I am a fairly new full-time android user, and I wanted to share how I got here. It was not an easy road. There were starts, stops, seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and a great deal of confusion along the way.
Table of Contents
First experience
My first experience with an android phone was a smart phone a relative had picked up. They found the talkback option in the menu and activated it just to see what it would do. I don’t exactly remember what OS this was because I did not use it extensively. All I really know is there were no gestures. If you touched something and picked up your finger, it was getting activated . As someone who had learned voiceover by now, it drove me nuts. My family and I still have this highly amusing story of the time I accidentally pulled up a family guy clip on YouTube because the screen reader was not being friendly. That first impression left a very bad taste in my mouth.
The First Android Device
The first android device I had completely to myself was one of the old galaxy tablets. By this time gestures had been implemented, but they didn’t always work as advertised. I had a lot of trouble out of that particular tablet.
Navigation didn’t even work properly. The one selling point for me in those days was the accessible tennis game that existed. I just wanted to play that.
I went for a long time without extensive handling of an android device. Every time a family member would get one I was allowed to play with it to test accessibility, and for a lot of years, I was disappointed. The next device I handled was a BrailleNote touch. at first it seem to work like a charm. I loved all the stuff I could mess with, and have fun with. Then, I turned on explore by touch. Worst, mistake, ever. I don’t know if I can blame Keysoft for the focus hopping. Every time I would swipe to go to the next item, the focus ended up somewhere I did not want it to be. After a while I got fed up. I also graduated from high school so they took it away.
First Positive Experience
My first positive experience was with somebody’s Samsung phone. I don’t remember whose phone it was, but as they were letting me play with it, I noticed the Samsung screen reader did not have the focus problem. The phone was extremely nice to use.
When I handled something from another manufacturer, it made me want to cry in a corner. I don’t remember which manufacturer it was, but it had the same problems as the BrailleNote. From that day forward, I always said, if I ever switch to android, I would get a Samsung.
I got my first full-time, android phone back in August of last year. It’s a galaxy A50, and it absolutely blew me away. No focus problems, and none of the other issues I had faced like gestures, not working. The more I played with it, the more I got hooked. I found out this operating system. I had spent so many years not being so kind to wasn’t so bad after all. Within a couple of months, I was ready to make the full-time switch. Apple was screwing things up, whereas Google was at least trying to fix them.
everything I own is android
Getting a Google pixel for my birthday was the last kick I needed. That phone is amazing. Now, practically everything I own is android powered. I have a Chromecast with Google TV, a pixel watch 2, and an Amazon fire tablet in addition to my phones. I kept the galaxy around for older software.
Aside from appearing to care more about its users than Apple, the thing that has really drawn me in is the level of customization. If I don’t like something, there is a 99.9% chance I can change it. I didn’t like the nonremovable search bar at the bottom of the pixel launcher. Solution, go download another one. YouTube did not want to cooperate and play the music files in my internal storage. Solution, go get another app.
During my first weekend with my primary phone, a setting and talkback caused it to utterly lose its mind and stop registering my double taps., Install a third-party screen, reader and resume life as usual. The amount of freedom I feel now cannot possibly be explained in English. Now I can’t see myself going back.
As exciting as this is, I couldn’t have done it without the excellent resources we have. When that galaxy was first place in my hand, I had no clue what I was doing. I want to go on record here and thank everyone who helped me, even if my questions did seem stupid at the time.
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