Apple iPhone
The iPhone is an accessible and versatile smartphone from Apple.
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Product description
The Apple iPhone is available in many configurations and prices. However, they are all equipped with many built-in accessibility features and settings to support your vision, mobility, hearing, speech, and cognitive needs. These range from the basic ability to change screen colour, text size and audio adjustment to the ability to navigate your iPhone hands-free using your voice (Voice Control), read what’s on your screen (VoiceOver) or connecting a switch, mouse or other input device (Switch Control). You can also control other devices, customize gestures and alerts, and adjust how sensitively your iPhone responds to your tap or touch (Assistive Touch).
Apple iPhone highlights
Apple iPhone can be helpful for:
- Magnifying digital content and your surroundings.
- Being productive and staying in touch with a full suite of iPhone apps.
- Identifying signs.
- Reading, navigating, identifying, organising – the possibilities are virtually limitless.
I think it’s hard for people to comprehend the positive impact of having a fully accessible product out the box like my iPhone. Voice Over doesn’t just enable me to use my iPhone to make calls and send and receive messages, the flawless accessibility means I can be me and do what I want to do without the worry of ‘is this going to be accessible’. Whether it’s planning my journey, banking online, finding and following a recipe, planning and tracking a workout, booking tickets, shopping online or communicating with my son, the thought ‘how will I’, never has to enter my mind’
Note for magnification users: The pros and cons are listed next to each other.
Pros
- Available in a range of sizes and configurations.
- Can be paired with accessories to extend their functionality.
- Widely supported at home, in work and in education.
- Comprehensive range of accessibility features and apps available.
- Comprehensive support from Apple Accessibility Support service.
Cons
- Magnification features may not be as extensive as those found on specialist electronic magnifiers.
- As iPhones are hugely capable, some aspects can be distracting or complicated to learn.
Ease of use
Moderate
Set up time
Estimate: 2-3 hours
Price range
£300 - £1000+
The cost of the iPhone hardware can be included or discounted in some mobile network deals, please refer to your chosen network. This is a rough price estimate for the hardware alone. Please check the supplier’s website below for current and accurate pricing.
Learn more
- There is a wealth of useful information available on the Apple Support website, including accessibility features on iPhone (Apple Support).
- Read more about Apple accessibility on our technology pages.
- Find out more about the Tech for All learning programme on the Guide Dogs website which has been designed to help you and your family get the most out of your new Apple device.
- There are many useful guides on the AppleVis.com community website, written by, and for, people with vision impairment, such as the guide on getting started with iPhone or iPad.
Manufacturer details
You can find out more about this product by contacting the manufacturer
Apple Accessibility Support
Phone: 0800 048 0754
Email: accessibility@apple.com
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Whilst Guide Dogs may be able to suggest various third-party websites and third-party applications which may be able to assist you, those are not endorsed by Guide Dogs. Guide Dogs have no control over those third parties and cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of information and support they can provide or the suitability and quality of any products or services they provide.
Our tech reviews have been selected and created by sight loss experts and people with lived experience from: Blind Veterans UK, Glaucoma UK, Guide Dogs, Henshaws, The Macular Society, Retina UK, RNIB, Thomas Pocklington Trust, Technology Association of Visually Impaired People (TAVIP) and Visionary with key input from a panel of professionals, with lived experience, from the following organisations: Berkshire Vision, Outlookers, Seescape, Sight Advice South Lakes, Sight Concern Worcestershire, Sight Airedale and The Braillists Foundation
