The Lumia 920 and 820 smartphones have not yet been released, but Nokia says that the phone"s Windows Phone 8 operating system will allow people with certain disabilities to have access to these new features. Nokia detailed their plans in a new blog post today.
The Conversations with Nokia site said:
The Windows Phone 8 operating system on the Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 expands on the options available for users who struggle with a regular phone. There are four text sizes available and a screen magnifier. There’s also a high contrast display mode that makes reading text easier. Voice commands and screen reading options are also available, of course, as they are with current versions of the software (though there is not yet a full-blown screen reader).
Nokia does in fact offer a Screen Reader app for many of its Symbian-based phones. When activated, the app reads aloud what is currently showing on a phone"s screen. Today"s blog did not say when or even if Nokia will offer a Screen Reader app for its Windows Phone 8 devices.
Nokia also announced the launch of a new version of its LPS-6 Wireless Loopset, which connects the audio of a mobile phone directly to a hearing aid. Nokia says:
Since the LPS-6 Loopset is Bluetooth compliant, it will work with any Bluetooth compliant phone, including devices from competitors. Additionally, it allows for Near Field Communication (NFC) pairing, so you can just tap your (NFC-enabled) phone and the LPS-6 together to connect them. It now also offers USB charging and audio, a better volume and frequency range, and a significantly longer talk time between charges than its predecessors.
Source: Conversations with Nokia blog