( CNN ) -- For all of their advantages , smartphones still fall a little short for some â€ ” specifically , for those living with visual impairment . While apps like Siri and SayText do offer a good deal of assistance , 2011 TED Fellow Sumit Dagar had an idea for a more effective solution : a smartphone that 's specifically designed for people who have trouble seeing . The phone , which has yet to be officially named , has a screen comprised of a grid of pins , which move up and down to form into Braille shapes and characters whenever an SMS message or email is received . It uses what 's called Shape Memory Alloy technology , so as each pin expands , it remembers and contracts back to its original flat shape . In an interview with the Times of India , Dagar describes the phone as `` [ the ] world 's first Braille smartphone ... a companion more than a phone . '' Dagar , an interaction design graduate of the National Institute of Design ( NID ) , came up with the idea for the phone three years ago . He 's collaborating with IIT Delhi on the prototype , which is being tested at the LV Prasad Eye Institute . The team hopes to release the phone by the end of 2013 , for a about $ 185 . You can catch Dagar 's TED Talk from 2011 here . What do you think of this idea ? Tell us below . © 2013 MASHABLE.com . All rights reserved .
2013 TED Fellow Sumit Dagar is developing the world 's first phone for visually impaired people . The phone 's screen has pins which move to form different characters when an SMS or email is received . It uses Shape ##less Alloy technology which makes pins contract back to their original position . The phone will retail for about $ 185 , and the team hopes to release it by the end of 2013 .