Prospects for an accessible and open version of Android?

[Linux for blind general discussion]

@CJ: I've never owned an Apple product, but that does make it sound
like Apple supports their products longer than most Android phone
makers or at least use to. As I understand it, most models are lucky
to be supported for 2 years and while I can't speak for carriers other
than my own, I'm pretty sure mine defaults to 30 months financing on
new phones.

I've only ever owned one smart phone, and while it was nice for some
things when I had one useable eye, it became pretty much useless when
I went blind back in 2012 and I ended up taking my dad's old flip
phone when he got his first smartphone and the one time I've gotten a
new phone since, it was another flip phone that I fear the day it
eventually dies because slates have taken over everything.

I don't do Apple because I don't like their "our way or the highway"
mindset towards what users can do with their devices without hacking,
and while I kind of want to check out how well talkback does or
doesn't work, the near impossibility of finding something that runs
Android and has a physical keyboard, especially without having to buy
the thing outright has turned me off, and the prospect of paying for
an extra line with my carrier so I can finance a slate through them
while maintaining a phone I can actually use while I do battle with a
very blind unfriendly input device doesn't appeal much either.

Probably the biggest reason my Raspberry Pi is my portable computer of
choice, aside from it being more portable than a laptop even with the
need for an external battery pack is the fact I can use the same
wireless USB keybaord I use with my desktop.