It’s that time of the year again when I reflect on my journey with Android. Back in 2012, I decided to purchase my first Android phone and never looked back. Last year, I wrote an article about some of the changes I observed during my 11 years with Android. Now, as 2024 is coming to an end, I’m writing again to talk about some developments witnessed during this year.
Table of Contents
- AI everywhere
- AI Taking a Role in the Screen Reader Experience
- Video description is now a reality, and image description is better than ever
- Samsung’s Unjustified Stubbornness Not Going Away
- Android Updates Are Still Taken Seriously Despite Slow Rollouts
- The Trend of Better Phones for Less Continues
- Accessible Android Growing Steadily
- Final Remarks
AI everywhere
AI proved to everyone that it is here to stay. With new AI LLMs emerging and popular well-established ones progressing, the AI competition is fiercer than ever. Phone manufacturers have rushed throughout 2024 to showcase their AI capabilities and features, with Samsung starting the year with an AI-focused Galaxy S24 presentation, followed by Google taking the same route with its Pixel 9 series. Other manufacturers haven’t stayed away from this AI buzz either, with OnePlus, Xiaomi, Vivo, and others offering AI features and claiming their ability to change people’s lives.
Maybe AI is the most abused word of the year, with phone manufacturers and app developers throwing it around with and without a reason, often in contexts where it doesn’t even apply. Certain AI additions are just useless gimmicks or not AI-related at all. AI is a hot trendy word right now, so why not sprinkle it here and there to increase download counts and attract users?
This article is not about discussing AI in general or my opinion on available AI features. However, there are important aspects of AI that demonstrated their value this year and are directly impacting the lives of blind users, which I will discuss next.
AI Taking a Role in the Screen Reader Experience
AI LLMs can understand and mimic human conversational language, with popular ones showing remarkable abilities in using natural human language in their responses. They can also analyze and describe photo content. Google recognized the potential of this in a screen reader context and introduced AI-driven detailed image descriptions in its TalkBack screen reader —the built-in, free screen reader on all Android phones (except for Samsung; more on the Samsung saga later).
With the release of TalkBack 15.0, Google incorporated its Gemini AI model’s image description capabilities directly into TalkBack, a feature that has continued to impress me after months of testing. I shared my first impressions of this inclusion in this article.
On the other hand, Jieshuo, another popular screen reader for Android and my daily go-to, hasn’t stayed away from the AI hype. In fact, it has taken a wider approach by including a variety of AI functions, ranging from icon detection to detailed image descriptions to continuous descriptions. Jieshuo goes a step further by allowing users to ask questions about a captured image of the current focus or even the entire screen.
While Vivo Blue Heart, the AI LLM currently used in Jieshuo, doesn’t match the level of image description offered by TalkBack’s Gemini integration, it remains a strong contender. The variety of functions it provides, especially the Inquire by Voice functions, has proven to be genuinely useful for me.
Video description is now a reality, and image description is better than ever
Image description features for blind-related apps made their way to Android before 2024 started. However, in 2024, PiccyBot took the stage as a new image description app that quickly extended to describe videos as well. With the support of several different AI models, PiccyBot holds great potential and proves to be one of the most appreciated projects started in 2024. Microsoft Seeing AI added video description recently, and the door is still widely open for other existing and new apps to follow suit.
With AI advancements, provided image descriptions are becoming more reliable. Certain apps are improving their image description features by changing the AI models they rely on, and the AI models themselves are showing better image analysis, even those not related to OpenAI’s GPT or Google Gemini. The benefit of image and video descriptions, and the ability to ask follow-up questions about them when needed, in a blind user’s life is beyond debate. Each progress in this field is reflected as a positive development for blind people who once couldn’t get anything meaningful from an encountered image or video.
Samsung’s Unjustified Stubbornness Not Going Away
Another year has passed with no sign of Samsung revoking its decision to use its own version of TalkBack. At the end of 2024, I stand by everything stated in my opinion article on this topic—an opinion I can confidently say is shared by many users. Through its actions, Samsung continues to prove the points raised against it in that article with its questionable TalkBack strategy. It still ties TalkBack releases to One UI updates, unlike Google, which delivers TalkBack updates through the Play Store independently of software updates, ensuring devices running Android 11 benefit from Gemini image descriptions just as Android 15 users do.
To make matters worse, Samsung strips its version of TalkBack of the most significant addition: image descriptions. The One UI 7.0 beta includes TalkBack 15.1 features but excludes any form of image description, even the outdated, offline, and basic version. However, text and icon detection features are included.
I purchased a new Samsung phone this year to continue my journey with the brand, drawn primarily by the customization, stable operating system, and the availability of Samsung phones in my region. Of course, I also know I can still use Google TalkBack and Jieshuo on my device. Samsung’s persistent strategy throughout 2024 remains a blow to accessibility, particularly given the widespread availability of Samsung devices and the significant number of blind people who use them.
Android Updates Are Still Taken Seriously Despite Slow Rollouts
The positive trend of better device support continued through 2024, with Samsung following Google in promising seven years of updates for its flagship phones. Google took things further by extending this support to its midrange Pixel 8a. Meanwhile, Samsung demonstrated appreciated care for its lower-spec devices by committing to six years of updates for the budget-friendly Galaxy A16. To my disappointment, however, my higher-spec Galaxy A55 is only promised four years of updates.
Other companies are also taking software support more seriously, though with varying levels of commitment. By the end of 2024, it has become less likely to find yourself with a relatively new device left unsupported due to manufacturers shifting focus to promoting their latest products.
It is worth noting that more years of promised support do not necessarily translate to faster update rollouts. For instance, Samsung has struggled to deliver Android 15 updates in 2024. The One UI 7 beta was released less than two weeks ago and currently supports only a limited number of devices. Moreover, the unequal treatment of devices persists, with newer and higher-end phones receiving updates ahead of older or lower-end models.
Google deserves praise for being the fastest and most consistent in delivering updates across its range of supported devices, although this is partly because Google is also the Android developer. Beyond Samsung and Google, brands such as OnePlus, Realme, and Nothing are making notable progress in delivering Android 15 updates promptly. These companies serve as examples, not the only players, of a growing commitment to faster Android update rollouts.
The Trend of Better Phones for Less Continues
The midrange market remains saturated with higher-spec phones that offer great value for money, with even lower-end devices showing improvements in certain areas. While flagship phones still deliver better performance with fewer compromises, users who cannot afford these increasingly expensive flagships are still able to enjoy a solid experience, thanks to the growing variety of options in the midrange segment. Features like IP ratings and stereo speakers, once reserved for premium devices, are now common in midrange phones, leading to greater user satisfaction.
Accessible Android Growing Steadily
It’s not very objective to praise the website where this article is published, especially since I’m one of its co-founders and current team members, right? But I can’t write about what 2024 has witnessed without mentioning the steady progress that Accessible Android has made. Valuable, useful content is constantly being added by the dedicated team and community members. Many articles and guides have been well-received, and what started as a small, unknown project can now confidently act as a significant Android accessibility resource and inclusivity advocate. On a personal note, I want to thank Salih, the founder of the project, and the other team members. Being a part of this project and working with this team is a source of pleasure and excitement, even when dealing with challenging topics.
Final Remarks
Another year is packing up, ready to make way for a new one—one that could bring improvements or challenges, both in our lives and in the world of Android. There’s no doubt that 2024 was an exciting year, especially with the growing role of AI in the lives of blind people, more Android update commitments, a stronger midrange market, and the continued growth of Accessible Android.
On the other hand, past years have seen a sort of AI fatigue, as AI became the focus of everything, sometimes invading our lives in less-than-pleasant ways. Additionally, Samsung’s deaf ears to user demands to rethink its TalkBack strategy was and will continue to be a serious roadblock to users fully benefiting from their Samsung devices.
I will hold off on expectations for 2025 and instead focus on living through it, moving with its days, and seeing what they will bring, with the hope that it will hold interesting developments worth praising and discussing.
well said and well done., Thanks.