Accessibility of the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone

Transcript

24 March 2013

Roberta:  Last week Samsung unveiled its latest smartphone, the Galaxy S4, which many have pitted against Apple as a new “it” smartphone. While much of the media has focused on the device’s power and innovation, a few of the features announced could also present some access potential for people with a disability. Here to tell us more is Media Access Australia’s Clarizza Fernandez. Hello, Clarizza.

Clarizza:  Hi, Roberta.

Roberta: So tell us what are some of the new features that have been introduced in the Galaxy S4 smartphone?

Clarizza:  Well there are plenty of new features, Roberta, but some of the highlights from an accessibility point of view include improved S Voice, the eye-tracking technology used for the features called Smart Scroll and Smart Pause, and Air Gesture which is an alternative way for people to interact the phone’s interface.

Roberta:  And this is an Android device and will it take TalkBack screen reader?

Clarizza:  Yes, this is an Android device, so it’s using the Android Jelly Bean operating system. Unfortunately, we’re not too definite that the TalkBack screen reader, so the screen reader for Android devices, has been included in the Galaxy S4. The thing with the Android operating system is that it’s open source which means developers and manufacturers can put their own slant to the software.

Of course, we’re hoping that Samsung hasn’t left out TalkBack or have included screen reader software in the Galaxy S4 because it means that the blind can access features through audio feedback.

Roberta:  What is S Voice?

Clarizza: So S Voice is Samsung’s answer to Apple’s Siri. So, it’s voice assistance which provides audio feedback such as reading your emails and text aloud. This is different to a screen reader because it’s more about turning text information into audio, whereas a screen reader does that as well but also helps you navigate or get around by it.

Roberta: Clarizza, what about the eye-tracking technology, how can this be used by people with a disability?

Clarizza: The eye-tracking technology used in the Galaxy S4 is a point of much excitement as this is something that hasn’t been included in any major smartphone so far. It’s used in Smart Scroll - there’s two features called Smart Scroll and Smart Pause. So in Smart Scroll the eye-tracking technology detects your eyes’ movements, and depending on where your eyes are it scrolls the page reviewing it goes up or down.

The Smart Pause feature also tracks your eye movements in a similar way, so when you’re looking away from the screen it will automatically pause the video that you’re watching so that there’s no need to use your hands or touch the screen. So this technology as you can imagine would be great for people who have impaired mobility or those with limited dexterity. Instead of having to use your fingers, you can use your eyes to navigate. However there are of course some limitations to this. If you have little control of your eye movements or as well if you’re blind, but these features can be turned off.

Roberta: Now what about Air Gesture, how will this improve navigation for the blind and vision impaired?

Clarizza: So Air Gesture allows you to use your hand gestures, as the name suggests, for controlling your phone rather than touching the screen. Air Gesture lets you navigate different windows and even preview other opened contents through motions made directly in front of but not touching the screen. This is another feature that could be useful, so as well as being useful to the blind or vision impaired it could be useful for people with limited mobility.

Roberta: Would you recommend this phone to the blind and vision impaired?

Clarizza: The smartphone hasn’t been released yet so we can’t really test the device, but as far as accessibility goes, there is potential for S Voice and Air Gestures to be useful for the blind or vision impaired. However, Apple’s accessibility features are still much more sophisticated at this stage than the ones offered by the Android operating system, so that’s also something to think about.

Roberta: Well it certainly is. I know you’ll be keeping your ears and eyes on that one, so we’ll be talking about that later I’m quite sure. Well for more information on digital technology that may be used by people with a disability, visit Media Access Australia. Thank you for all of that today, Clarizza.

Clarizza: Thanks, Roberta.

Roberta: I’ve been speaking with Clarizza Fernandez from Media Access Australia, and as I said, go to that website there’s lots of information on it, or you can ring them, 02 9212 6242. Media Access Australia is a supporter of this program.

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