Selecting an iPhone for use by blind or low vision people

IMPORTANT - Siri AI, an upgrade which is coming soon may be relevant to your choice of iPhone:

iOS and iPadOS 27 will be available from 14 September 2026 and will bring an updated version of  Apple Intelligence which features the long-awaited update to Siri, Apple's digital assistant, now called Siri AI. On its UK and US websites, Apple states that Siri AI will be rolling out in English, indicating that there will be a wait list or something similar. Apple Intelligence with Siri AI will be available only on phones with the A17 Pro processor or later,  that is the iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max and all the iPhone 16, 17 and 18 models as well as the iPhone Air and iPhone Duo. Apple Intelligence with Siri AI will also be available on iPads with an M-series processor or A17Pro or later processor. It will also be available on Macs with an M-Series processor and the MacBook Neo. 

Many blind and low vision users have found it very convenient to use Siri, Apple's digital assistant, to control their iPhone with voice commands even though Siri's capabilities have been rather limited. Siri AI allows its user to perform much more complex tasks with natural language instructions. In fact, several pages on this website will probably have an introduction which says something like "You can do it this way but why not just instruct Siri to do it". As an example there's a web page describing how to forward messages wich requires multiple steps which could be replace with an instruction to Siri to "forward this message to John". The initial version of Siri AI is described as a beta and isn't perfect but it's a huge improvement on its predecessor and will enable many people to do many tasks just by speaking to their phone.

All the iPhones now sold by Apple and all iPads, except for the entry level iPad, support Apple Intelligence and Siri AI. Older models will continue to be available both new and used for some time so please consider the likely value to you of Siri AI before you buy an older iPhone or iPad which doesn't support it.

There will be two versions of the AI model which runs on iPhones and iPads, the more advanced model supporting additional features. Which model is installed will depend on the size of the device's unified memory, which is the temporary working memory used as the phone operates. 

Apple’s most powerful on-device model and the features it enables, like expressive voices and more advanced dictation, will be available on iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, 18 Pro and Pro Max, iPhone Duo, iPad (M4) or later with at least 12GB of unified memory, and Mac (M3) or later with at least 12GB of unified memory. The model and expressive voices are also available on Apple Vision Pro (M5).

So, only relatively expensive devices with at least 12 Gigabytes of unified memory can support the more advanced AI model. This could be significant since unreliable dictation has been a major frustration for years. More expressive voices probably won't be a must have feature but more accurate dictation might be really important for demanding users. It's too early to say if the basic iOS 27 on-device model will provide adequate quality dictation or whether the most advanced model is going to be important for demanding users of dictation. I'll keep this page updated as test results turn up. I've only tested so far on an iPhone 17 Pro with the more advanced model.

The least expensive iPad which currently supports the most advanced AI model is the iPad Air. The basic iPad still has no support for Apple Intelligence and Siri AI.

Some considerations before making a decision to buy an iPhone to be used by a visually im ppaired person

If you are planning to help someone who is blind or has low vision to select an iPhone or considering buying one yourself, before beginning to look at iPhone models it's important to ensure that the user will be able to use the phone effectively. iPhones can be fantastic tools for many visually impaired people, but people with little or no useful vision need to make a significant effort in learning to use the VoiceOver interface if they want to make full use of the phone. Siri AI reduces dependence on VoiceOver and may suffice for many tasks for less demanding users but they will still need to use a combination of Siri AI and just a few simple VoiceOver gestures but it's still important to assess whether the user will be able to remember and perform these gestures. If the user has sufficient sight to read the phone screen, then they will probably be able to use the phone the way that fully sighted users do, with some minor adjustments to text sizes and other display changes that can be made in the Settings / Accessibility menu. If the user will need to use VoiceOver, it is important to assess their ability to learn and remember the gestures and also that they have the dexterity to perform the gestures.  VoiceOver gestures are not obvious and they will only be remembered if they are used frequently. It is usually vital for most VoiceOver users to have a need to use the phone frequently in order to retain VoiceOver skills. If that's not the case, then other, simpler solutions will be more appropriate for most people. 

Current iPhone models available from Apple

The list below is a complete list of iPhones currently available from Apple. Before you decide on your purchase it's worth taking Apple's release cycle for new iPhones into account so you don't find yourself buying a phone that either drops in price the next week or month or which is replaced by a superior model at a similar price a few weeks after you buy it. For many years now Apple has released new major iPhone models with performance improvements over the previous range every September; prices of the current phones, excluding the entry level "e" iPhone, usually fall as soon as the new phones are announced. Apple also stopped selling some previous models, usually including the previous Pro and Pro Max iPhones and the oldest model it sold the previous year. In 2026, Apple has change the way it releases new iPhone models starting with its September 9 Special Event. Only the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models, together with a new foldable iPhone, were released in September and the iPhone 18 and probably an iPhone 18e, the least expensive models in the iPhone 18 range, will follow about 6 months later in March 2027. Of course, there is another factor at play in 2026 and maybe for some years to come. The industry-wide chip shortage has already led to an increase of £100 throughout the iPhone range and it is likely that there will be similar increases in the prices of iPhones released in March 2027.

From 9 September 2026 the iPhone models listed below are available from Apple - the price given here is for the smallest memory version); you may be able to find lower prices from other suppliers. If you require the full technical specifications of these phones do an internet search similar to "Apple Support iPhone 17 tech spec". There is also a very useful features comparison tool at apple.co.uk if you first click on iPhone at the top of the page.

iPhone 17e, introduced in March 2026;

£699 for 256 Gigabyte; A19 chip; 6.1 inch screen; Weight 169 grams. 

iPhone 16, introduced in September 2024;

£799 for 128 Gigabyte, A18 chip, 6.1 inch screen, 170 grams .
The iPhone 16 is now available from Apple only with 128 Gigabyte memory. 

iPhone 17, introduced in September 2025;

£899 for 256 Gigabyte, A19 chip, 6.3 inch screen, weight 177 grams.

iPhone Air, introduced in September 2025;

£1099 for 256 Gigabyte, A19 Pro chip, 6.5 inch screen, weight 165 grams.

iPhone 18 Pro, introduced in September 2026

£1,199 for 256 Gigabyte, A20 Pro chip, 6.3 inch screen, weight 211 grams.

iPhone 18 Pro Max, introduced in September 2026;

£1,299 for 256 Gigabyte, A20 Pro chip, 6.9 inch screen, weight 249 grams.

iPhone Duo, foldable and approximately passport sized, introduced in September 2026;

£1,999 for 256 Gigabyte, A20 Pro chip, 5.4 inch screen when folded, 7.6 inch screen when opened, weight 254 grams.

So, how to select your ideal iPhone?

Advice for low vision users

Many low vision users prefer phones with larger screens which let them view larger amounts of text at large font sizes and maybe view photos and videos more clearly. iPhones with larger screens, with the exception of the iPhone Air, tend to be heavy and also may be difficult for some people to handle. There's no substitute for checking out your phones shortlist in an Apple Store or other retailer with helpful staff. Larger screens also tend to imply larger prices of course. An excellent value for money choice is he iPhone 16 Plus with its 6.7 inch screen; this is no longer available from Apple but you should be able to buy both new and used models at reasonable prices for a while. The iPhone Air with its 6.5 inch screen has 10% less battery life than the iPhone 17 and a more basic camera system. Unlike all other iPhones it has only one speaker, the earpiece speaker. Reviews suggest that the design compromises are acceptable so if the Air is your perfect combination of screen size and weight and you can accept the compromises and can afford the price tag then its the iPhone made for you. The iPhone 17 and 18 Pro both have 6.3 inch screens and would be excellent choices if their size and price suit you. All the iPhone 17 models start at 256 Gigabyte of memory compared to 128 Gigabyte in the iPhone 16 range. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is essentially a larger and heavier iPhone 18 Pro with significantly longer battery life and a huge 6.9 inch screen. If nothing currently sold by Apple meets your size requirements within budget consider buying earlier used or new models. Don't forget that you'll only be able to use Siri AI on iPhone 15Plus, Plus Max, all 16, 17 and 18 models.
If you are interested in photography then the better camera systems in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max may be of interest.  There may also be benefits for low vision users who use the phone's camera as a visual aid.

Apple has set 256 Gigabytes as the lowest memory size available on all the iPhone 17 and 18 models. The iPhone 16 range starts with 128 Gigabytes. The memory size you need will depend on your use of the phone and whether you wish to carry large quantities of media on the phone. 128 Gigabytes will be ample for basic users. However, if you wish to carry media like a large music library or many videos on your phone then you will probably need larger memory.

Advice for people with severe sight impairment

Now let's look at recommendations for people with severe sight impairment who mainly use VoiceOver and Siri and probably don't need large screens. The iPhone 17 is a great 6.3 inch screen phone at a relatively affordable price of £899. The iPhone 17e at £699 is an excellent value for money 6.1 inch screen phone with an extremely good specification; there are very few compromises over the iPhone 17 that would be important to many users and it's definitely worth considering. All of the iPhone 17 and 18 range would be great choices for severely sight impaired users. You can check differences between iPhone models using the comparison tool at apple.co.uk. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models have better camera systems than the iPhone Air and iPhone 17. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max also incorporate LIDAR, a technology used in driverless cars, which enables a few additional features to describe their surroundings more accurately to blind users. For example, Apple's Live Recognition feature can help locate and describe doors and furniture only on Pro models. I think it's unlikely that these LIDAR features are currently sufficient to justify the additional cost of a Pro model. If you are interested, try them for yourself at an Apple Store or other good retailer.  My personal view is that features like this are more useful in wearables and now that affordable wearables such as the Meta AI glasses are available I'd recommend spending the cash you might have spent on a Pro iPhone on the AI glasses instead. To be fair, the AI glasses don't have LIDAR but they do a great job without it. It got a little more complicated in June 2026 though when Apple announced that Pro models will be needed to run the larger AI model which supports improved dictation. Please refer back to the first section on Siri AI for more on this.

Apple has set 256 Gigabytes as the lowest memory size available on all the iPhone 17 and 18 models. The iPhone 16 range starts with 128 Gigabytes. The memory size you need will depend on your use of the phone and whether you wish to carry large quantities of media on the phone. 128 Gigabytes will be ample for basic users. However, if you wish to carry media like a large music library or many videos on your phone then you will probably need larger memory.

Apple's support of older iPhone models

Apple currently continues to provide iOS software updates for its iPhones for at least 6 years after introduction. The oldest iPhone range which can use iOS 26 is the iPhone 11, introduced in 2019 along with the second generation iPhone SE introduced in 2020. Apple has now confirmed that iOS 27, to be released in September 2026 will run on all iPhones which can run iOS 26 and even plans to make performance improvements for its oldest supported phones. When iOS updates cease, the phone will continue to operate but eventually, some apps will either not operate correctly or may become unavailable for old iOS versions. Also, when iOS updates cease, the phone is no longer receiving security updates. You should bear this in mind when purchasing older iPhone models either used or new.

Want to know more about using iPhones and iPads with visual impairment?

If you'd like to receive occasional hints, tips and news for visually impaired users of iPhones and iPads in your inbox please send an email to blindiosuk@gmail.com asking to be placed on my learners mailing list. It's not an automated system so just ask to be added to my mailing list and I'll do the rest.

Please take a look at the rest of this website to learn more about the excellent accessibility features built in to iPhones and iPads. I try to give sufficient detail throughout to enable all users, including novice users, to follow step by step instructions where appropriate.

Back to home page

last updated 10 September 2026