The LG Optimus 9 that Amóvil was able to review thanks to the loan by Orange, is a powerful mid-range smartphone that includes accessibility features that make it suitable for hearing impaired users. The phone is housed in a single piece case made from plastic, and features an elegant design with dimensions of 131.9x68.2x9.1mm. It runs with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), and includes a 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD multitouch capacitive display with 540x960 pixels(234 ppi density).

Most of the basic features found in commercial smartphones are available in this device including A-GPS, NFC, WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities, among others. The phone also comes with a rear 5 megapixels camera and front-facing VGA camera which allows video-calls.

Accessibility review

Users with hearing disabilities will be able to use this device with comfort. The phone has a HAC rating of M3/T4, and allows inserting a loopset. Also, those wearing Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids or cochlear implants will be able to connect to the device through Bluetooth technology. In addition, hearing impaired users who prefer communicating in sign language will be able to make video calls thanks to the VGA front facing camera previously mentioned.

Notwithstanding, the LG Optimus 9 is not suitable for people with visual limitations. While the Ice Cream Sandwich OS comes with TalkBack built-in, the open platform screen reader for Android, it provides gesture features for touch exploration that do not work very well. Also, the method for activating and deactivating the screen reader is not reliable, and in some applications it fails to talk the user through the entire available content.

Partially blind users may also have a limited experience with this device. The font size and style can be customized to meet the user’s need, but this feature only works in some interfaces and menus. The device also lacks of zooming and color inversion features, so color blind people may not be able to use this device with comfort.

In addition, the LG Optimus 9 includes features that make it somewhat accessible to users with dexterity limitations. Besides being rather lightweight and easy to grip it includes a voice recognition features. Also, Spanish-language users can download Sherpa, an Android app that works similarly to SIRI, which allows opening applications with a voice commands, among other things. According to Sherpa developers, the app will be available for English users soon.

Furthermore, the icons displayed on the device’s screen are standardized, thus suitable for users with certain limited comprehension skills or learning disabilities. The phone also allows customizing the home screen as well as the phone book and adding a widget that provides a quick access to frequent contacts.

For a more detailed description, please see Amóvil's full accessibility report.

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