While the geeks here at Gizmodo live and breathe smartphones, sometimes it’s important to step back and remember that old people need mobile phones too. So let’s take a look at the Doro PhoneEasy 410s, a clamshell phone specifically designed to meet the needs of your nanna.
Costing $169 from Telechoice, the Doro handset has some of those key features every senior wants and needs. It boasts big buttons on its keypad, a high contrast display with large, easy to read font, and amplified sound with hearing aid compatibility. But the key feature is a dedicated emergency button that can contact up to five people simultaneously when held down for a few seconds, so in an emergency your nanna can let you know without having to search for your number.
There’s no 3G, no apps, and no advanced features. But it is cheap and easy to use, which is exactly what your nanna will love. Hopefully.
nicky
Monday, April 18, 2011 at 12:50 PMthis is PERFECT for my mum!
Abraham
Monday, April 18, 2011 at 1:01 PMExpensive compared to a low end nokia phone
Mr Biggles
Monday, April 18, 2011 at 1:12 PMAnd it’s a flip-phone to boot!
Perfect for nanna and her arthritis ridden fingers.
Nice one Doro
codework
Monday, April 18, 2011 at 2:50 PMThe problem with most “Nanna Phones” is that they lack important functionality for “simplicity” sake. My in-laws just bought a large key Nanna Phone and are a little frustrated that it can’t receive picture messages. Texts have to still be entered with numeric keys, and the navigations menus aren’t straightforward. A well set up smartphone (iOS, WP7 or Android), with clear icons for the functions that your particular Nanna needs is probably a better way to go.
Cameron
Monday, April 18, 2011 at 7:37 PMI think your missing the point.. Point is it’s a simply phone with large screen and buttons. Not everyone especially older people want to SMS or receive picture messages.
codework
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 3:22 PMBut that is the problem. In our family we all communicate with text and pictures and facebook. We very rarely voice call for day-to-day stuff. My mother in-law felt she needed to get a mobile to communicate effectively with the rest of her family (children and grandchildren), and now she has a phone that she can make voice calls on, and text with number keys, but can’t participate more fully – like receiving a picture message of her grand daughter winning at a dance comp.
I’m just saying that I agree these phones are perfect for some who only need to talk, but sales people convincing nannas that these are the only option “for simplicity” are selling them short (esp if the aim of the phone is to engender communication with younger family members)