-----Original Message-----
From: main@TechTalk.groups.io [mailto:main@TechTalk.groups.io] On Behalf Of
Ann Parsons
Sent: Thursday, August 08, 2019 4:30 AM
To: techtalk@groups.io
Cc: acbny-l@...
Subject: [TechTalk] review of Smart Vision II phone

Morning all,

Smart Vision II Phone

At the beginning of July, I purchased a Smart Vision II phone
from Irie-AT. This phone is designed for blind or visually impaired
users. It is an android phone which has a touch screen and a keypad
for operation, or you can speak to it, as one can with any android
phone. You can check it out at the link below. There, you will find
its specs and so on.

https://irie-at.com/product/smartvision2-2/

I have spent the last month learning about this phone, and I
have to say the journey's been pleasant and enlightening. I had some
help getting the phone set up, but once it was set-up, I have had fun
learning how to use it.
This phone is made in France by the Kapsys Company. It comes
in two versions, the basic and the premium. The basic model costs
$600.00 and the premium costs $900.00. These figures have been rounded
up to the nearest hundred dollars. The difference between them is that
the Premium features some extra apps like their book reader, their GPS
program or the color identifier. One can upgrade the phone at any time
by adding these programs.
The Smart Vision can work with apps downloaded from the Android
App Store. I have, in fact, downloaded and am using the BARD Mobile
app. It works well. I haven't tried many apps, but I have made and
received both phone calls and texts on my phone. I have set alarms
and I have tried the reminder feature. I am still learning this phone.
I love the keypad on the Smart Vision II because it has actual
buttons which I can push. I get feedback when I push these buttons
too. I can operate the phone exclusively with the keypad if I want, or
I can use the touch screen. There are commands which can be used from
the keypad to access various aspects of the phone. I love being able
to control my phone with buttons. Perhaps I am old fashioned, but I
have found that using the keypad assures me that what I have pressed is
actually pressed and I like being in control this way.
The keypad can be used to write text, much as one uses
a flip-phone. One can switch between caps, numbers and normal entry.
This is excellent if one needs to correct the Google Assistant's
interpretation of one's voiced dictation.
I have found the Google Assistant to be responsive and
usually it interprets my dictation correctly. It seems to work, as I
haven't received any complaints from people to whom I've sent texts.
A word here about Irie-AT's tec support. This is
excellent! The folks at the help desk are friendly and responsive and
helpful. The Smart Vision II is set up with an app called Team Viewer.
This enables the tech folks to log onto your Smart Vision II and help
you make changes to your phone's set-up. They helped me to log into
Google and to get set up with email and all. They were friendly and
what's more, they were knowledgeable! They knew exactly how to help
and what to do. I was impressed.
I will continue to learn about my new phone and have
fun doing so. The only thing I wish could be changed was to have a
braille version of the command list from the manual. The manual
doesn't have a command list as part of itself. I would really love to
have a command list, preferably in braille to which I could refer when
needed. I can search through the manual for the various locations of
lists of commands, but having a summary would make the manual perfect.
If that summary were available in braille, that would be, as the kids
say, awesome. Otherwise, I have found the Smart Vision II to be a good
choice for my needs and a fun learning experience.

Ann K. Parsons

--
Ann K. Parsons
Portal Tutoring
EMAIL: akp@...
Author of The Demmies: http://www.dldbooks.com/annparsons/
Portal Tutoring web site: http://www.portaltutoring.info
Skype: Putertutor

"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost."