The Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus run the new iOS8 operating system which, like other recent iPhones, contains a number of accessibility features such as the VoiceOver screen reader, zoom, playback of captioned video and high contrast themes. The new iOS8 also contains additional accessibility features including an improved zoom, a greyscale feature, improved predictive text for the on-screen keyboard and the ability to use different software keyboards.
In addition to the improved zoom, vision impaired users may also appreciate the iPhone 6 Plus model which features a much larger 5.5” screen and an updated interface designed to take advantage of the bigger space.
While Apple products are generally considered to have a number of effective accessibility tools and features, they also tend to be priced at the premium end of the market. The Australian prices to buy the phones outright start at $869 for the 16GB base model with the 4.7” screen, $999 for the 16GB Plus model, and up to $1249 for the 128GB Plus model. Budget-conscious consumers looking for an accessible smartphone may wish to consider recent Android devices which tend to be more affordable while still containing a number of accessibility features.
The Apple product launch also included the Apple Watch. While there are few accessibility details known at this stage, its haptic functionality may prove useful to people with disabilities.
Further information on the accessibility of Apple iOS devices can be found in the iOS section of the Media Access Australia website. Additional product information on the iPhone 6 can be found on the Apple iPhone 6 product page.
Top of page