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Geriatric mobile choice....

Gwilo
in The Technology Shed

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Well, it was bound to happen someday.

My Gran has finally tired of endless cold callers, despite changing her number last year.  Virgin are either selling her number on or re-using the number from an old taxi company/kebab shop/pizza delivery/double glazing firm.....

 

So she asked about mobile phones, so she would ditch the land line.  She likes the idea of being able to see who is calling first, so she can decide to take it or not, as the husband of one of her old friends has taken to ringing her for 2-3 hours every day to go on about anything and everything.

 

Obvious choice here would be a nice simply Nokia - epic battery life, and supposedly easy to use. can't say for sure, haven't had one in a long time. The problem is, her eyesights going, and she gave up her DVD player/hard drive recorder because "it was too complicated to use".

 

So what are realistic options?  I Really don't like the look of those condescending "old people" phones that look like a FisherPrice toy - she's old, not senile.  Miminal use, nice clear screen, big, but a smartphone would be too complicated and overkill - too easy for her to get lost in lots of sub-menus and things.

 

Is there anything can offer the perfect mix of outstanding battery life, simple interface and "caller id" type display so she can see the number/name of who's calling?

That phone looks higher suitable.  My 91 year-old father-in-law has my ancient Nokia 6310i and loves it - much better than the 'old person's' phone one of his grandsons bought him.

  • Author

Got an old samsung, and it's a mare to use.  Plus having the clamshell means flipping it open to see who's calling.......which then means it's answered......

Granted, could probably turn that feature on and off deep in some obscure menu knowing samsung.  I think I'd prefer a candybar style, though then we get into the issue of "keylock" etc........

Maybe the old dear could cope with a cheap smart phone?

 

You could customise the screen to just show the functions needed and block the data service to save money.

 

My Mum still can't work a mouse but she can manage my Dad's tablet.

 

Failing that what about something liked a used Motorola F3? Loads of battery life and large text on screen.

Or an ancient one off an auction site for a fiver. Charge lasts a week and it doesn't do anything fancy.

If she stuck with the landline, try the Gigaset  620/620a; it has anonymous call blocking and a telephone number block list for those irritating callers who DO use CLID.

 

It also has lots of other useful feature, like being able to set a reduced volume ringer during set hours (useful at night).

 

The phone is a handy size - unlike many mobiles, and has a long battery life; with replaceable AAA batteries for when they start to degrade.

  • Author

Been looking at TTfone Saturn.....seems to tick majority of boxes, but several reviews mention dodgy build quality issues.

Doro easyphone 622 was looking good, with a external screen on the flip, but that only shows time, when I want it to show the name/number of the contact who's calling, like everyphone I seem to recall having for the last 8 years........

Am I over-thinking this? Remembering basic features incorrectly? 

The more I think about it, surely an basic Nokia would do the job, with say 9 programmed numbers - press and hold appropriate number to call assigned contact?

It's been a while since I've done this, having been a loyal, unfliching piephone user since day one...... :blush:

Why bother about the keyboard - get glasses on to read display ,and see keypad. i use 3 ( when service is good) for calls. Much cheaper than landlines.

I'm in the age bracket now where you'd rather put a hammer to the keyboard of my Blackberry curve rather than have to get the electron microscope out to read it.

Decent sized caller display on my BT landline did it for me.

Anything that comes in marked "International", "Withheld", "Unavailable" or any number that isn't recognised isn't answered and is just allowed to ring until it rings off. Did the trick for me. You've just got to maintain the discipline of looking at the Call ID panel before even thinking of lifting the handset.

Incoming call volume fell from 5-6 a day to an occasional call once a week.

Once every couple of months the volume does go up again for a few days, but, I've found, as along as you maintain the the "No-answer" regime things go back to an accetaple level.

Clearly, this sort of thing is more of a torture to old people on their own, who may rely on the phone for a main source of human contact. To repeatedly answer the phone hoping its a friend or relative only to find its some unintelligible non-patriate or semi-literate turd-bucket operating from an off-shore office selling ambulance chasing legal services, phony compensation claims or double glazing, could be emotionally undermining. The "Thatcher babes" that do this don't give a stuff about the collateral and consequential effects of their "Business" on people's lives, especially OAPs or Care in the Community types. Thinks, perhaps that nice Mr Hunt in the government (He of the human concern ticket) could use HMG funds to bring a human rights case on behalf of OAPs on this very issue.

Seems like the only people they take any notice of these days are those enriching uranium . . . .

Nick

  • Author

I've been looking into the Doro range.

Some look like they'd really hit the mark, aside from several reviews that point out it only does 2G and that could be an issue for signal.

Now I'm not intending to put Gran on the Three network, she'd never use mobile t'internet......but do any of the mainstream carrier have plans to pull conventional 2G signals?

I use a Vody 354, and it has a BLACKLIST call setting. Not the loudest phone in the world, but this facility is nice. There's also "who calls me "(http://whocallsme.com/) to check up on the random callers.

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