Holidays, weekend dinners, afternoon coffee at a relative's. You always leave them with a portion of advice and life wisdom passed down from generation to generation, wiping the sweat from under your horned helmet. However, the moment has come to “write in chalk on the chimney” – the roles are reversed, because now the elders are asking you for advice. Yes, yes! You're in charge because you're the son, grandson who knows their stuff, and only you can honestly and without ripping them off advise on choosing the right phone.
The usual sequence of events that will soon unfold…
You pour your favorite drink into a glass, sink into an armchair, and, lost in thought, savor the moment. You grow, swell with pride, and mentally navigate the vast ocean of technology…
But not for too long, because you have to reach shore and provide comprehensive information. So, you set sail and head in a course that every Viking knows well.
Familiar port or unknown waters? A phone or smartphone for a senior
You've asked so many questions, you could rival any lead editor, and after the interview, you only know that your senior's dream mobile phone should have a large display and buttons and keys visible from Earth's orbit. But these are guidelines from over a decade ago, when smartphones were as rare as the number of sober people on New Year's Eve. Look at it rationally – today, every touchscreen has a large display, and a few millimeters more or less in diagonal won't turn a senior's life into an idyll or a nightmare.
It's similar with buttons – they are all of similar size and have easily accessible function keys. So, if grandma, grandpa, grandpa, or mom often use several applications and actually want a smartphone, you know you need to focus on:
- ease of use,
- price,
- available memory,
- battery life,
- ringtone volume,
- camera,
- call audio quality.
Keeping the above in mind, it's worth checking out the Motorola Moto E22 4/64 GB model. It will be a good choice if you're also looking for a phone with a decent camera in this price range (especially if grandma loves taking photos at every opportunity!).
A button phone for a senior
And if a smartphone is "nah, it's all a bit much" and the patriarch of the family insists on a phone with physical, not digital, buttons? That's fine too! With such a model, it will be easier to dial your grandson, save the contact for your cardiologist, and find your way through the maze of numbers saved in previous years. Secondly, operating a keypad phone is simpler than a smartphone with extensively developed functionalities. And when the gadget slips out of your hand? Bonus! Its enormous advantage is greater resistance to drops from a height.
Another advantage of a classic phone is that the smaller (but still more readable in terms of basics) screen and limited number of functions limit battery consumption. A smartphone usually needs charging after 2-3 days, while a regular mobile phone can be used for voice calls or SMS for up to a week.
Traditional phones with physical keyboards are also cheaper than smartphones, and you can choose a decent model for around 100-200 PLN.
So, if the senior doesn't need a large display, it's worth showing them the PANASONIC KX-TU110EXB phone, which offers good call quality, large and readable buttons on the keypad, and a decent price.
However, if the elders care about a large screen, suggest the NOKIA 230 Dual SIM model. True – it's a bit more expensive, but it's a better phone in every respect than the aforementioned Panasonic. The camera takes decent photos (for this type of phone), it has a powerful speaker, and excellent voice call quality. It's also a cutie 🙂
A mobile phone for a senior like a landline phone
A Viking doesn't stop searching, and now for a plot twist! Perhaps the senior will like a mobile phone that looks like a newer generation landline phone (but not the kind with a dial that you loved to spin when you visited your grandparents in early primary school).
These phones have a fixed place at home because they are placed in a docking station. This type of SIM card landline phone does not require a traditional telephone cable. When it's in the base, it charges, and the user always knows where to put it back. However, during a call, they can take a tour of the whole house, as the phone has a relatively large range relative to the docking station's position. Thus, it is as flexible in use as our pay-as-you-go offer, which does not require signing a long contract.
The phone can also be used for calls on the terrace or in the home garden without any problems. Importantly, the ringtones on these phones are loud, and the devices are equipped with physical keypads with large buttons. They have built-in phone books, like all other mobile phones. You can also send SMS messages through them. A choice for 2024 in this category could be the MAXCOM MM720 phone.
How much does a phone for a senior cost — prices
- Let's get down to business. A basic smartphone for a senior can cost from 300-400 PLN upwards if we're talking about a new 2024 model. The upper limit can even be several thousand PLN.
- A decent phone for a senior with physical keyboard buttons costs around 150 PLN.
- A mobile phone like a landline also costs about 150 PLN.
Important feature — SOS button
Sometimes, the most important things are those we don't use every day. For a senior, such a function is the SOS button. Most smartphones and classic phones have this option built-in. Thanks to it, you can design a message that your elderly loved one will send with one button to previously provided numbers if they need help. All they need to do is a simple action – depending on the model, it will be a long press of one key or, for example, a triple press of the power button/smartphone. Landline-like mobile phones can also have such a function, like the Maxcom Comfort MM740 with an alarm SOS button and a devilishly loud speaker.
We're docking
How exciting the cruise through phones for seniors comes to an end! As expected, it wasn't stormy. We believe that armed with the knowledge we've provided, you'll proudly announce to your client – I KNOW WHAT TO BUY!
