The Sony Xperia M2 is a mid-range Smartphone running on Android 4.3 that includes a few interesting accessibility features that renders it suitable for people  with visual and hearing disabilities. This device also accommodates the needs of people poor manual dexterity skills.

The handset measures 139.7 x 71.7 x 8.6 mm and weighs 148 grams. It features an elegant design similar to the Sony Xperia Z series. However, unlike these models, the M2 is not water and dust resistant.

The phone includes a 4.8-inch TFT display with 540x960 pixels resolution. In addition, it comes with a primary 8 megapixels (MP) camera and a secondary VGA camera for videocalls. Regarding connectivity, it supports NFC, wifi and Bluetooth among others. It is also compatible with 4G data network.

Accessibility review

Vision

The Xperia M2 comes with an inbuilt version of TalkBack, the screen reader for Android that read blind users through most of the available visual content. Blind users will be able to navigate around the screen, activate items, and even jump to various screens using different gestures.

There is, however, a barrier worth mentioning. The screen reader is unable to identify a few items included in some native apps, such as the calendar, probably due to lack of proper labeling.

This device may also be useful for those with low vision. It comes with an inbuilt screen magnifier and allows changing the size of the text. These users will also be able to customize screen brightness and adapt it to light conditions.

Notwithstanding, color blind users may have a limited experience as the M2 does not include an option to reverse colors or a high contrast color scheme.

Hearing

The Xperia M2 has a hearing aid compatibility rating of M3/T3. It also supports instant messaging and videocalls.

There are a few features under Call Settings that may contribute to improve these users’ experience. On one hand, the Xperia M2 is compatible with TTY devices. On the other, there is an option to cancel the background noise during a phone call and to improve the sound of the speaker. It also includes a slow talk option which will slow the speech of the other calling party to improve intelligibility.

Dexterity

People with poor dexterity skills may be able to use this handset. It includes a predictive text input that works very well. Also, touch targets are large enough to allow users to hit them with accuracy. In addition, physical buttons, such as the power button, are easy to press.

However, disabling the screen time out is not possible in this device and this can be a barrier for some of these users with limited movement in their upper limbs.

The Xperia M2 is not suitable for people lacking dexterity skills. The voice recognition system built-in does not open basic menus such as the Settings menu. Additionally, sending emails using voice commands is not possible either.

Furthermore, these users will not be able to control the device using assistive devices such as mouth sticks, headwands and the like.

Comprehension

The Xperia M2 is unsuitable to users with poor comprehension skills. The display includes icons with a design that is hard to identify and that do not comply with accessibility standards.

However, there is an app designed to guide users through the configuration process which may improve the experience of these users. It has been written in a simple and easy to understand language. Also, menus can be customized to meet users’ needs.

For more information about accessibility in Xperia M2, please consult the full accessibility report available in Amóvil.