My grandpa -- 90 years old and counting -- has asked me to find a mobile phone to replace his, which was used as a paperweight on the Ark. I've tried Saga, the RNIB and several search engines, but nothing suggests itself. Anna Laws
The best phone I can find that is designed for older users is the Emporia Life, from an Austrian company (http://www.emporia.at/shop/). The BBC website wrote about it and published a photograph (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6462559.stm). Marketing was due to start last month, but the UK is not on the list of countries targeted.
An alternative is the £140 Easy5 phone from Tekability (http://www.tekability.com/catalog/item346.htm). This has just five large buttons, each storing a single phone number on speed dial. It would suit someone who mainly wants a mobile for the security of being able to call a handful of people in a hurry.
Otherwise you could shop for a secondhand Nokia, from the days when mobiles were actually designed to make phone calls, instead of as transitory multifunction fashion statements. The old Nokia 6310i and Nokia 3310 models were design classics, and they even have separate buttons so you don't end up pressing two or three at once. They're easy to use, and if your grandpa does get stuck, almost anybody will be able to help him out.
It's hard to see anything as good at the basics among the current mobiles from any company, but the Nokia 3120 and possibly the 6021 might be worth a look. Get him to try the keypads before you buy. And if anyone knows of a more suitable mobile, please let us know.
Backchat: Ian Thomson says he "looked into this last year for my 92 year old father" and ended up with a Motorola RAZR. "The keyboard is protected when it's closed so there's no need to lock it, it's easy to get into the address book, the flat keys are easy to use, and the font is reasonably large and clear."
Tim Pearce points to a US solution, "the Jitterbug phone (http://www.jitterbugdirect.com) made by Samsung especially for oldies," but it has its own network.
Roger Bessent from the RNIB points out that the RNIB sells the Easy5 (mentioned above) via its online shop for £139. Also, he says, the Emporia Life phone will be available from the RNIB and Communic8. "Stock should be available for its launch at the end of June. It has not been advertised yet as it requires reboxing and a change of the charger type for the UK market." The RNIB price is £145 plus VAT.
Classic: Nokia 6310i
