack. From there until the home screen, the process is accessible completely.
But there are not much bugs on the OnePlus device which I am using in regards to the accessibility. However, one major bug I found is unable to increase or decrease the volume and brightness sliders on the quick settings. This is not the problem that I want to highlight here, but when I'm trying to contact the service of OnePlus, they asked me to check with the offline stores. When I went there, these people who are working in the OnePlus service centres, they don't have complete picture about accessibility. They constantly telling that I need to update my software and also they suggested me that they will clean the OS and upload the latest version of the OS again. I specifically mentioned it is a software glitch. It is not a software glitch and it is related to the accessibility. I informed them to contact their internal teams and highlight this issue. They told that they will escalate that, but it's almost a year, but I didn't received an proper response from them.
Because of these issues, most of the people will suggest Pixel phones because you can directly contact their accessibility team and they will handle the rest of the issue from their side. It's not about the accessibility bugs, but they don't have a proper dedicated team which handles these bugs efficiently and fix them in the next update.
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u/War-Carr 2d ago
You could get the Pixel phone, The Motorola or a Samsung phone if you're in the U.S. If you're outside the U.S., however, then you have more choices, including the phones from Sony and other brands from China like the Xiaomi, but for a clean UI, you're better off with any of the above--Pixel, Samsung, Motorola or Sony.
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u/ConcreteBoomBap 2d ago
I recently tried using my uncle‘s Google pixel running the latest version of android. It’s a Google pixel 10 pro I think and I really didn’t like talk back. It was super slow and I would recommend just sticking with iOS. it was super unresponsive to the point where when you were double tap I would sometimes think that my tap did not register because it would take like four seconds for the double tap to register. It was also quite when scrolling which is way different to my iPhone. The battery was also terrible and I checked the battery usage and it had two hours of screen on time with 29% left so pretty terrible
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u/TGDragon79 Retinitis Pigmentosa 2d ago
Hey there, fairly recent convert to Android from iOS, but I've switched back and forth in the past. I've gone from an iPhone 15 Pro Max to a Pixel 11 Pro XL and I am definitely liking the experience.
I've tried other Android devices from Nokia (think HMD) and Samsung, and my only comment about them is avoid Samsung like the plague, mostly because of their bloatware.
One of my favorite features on my Pixel is Rambler, which I'm using at this very moment to compose this message. I just like the idea that I can ramble on, make corrections, and text comes out generally clean. Yes, I'm aware that there is a version of Rambler available for non-Pixel devices, but it's not the native version. It's someone hacking something together to add a feature that the Pixel 11 has.
As for screen readers, if TalkBack isn't your cup of tea, I recommend giving either TalkForward or BackTalk a try. I think I'm going to be a little more partial to BackTalk because the developer also makes other utility apps that I use on my Pixel. There's one particular screen reader I would avoid, but I'm not going to bring up its name here because certain people may be set off by me bringing them up and the issues regarding the fact that the code isn't exactly open and produced in an authoritarian regime.
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u/ChipsAhoiMcCoy 2d ago
Thanks a ton for the recommendations. I definitely have heard about those as well. Ramblers really one of the big reasons I want to switch because I just feel like dictation on Google devices is so much farther ahead than iOS. It's not even funny. LOL.
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u/BK3Master 2d ago
Before you seriously consider switching, are you sure there are no solutions or workarounds for your iOS issues? Is there no possible way you could reconcile?
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u/ChipsAhoiMcCoy 2d ago
Yeah, so the biggest one is I'm just tired of my iPhone making me sound like a total Neanderthal when I talk online, whether it's the keyboard AutoCorrect being strange or dictation just simply not understanding a word I'm saying. I just feel like it makes me sound dumber when I talk to people online, which is very unfortunate. Between that and the other problems I have with watching media while on a call, the two things I probably use my phone for the most just seem to be heavily impacted by this. I was thinking what I could do is just buy a pixel 11 Pro on something like Amazon. that way I can try it out for about a month and if I decide that leaving the phone ecosystem is a little too much, I can always switch back possibly. I can even just use it primarily on Wi-Fi instead of adding my eSIM to it, which would be good
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u/War-Carr 2d ago
That's a very wise idea. Get it and try it and see if it meets your needs before you commit to it.
I'm a huge, huge Pixel phone fan but I tell people who are thinking of it or Android in general, to try it for some time to be sure that is what they want, and by the way, it goes for every other device.
Android has become so much a second-nature to me that I couldn't see me using anything else when it come to mobile phones.
So, give it a try and see if you belong or not. Won't hurt.
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u/BK3Master 2d ago
As someone who's also used Android, I think the typing experience is no easier than that of iOS. You could try Braille Screen input or the new FloType keyboard in beta https://www.applevis.com/forum/ios-ipados/flotype-public-beta-here
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u/UselessUsefullness 2d ago
OnePlus makes good phones but they recently pulled out of North America and Europe as markets they sell in. Support is still available it seems but for how long? In case you’re using a screen reader, I copy paste their announcement below.
Notice of Business Adjustment
After thorough evaluation, OnePlus has decided to conclude product rollouts in Europe and North America. Existing OnePlus devices will keep getting the software updates, security patches, and after-sales support. Our customer service channels remain open and responsive in accordance with our standard warranty and support obligations. Your rights under applicable consumer protection laws remain unaffected by this announcement.
It has been an honor to share this journey with you. Thank you for your trust, your passion, and for being an essential part of the products we have built together.
Never Settle
FAQs for European Users
Q: Will my current OnePlus device still receive support?
A: Yes. Existing devices will continue to receive the software updates, security patches, and after-sales service support.
Q: Will my warranty be affected?
A: No. All warranties will continue to be honored in strict accordance with the warranty terms in place at the time of purchase, and your statutory warranty rights under applicable national law remain fully unaffected.
Q: Can I still access repair services?
A: Yes. As long as your device meets the repair conditions, our repair and after-sales service channels will remain open to you.
Q: How do I access these after-sales and repair services?
A: You can contact our customer support team via: https://service.oneplus.com/
Q: Will future OnePlus devices be updated to ColorOS?
A: Following the official release of ColorOS 17, users with existing OnePlus devices that fall within the eligible upgrade scope will have the option to voluntarily update to the latest ColorOS. Legacy models that are not eligible for this specific upgrade will continue to receive ongoing software maintenance.
Q: Can users choose not to switch to ColorOS? If they are not satisfied after switching, can they roll back?
A: OnePlus devices will be able to choose whether to update to the latest ColorOS system. Older models that are not included in the update scope will also continue to receive version maintenance support. If users update to ColorOS, they will be able to roll back to OxygenOS. The specific rollback versions available will be subject to future official announcements.
Q: Is the OnePlus Community in Europe closing down?
A: The OnePlus Community in Europe remains open at this time.
Q: Is the OnePlus Store in Europe closing down?
A: The OnePlus Store in Europe remains open at this time.
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u/OppositeAshamed9087 2d ago
I would research the pixel you get as when we bought and tried to set up one for my blind relative, a lot of the accessibility including google assistant was not included.
I do not care for samsung simply because I hate the magnification options and I've heard bad things about their updates and accessibility with talkback.
I use a motorola and its worked very well - I even use TCL and its roughly the same experience.
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u/War-Carr 2d ago
What's wrong with Samsung's Talkback? It's true that Samsung used to have its own Talkback that comes from the Samsung App Store, thus, the Talkback version was always behind what comes from the Play Store and it usually would come with the OS updates, but Samsung finally caved into let Talkback come straight from the Play Store instead; thus, any phone that qualifies for One UI 9, has Talkback directly from the Play Store. Outside of that, they would update Talkback, but it takes forever and it's a fesh breath of air to see them making this change.
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u/DHamlinMusic Bilateral Optic Neuropathy 3d ago
onePlus is being discontinued and folded into Oppo, and you need sighted help to set them up regardless, along with outstanding issues with their android fork and accessibility.