Introduction
We have returned with another review, after a long absence! On this review, we will be covering the braille keyboard side of technology. Throughout the years, these little devices have grown quite popular for users who are always on the go. This year, a new product called the Hable One was announced by a company out of the Netherlands. It aims to make productivity on the go easier, by only using a braille keyboard, and a competitor to the Orbit Writer, which we reviewed here.
Special Credit
Thanks to the nice people at Christal Vision in the United States for allowing me to review this product. They are the local US distributors of this device here in the state of Texas. You can check out their product offerings right through here
Pricing
The Price of the Hable One is currently $349, and if you are in Texas and wish to have it delivered by Christal Vision personally, you can pay an extra $200 to cover delivery costs. Please note that at this time, Christal Vision ONLY ships to and delivers in the state of Texas.
Hable One Overview
As mentioned above, the Hable One is a braille keyboard that is designed to connect to your smartphone. This device is about the size of the new iPhone SE that apple launched about two years ago. It is quite lite to carry, and comes with a lanyard to make it easier to use.
In The Box
this device does indeed have a box, rather than an envelope. the box actually is quite thick and durable, so if you wanted a case for the Hable One, you could use its shipping box! It’s as solid as the Apple product packaging. In this box you will find the Hable One keyboard itself, a USB C cable to charge, and a lanyard. This lanyard is not to wear on your neck, but it’s small enough for a wrist to fit through it. Now that we have what all you get, let’s start looking at how to use this device.
Orientation and Physical Description
Hold the Hable as if you were holding a phone up to your ear. This is because, if you feel on the top surface, the braille keyboard is completely different! Rather than the keyboard going horizontally along the device, it is a vertical pattern, so there are three keys on each side of the unit. It does take a second to adjust to the layout, if you have not typed on a braille keyboard like this before. However, if you have used braille screen input on your smartphone, then this layout will be familiar to you if you’ve worked with the “Screen Away” mode of the feature. This is why we say to hold the device as if you were using it to talk on the phone as the primary position. With this orientation, on either long side of the device, you will find a couple of specific parts. On one long side, you will find the USB C port, and on the other, you will find the power switch. This switch is surrounded by a couple of tactile dots to indicate it is indeed, the power. Now, take the hable away from your ear, and locate this power switch side. Point that side towards you, keeping the keys facing away from your body. Essentially, the power switch will face your nose. The back of the Hable will face your stomach. Hold your thumbs around the short sides of the device for a better grip. This does take practice, but it can be mastered. Now that you are holding the Hable this way, you will find the buttons going up and down on each side. Your index fingers will be on “Dots 1 and 4,” your middle fingers on “2 and 5,” and your ring fingers on “3 and 6.” To the left of “dots 1 through 3,” you will find a “Backspace” key. In the Hable’s documentation, they refer to this as “Dot 7.” This is because many of the commands to operate your devices will involve either that, or the key to the right of “4, 5, and 6.” This key is “Enter,” but on the documentation, it’s referred to as “Dot 8.” For instance. To perform a “Double tap” gesture on the Hable, you’d press “Dot 7+dot 8.” Or, you can call it “Backspace+Enter.” To perform a “Space” when typing in text, press “Enter,” or “Dot 8.” Of course, depending on the smartphone you are using, the commands can be different.
Basic Operation
While this review is NOT a replacement for the Hable’s manual, here are a couple of basic instructions to operate the unit. Also, keep in mind that the commands on iOS are significantly different than the commands on Android.
The Pairing Process
Make sure the Hable is turned on prior to pairing. To turn the Hable on, push the power switch to the right. Your Hable will vibrate to confirm it is on. If you have paired a device before, you will feel a second vibration to indicate it is ready to control said device. You can turn off the Hable by moving the switch to the left. There is no feedback indicating the unit turns off, which in itself, can be assumed the Hable turned off successfully. The pairing of the Hable is done through your phone’s main bluetooth settings. Locate “Hable One,” in the list of discoverable devices, and once you tap this name, you will get a confirmation that “Hable One wants to pair with this device.” When you confirm it, the Hable will vibrate to indicate it is ready to use with your device.
The Hable Menu
This menu built into the device controls the Hable’s settings. We won’t cover all of them here, but we will look at the essential ones. To access the Hable menu from ANYWHERE on your device, Press and hold a “Full Cell (dots 1 through 6 together). You will then feel four short vibrations, and the Hable waits for your input. Once you are done pressing a command, or press any key to exit, you will feel four longer vibrations, confirming that the menu was closed.
Battery Status
The Hable’s battery can run for fifty hours on a single charge. This also depends on how often you use it with your phone on a daily basis. To check the battery, once you pressed the Hable Menu command, press and hold a “Hyphen (Dots 3 and 6 together.”) You will then feel one to three vibrations, with three being a full battery, and one being a low battery. When the battery is low, the Hable will begin to vibrate frequently.
Switching Operating Systems
As mentioned above, the Hable works with both iOS and Android. In order for these systems to detect your hable as a bluetooth device, you must set the Hable to the correct one. From the hable menu, Hold down “Dot 1,” to set the device to Android. You will feel three vibrations to confirm the setting is active. To switch to iOS, hold down “Dot 2.” You will feel two vibrations to confirm the setting is active. Remember to do this prior to pairing the Hable.
Removing All Connections
If you wish to remove all your connections and start from the beginning, from the hable menu, hold down “R (dots 1+2+3+5 together). You will feel a vibration, and you are ready to start from the beginning. You can have up to five bluetooth devices at once, but there is NOTHING in the documentation about how to switch devices. For instance, you cannot switch to a secondary iPhone or iPad from your original device.
Reversing The Keyboard
If you would like to, ‘turn your keyboard around” on the Hable, it is possible to do so. This will essentially reverse Dots “1, 3, 4, and 6” to where “1 and 3” are the top buttons, and “4 and 6” are on the bottom, and vice versa, if switched again. To do this, from the Hable Menu, hold down “X,” which is, the outer buttons (Dots 1, 3, 4, and 6.” You can then turn the Hable around, and at that point, the USB port faces your nose, and the power switch will face the floor. You can also put the device on a table and operate it that way, but just remember, it has to be on either of those layouts just described. It’s designed to be held.
Pro’s and Cons
Now that we looked at the Hable in a bit of detail, let’s take a look at some things to consider before purchasing it.
Pro’s
- lightweight
- works with both iPhone and Android (can only be used to type on computers)
- can have up to 5 bluetooth devices at once
- no need to reach for smartphone, since all device functions have been mapped to the Hable
- made of hard plasstic which can resist some drops
Cons
- only uses vibratory feedback
- documentation does not mention how to switch between paired bluetooth devices
- keyboard layout can be difficult for some users
Rating and final thoughts.
In the end, the Screenless Allies Rating for the Hable One is a 4.5 out of 5. While it is understandable that vibratory feedback is the best for this device, there could be people that may not be able to feel this, do to sensory issues. There is also no way to adjust the vibration intensity in order to get more pronounced feedback. The suggestion here could maybe be a companion app for the smartphones, but we also understand that it could be expensive to develop. Also, if an app like this was made, there could be interactive tutorials for beginners that have NEVER used a keyboard like this, even in screen away mode.
UPDATE: As of 2023, the company behind Hable One has made an iOS app that you can use to download and install updates to your device. You still cannot change any settings using this app, but it is an alternative to using a computer to update your device. We still are hoping users can do more with this app as it grows.
When we showed others this device, it was determined that said users got slightly frustrated when operating the Hable. there should also be a way to switch between bluetooth devices, and not just operating systems. Some people may have two iPads, and two Android tablets connected to the Hable, but they would need to unpair the other devices, just to use one in particular. However, all this being said, the Hable is a pretty nice option for people that are always on the go, but they do not want to carry a full braille device. As long as you have a pair of headphones, and this device, you are able to perform all standard functions, with a slight learning curve, to operate your phone. Another scenario that would show a good use for the Hable is if your phone was charging in another room in your home, and you wish to read a book, or talk on the phone. All you do here is take out your headphones, make sure the Hable is paired, and begin said activity! Your phone does not need to leave your charging area in the other room. We hope this review has been helpful in picking the right braile keyboard for you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Happy typing!