product analyzed

bald phone

bald phone

We can see the Bald Phone icon
Overall rating:
4/5
Technology:

Categories assigned to this product within the main category Technology.

Needs:

Categories assigned to this product within the main category Needs.

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Below is the video of the review.

What does it consist of:

The use of Android devices can be a problem for the elderly or those with visual difficulties, either by searching for certain applications, the size of their icons and even the size of the letters on the different pages of the device.

In order to solve these needs, the Bald phone application arises, which we analyze in depth.

Bald Phone is an app that makes the experience in the use of Android devices more user-friendly, offering a configurable interface in which the visualization of the environment is less arduous and in which access to the functionalities of the device is easier, all depending on our needs.

 

Forms of acquisition:

The application is completely free and can only be obtained through the Android Play Store, since it does not have versions on other operating systems. Contact with the developers of the app can be done through the following email: baldphone.contact@gmail.com And download it, through the following link:  

Technical assessment:

Author: Billy Avellán Salazar.

Date: October 2021.

The application offers us the possibility of changing the conventional interface of the devices to a configurable alternative to our needs.

This makes the display of the icons or letters of the main menu adapted, and the access to the functionalities and the journey through the device are easier.

These features make it an interesting option to face those cognitive problems or access difficulties when using the device.

In this case, we will perform the analysis of the app in version 10.0 of the Android operating system, although it is available from version 5.0.

 

Interaction.

Next, we will see a more detailed analysis.

First, we will find a welcome message and we will be prompted to press the arrow to move forward or backward.

In order to perform the above movements, it is necessary to keep the button pressed for a certain time, as shown in the following images.

A welcome message is displayed.                                                 A prompt is displayed suggesting you keep the button pressed longer.

After having followed the previous instruction, it will take us to a section in which we can modify the accessibility of the device, offering the following options:

  • High level: There is a long delay when pressing the buttons and scrolling is done with arrows.
  • Intermediate Level: The delay when pressing the buttons is less than the previous one and the scrolling is also done with arrows.
  • Normal level: There is no delay when pressing and vertical scrolling is done with your finger,

Accessibility level.

We highlight this function, since it takes into account the difficulty that people may have in using the same screen, allowing you to scroll with arrows or through scrolling, as preferred.

Likewise, the delay can help the perception of the functions, so that, if it exists, in case of not complying with the time, a warning message is issued, allowing the user to be sure of the action they want to perform.

For the analysis we chose the intermediate level.

Then, the following recommendation will appear

It is suggested to use the Bald Phone home screen as the main launcher.

And later it will send us to the home screen, which we will see in the following image.

Bald Phone main page where the most used applications are shown.

On this page we can place our most used applications, whose icons, as we can see, have a considerable size and are very intuitive, which makes the user experience more enjoyable.

If you want to change the applications on the home page, in this page, we have the option "change home screen", so we can adapt the environment to what we need just by pressing the application we want to change.

The change is simple, since the applications are ordered when they are searched, either based on numbers or the letters with which they begin.

Next, we can see what is described.

The interface is displayed after requesting the change on the home screen.                                                 The applications that can be selected for the home screen are displayed.

It is important to note that the application includes its own application, "pills", through which we can set reminders of the medications we are taking, being able to add new medications or change the time to those that we already have scheduled.

Page that is displayed after opening the Bald Phone pill app.

At the top of the page we can see the following available options:

  • Emergency: it contains our emergency contacts and the number of these services by default
  • Battery: pressing the icon indicates the percentage of charge of our device.
  • Flashlight: Pressing the button activates or deactivates the flashlight.
  • Device mode: in this icon you can change to vibrate, silent or sound mode.
  • Notifications: pressing the bell will open a window where notifications from certain applications will appear.

In certain cases it will be necessary to grant permissions to be able to run certain applications, such as the flashlight, accessing contacts, accessing the gallery, activating notifications, among others.

Below we can see an image of the emergency page.

Page where emergency contacts are saved or these services are contacted directly.

In the following image we can see some of the requested permissions.

Some permissions that Bald Phone requests in order to be used.

It is worth highlighting the function of emergency contacts, since it speeds up contact in complicated situations by allowing it in a few steps.

Pressing the arrow on the left, we will go to the next page.

The second page of the app is displayed with some options to be able to use.

On this page we will find the following sections:

  • Settings: here we will find ways to configure certain characteristics, be it the screen, connections, accessibility, appearance, colors, among others

The options available to change after selecting settings are displayed on the second page.

 

  • Internet: we will be shown the available browsers that we can access.

Available browsers are displayed after selecting the internet option on the second page.

 

  • Maps: applications related to moving from one place to another will be shown.

The available options for setting a travel route are displayed after selecting the maps option on the second page.

 

  • Guides in video format: some tutorials will be shown to be able to use some functions.

Guides are shown in video format for autonomous learning

 

As on the previous page, we can see that the icons are of a considerable size, being easy to grasp.

The option of the guides is very attractive, since the application itself offers us a means of help to learn how to act according to what we are looking for.

Finally, it is important to mention that the upper part remains the same, so in an emergency we can quickly access the corresponding option We can also change the device mode between the options we discussed before, and we have the view of the notifications.

 

Delving into the settings, in the case of accessibility, we can modify the size of the text, the dominant hand for vertical scrolling, or the level of accessibility, among other options.

In the following images we show the accessibility configuration options and a sample of the font changed to the huge option.

 

The options to configure in terms of accessibility are displayed.                                                  You can see the letter change to the huge option.

Finally, sliding to the left again, we access the last page.

In it we find a place where we can write down the notes we want, being able to be edited by means of the touch keyboard or through the voice as can be seen below.

Page consisting of a notepad.

It is a curious implementation, since it replaces the notepad application, and instead leaves us an entire page that we can access with just two movements.

As on the previous page, we can highlight the fact that the upper part of the page remains intact, which allows us to use the tools without having to move to another site.

Accessibility.

After testing the application, we see that it is designed to cover as many people as possible.

  • Its simple interface allows a correct understanding of the environment for people.
  • The ability to change the level of accessibility makes scrolling through the device adaptable, as it allows us to choose between scrolling or pressing buttons.
  • It offers the possibility to choose the dominant hand when using the device.
  • It allows modifying the interface conditioning the device to what we need. Thus, we can configure the size of the letter, the main keyboard, the appearance of the device, among other options.
  • Using TalkBack allows visually impaired people to enjoy the application without problems

In addition to what has been analyzed, it makes it an option that is quite accessible to a large number of people.

Conclusion.

In general terms, we see that it is an attractive and easy-to-use application.

It includes various functionalities that make the experience more pleasant and accessible, the most notable of which are:

  • The fact of being able to access emergency contacts in a very simple and fast way, which will remain at all times while we move between the main pages.
  • The medication reminder application, which if you do not have one, is provided by Bald Phone, being an alternative with an easy to understand and use interface.
  • The change in the level of accessibility, the configuration in the size of the letters and the possibility of choosing the applications that we want to see, facilitate the visualization of the contents and the compression of what we have in the environment.
  • Video guides, which allow users to have an autonomous learning medium.

In this way, we conclude that it is a highly recommended application capable of solving multiple needs in an efficient and simple way.

Highlights.

  • The configuration options that it incorporates make it accessible to several people, either by the size of the font, the way of moving between the pages or the apps, among other options.
  • The design is simple, so there is not much difficulty in understanding how the application works, and it is configurable to your needs.
  • It offers some guides to learn how to use some functionalities independently.
  • It is completely free

Improvement points.

  • When starting the application, the only change that can be made is that of the buttons. The change of the main page or the size of the letters is made after you finish the introduction.
  • In case of changing the appearance to light mode, black letters on gray background may cause some difficulty.
  • It is only available for terminals with Android operating system.
  • Video guides are not available in Spanish.

 

 

 

Technical evaluation scores.

Design and manufacturing:
4/5
This section refers to the physical aspects and details of the manufacturing of the technological product
Technical benefits:
4/5
Description of the quality of the technical specifications of the technological solution
User experience:
4/5
This criterion is linked to the user's assessment when relating to the technical product or application.
Accessibility:
4/5
It is the degree to which people can use or access a product, technological solution or service, regardless of their technical, cognitive or physical abilities

Social valuation:

Social valuation scores.

Impact and utility:
This item has not been rated/5
Describes to what extent the functionalities of the product are useful and impact on improving the life of the user
Design and Ergonomics:
This item has not been rated/5
Assessment of how the design of the technological solution adapts to the person to achieve greater comfort and efficiency when using it
Usability and accessibility:
This item has not been rated/5
Possibility of the device to be used, understood and taken advantage of under equal conditions for anyone
Ease of acquisition:
This item has not been rated/5
It refers to the possibilities of accessing and acquiring a technological solution by the user.

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