VoiceOver users should Avoid the Bose SoundSport Free

As some may be aware, Bose released their version of the Apple AirPods, which are called: Bose SoundSport Free. I decided to see how they compare to the Apple AirPods, which I’ve found to be the best earphones I’ve ever used.

I’m a person who is blind and uses VoiceOVer on iOS and MacOS.

Unfortunately, it seems that there are major regressions with the SoundSport Free compared to the Wireless or Wired, QC35 II, QC20, etc. THis is in the context as using it as a person who is blind and with VoiceOver.

1. It’s difficult to open the case, as it’s not clear which way it opens via touch;
2.  It’s difficult to tactiley feel which is left, right, or how to insert Bose Buds into ears;
3. There is an almost 1 second lag from the time a VoiceOver gesture is performed to the time speech is heard, which is magnitudes greater than the SoundSport wireless or QC35 II;
4. Audio levels are all over the place as it powers-up, transitions, and powers-down, and makes VoiceOver disorientating;
5. The biggest issue with VoiceOver is the major lag and random audio-levels/quality that makes it disorientating, confusing, unclear;
6. The app is more accessible than it use to be, but the Settings is still inaccessible, as most elements are just labeled as Settings, and content isn’t updated for VoiceOVer when transition occurs;
7. The inability to place one of the buds back into the case is a screen reader issue, as I easily use headphones for 15 hours a day, and it’s unacceptable that it automatically disconnects once one bud is on the charger;
8. It’s difficult to align the buds back into the charger non-visually.

I’ve used and tried lots of Bose products over the past decade or so, and was really hopeful that these would be better than the AirPods. Unfortunately, due to the lack of blind screen reader accessibility in the hardware, software, and UX—the SoundSport Free are inaccessible/unusable compared to Apple AirPods.

Note:
Above feedback was sent to: [email protected]