Phones for the more mature: Part one

My grandparents are still trying to find their way around their computer. Suddenly their computer has swallowed an icon and it is no longer being displayed on their desktop. For any technology savvy individual it would be painless to replace the missing icon and carry on as normal but for grandparents it is not that easy. Same goes for their mobile phone.

I have been lucky enough to grow up with computers and mobile phones but for my grandparents it is an extremely new experience for them. They are still young at heart and are excited to get involved with this new available technology.

The problem is that these technologies do not seem accessible to seniors. When I recently saw my grandparents they came to me with yet another problem to solve, this time it was their mobile phone. After the problem was quickly solved, I wondered if there were mobile phones that can easily be used by the elderly? My grandparents use only the basic functions on their phone and so they don’t really need the applications or newest mobile phone that most people are pushing for.

There is an alternative to those unusable mobile phones. According to Mobile Industry Review, the Amplicom M5010 mobile phone is a phone that can be accessible to the elderly. It does not have all the fancy gadgets like most mobile phones so it is an uncomplicated phone to use. It has boasting big keys so you no longer have to squint at those buttons you hate so much. It has easy menu navigation, hearing aid suitability and it features a 5 number emergency button.

Another phone that works similarly is the BB200 Big Button mobile phone. According to Matobmobile, it has big buttons, hence the name, a large display, hearing aid compatible, contrasting colours and a very loud speaker but there is more. Vodacom has launched a phone to accommodate the seniors. It is the ZTE S302 mobile phone. According to it news Africa, it has a large visual display and big buttons, together with a loud ringtone, features that help in emergency situations, with an SOS button and number pre-programmed functionality. There is a wide variety of phones with similar functions to these three mentioned above so there are options. But what if you do want the benefits of functions and applications on your mobile phone?

Well, there is a solution as Samsung a177 is said to be largely accessible to seniors and it includes an array of functions and applications. It has a full QWERTY keyboard. This is easier to follow than other mobile phones with complicated keyboards. It is easier to send text messages or write an email. The only issue is that the keyboard is small to accommodate the full alphabet on the keyboard. But that’s why you have eye glasses right?

This phone can be complicated to new comers but it is true that 60+ can adapt to modern technology. Even my grandparents have come to me with fewer queries than before. This phone is simple, affordable and easy-to-use for most and it has a large readable colour screen which caters for seniors.

But if none of this tickles your phone fancy then there is another solution! Your children or grandchildren work well as your own personal technical assistant and they can turn disaster into a once again usable mobile phone.

Thanks to Tom Spender for the photograph. Follow Tom's photostream for more images.